Quarter Circle Foward

Who changed my description?

2011-02-18T13:21:00.001-08:00

It sure wasn't me. Grr.

Harmony One

2008-12-19T09:00:00.000-08:00

I've long been a fan of Logitech and their Harmony remotes. I've had a Harmony Universal Remote for the Xbox 360 for about two years, and I have had no real complaints about it. Just think, a remote that can control my TV, Xbox 360, my AV Receiver, Set Top Box (STB) and DVD player. Normally when I would turn on television, I would press the power button for the TV, one for the STB and one for the receiver. In addition to that, I would have to make sure that the TV and the AV Receiver would have to be in the correct input in order for me to view a picture. So that's at least three presses on several remotes. With the Harmony remotes, the amount of remotes you should use comes down to one, and in most cases, one button press. That one button press will turn on each of your components, and set the components to the correct inputs.

However, my Xbox 360 remote's LCD decided to take a poop on me. On Black Friday, I decided to pick up a Harmony 880 for $100 at Circuit City and would decide that this is the remote for me. However, I was able to pick up a Harmony One for slightly more. So the 880 is going back, and I open this puppy up.

Boy, I was happy when I got this thing working. Touch screen control for the Activities, the ability to set favorite channels and upload the appropriate icons, a rechargable base (so no more batteries), and a feel that is much better than the Xbox 360 remote. Is the cost worth it? Many people say it's not - "It's just a remote." But for me, it is. It gives my wife one touch control, less remotes to fool around with, and a few seconds saved each time when doing different things. Get one. You won't regret it.

Upcoming posts

2008-06-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

Since Evo is coming up, and I know many people haven't made their plans yet, I'm going to plan a small series of Vegas Hotel room reviews. I've never been to the Tropicana, so I really can't comment on that. But there are other things out there, a LOT of things out there. Luckily, I've taken pics on where I have stayed.

Look for this soon!

Initial SF4 Gameplay Impressions

2008-02-15T09:14:00.000-08:00

From Kotaku:

See Humans Play Street Fighter IV!!

My opinions:
The gameplay looks largely intact. There seems to be EX moves, the standard combos, a dash attack. Gameplay actually looks smooth. I'm sure the speed will be an issue with some. There seems to be a one-level super meter. C. Viper looks to have a reversal type of move.

The game itself looks beautiful. I truly can't wait to see more.

Street Fighter 4 - "New" Characters Revealed

2008-02-06T07:40:00.000-08:00

From our fellow bloggers at Kotaku:

Street Fighter IV Welcomes Chun-Li's Thighs, Classic Fighters

The link has a few pics depicting some of the "new" fighters that are going to be in the game. Chun-Li, Dhalsim, Guile, E. Honda, Blanka, and Zangief. I guess the original eight were inevitable, but it's still a little disappointing. Apparently, Feburary 8th is supposed to be a date where we get a new character reveal. I'm looking forward to that.

As the way the game is turning out graphically - let's just say I was extremely skeptical at first. But as characters are being added, it's looking a lot better. I guess I would describe the style as gritty - something a fighter should be.

Mainstream media outlets (outside of gamer websites/magazines) are also starting to get wind of this game as well. Seems like the Street Fighter franchise was lost for a while, but definitely not forgotten as anticipation for this game seems to be really high.

Zune vs. iPod

2007-11-14T12:05:00.000-08:00

I am one of possibly many who has both an iPod and a Zune. I picked a new iPod nano online, and had about two good months using that while I work out. The Zune I picked up from Woot.

Well, the new update from Zune came out yesterday, and boy, am I impressed. The Zune interface is a lot smoother, there is added wireless sync support, and the overall look and feel is a lot better. I honestly enjoy the zune better than the Ipod, since it also has a built-in RDS FM tuner (great for the gym).

I have no idea what's going on with the Ipod touch, but from what I hear it's a gimped version of the iPhone...

Street Fighter 4 is coming.

2007-10-29T14:18:00.001-07:00

Yes, this post is a bit late. But I should post this, to show I still care somewhat.

I did make a post on SRK (but seems to be deleted) on how the some of the features online should work. There a lot of ideas out there by the community, so it's good to people still caring about a franchise long thought to be in limbo.

Tournament Traveling Tips

2007-07-16T08:29:00.000-07:00

Again, Evo will be upon us in the next month. Here is an article that Tony Cannon and I co-wrote 6 years ago. This article was actually published in the now-defunct Tips & Tricks magazine! While it is dated, it still holds very true to those who travel to tournaments and conventions. Yes, there was going to be a part two, but it was never written. Maybe it's time to finish that...

Link: Tournament Traveling Tips

How to shave.

2007-07-10T12:20:00.001-07:00

I received a shaving kit recently from my lovely wife for my birthday, and decided to browse for a bit on how to get an excellent shave.

So here are a few things I've learned:
1. Shaving gel/cream in a can is not the best.
2. The disposable razors/cartridges with 2 blades or more are not as good as you think.
3. Getting that excellent shave takes a bit of time.

Link: Mantic59's Shaving Blog

This guy also has some informative videos up on YouTube, be sure to check it out.

And no, this does not make you less of a man. This also probably doesn't apply to Derek, either.

So Virtua Fighter 5 is confirmed to be playable online...

2007-07-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

Link: SEGA ANNOUNCES ONLINE MULTIPLAYER FUNCTIONALITY IN VIRTUA FIGHTER™ 5 FOR XBOX 360

So this IS good news. And I take back the bad, bad things I said about Sega. My nephew loves you, Sega for Sonic. And I love you Sega, for VF5 and online play.

One would think that Sega pretty much had to make this move due to the upcoming Capcom fighter, Tekken 5 being online soon, Soul Calibur 4 and Tekken 6 on the horizon. I can truly hear two camps at this moment of time: the one breathing a collective sigh of relief that the game will be online, and the other already whining about the inevitable lag issues that online play will bring.

Now how about that fighting stick...

So I'm playing poker.

2007-07-05T09:47:00.000-07:00

Like viscant, I'm playing some online poker.

But let me tell you my story. One day in January 2004, when the Super Bowl came to Houston, I was letting a friend use the computer while we wait to hit downtown where the party was. He asked to install PartyPoker, so I let him do so. As we are waiting, I noticed that he was playing Texas Hold'em - for real money. So I observed for a bit since I didn't know how to exactly play. Being the quick learner that I am, I picked up the basic premise pretty quickly.

So I decided to not uninstall the program, and actually create an account to mess around with in play money. So I play for a bit, sometimes I'd go to a get-together, and they would have a home game going on. So I would play in those, and although I didn't win, I'd do pretty well.

In addition, I had a roommate for a while who played a lot of online poker, so I'd sit down for a bit and casually observe the games, and noticed that he played 2-6 tables at any given time.

So November 2006, I would go to Las Vegas for a week on vacation. Prior to my trip, I told myself that I would partake in a couple low buy-in tournaments when I was gambling. So I did the appropriate research, and decided to play in just two tournaments - a 9PM $45 a Fitzgeralds, and a 10AM tournament at the Hooter Casino for $25 w/rebuy.

I first went to Fitzgeralds. Went out with 18 players remaining, 30 max. Basically I just got blinded out, by playing too tightly. Strangely, to me, it felt a lot like a Street Fighter tournament, with some of the nervousness around. The next day, I decided to go to the Hooter's tournament. Around 30 people from what I gather. After taking in the rebuy as I ran low on chips, I wound up chopping a pot heads-up. $330 was my payday. I was very ecstatic.

When I got home, I installed Pokerstars, and made my first deposit of $25 and started playing 2NL. A month later, I went back to Vegas for a couple of days, and decided to play in some ring games as well. I played at the Venetian, where I was up about $30 playing 200NL, and down $9 at Caesar's Palace playing the same. This was also the first time at Vegas where my slot play was very minimal.

In addition, I found a place where I can play for free to help me deal with live play and live situations (since gambling in Texas is illegal), and ease the nervousness that once affected me. The same place had a Royal Flush jackpot, which I hit, and bought drinks for everyone at the table. I still play on occasion here to enjoy a beer and have a few laughs.

So my goal this year is such (small goals first, for me): Try to move up to 25NL with the proper bankroll, play live poker when I can when I go to a casino, and of course fix my leaks in my game.

So here I am today, an aspiring poker player. I've moved up in limits at Pokerstars, I'm an overall winning player (live and online), and enjoying it as my new hobby to replace SF tournaments. I do not get to play as much as I'd like, but I am getting better, and realizing at the same time how similar the game can be to playing Street Fighter.

Fighting games and Online Play

2007-06-29T13:07:00.000-07:00

Amongst the Fighting Game Hardcore stems a heated argument about online play.
There is a clear line - those who like it and those who hate it.

Those are against it repeatably state a glaring flaw - the latency in fighting games. While I do agree that execution can be critical in high-level matches, some critics go as far as saying that it completely changes the game.

While I am not going to argue with those two critical points, I do believe that all fighting games from here on out should have online play. If you are in the United States or Canada, you'll notice that arcades are far and few between these days. Even if there is an arcade around, there is no guarantee that the local arcade will even get the newest game just for the sake of a few people. By the way, a 4 cabinet setup in an arcade will cost them $70k! SEVENTY THOUSAND! Wow. Just wow...

So what else is there? Consoles and online play. Like it or not, online play is here to stay. We've come a long way, and service keeps improving. Not enough for some of the critics around. Online play allows one to play games in the comfort of their own home. For those who don't like it? Don't play online. Have a getogether. Go find an arcade that does have it. But don't spoil it for others who simply want to play other people.

Anyhoos, this geared more towards Sega. HAVE ONLINE PLAY! Namco is coming out with an online version of Tekken 5; Soul Calibur 4 will have it, SF Turbo HD Remix will have it... Why do you hate us, Sega?!?!?!?

Lots of topics, so little time...

2007-06-12T14:44:00.000-07:00

So lately there are a bunch of topics that I'd like to blog about, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of time for me lately. I need to make time.

So here's a quick rundown:

ST HD Remix for Xbox Live Arcade - great that they will update the graphics, but what about the sound?

The Houston/Planet Zero/Showdown debacle - I call it a debacle because it has received a lot of negativity in the Fighting Game community. Plus, it hits home for obvious reasons.

Virtua Fighter 5 and it not being online on Xbox 360 - That's a can of worms that needs to be opened. People from both sides of the argument are debating whether a game should be available online, even it could detract on the original gaming experience that the developer wishes to convey.

The fighting game scene's path - It's pretty obvious that we're at a critical junction in the community. What needs to happen?

My path as a poker player - I've moved up in limits recently - does that make me good?

Lots of good stuff to blog about. Stay tuned!!!

Playing poker

2007-05-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

So yeah. I'm playing poker online now.

It's funny as I see many similarities from SF land to the land of poker.

Turtle = Tight Play
Rushing down = Loose, Aggressive play
Scrubfests = LOL donkaments

In SF, you have a character to play, with that character having a set of strengths and weaknesses, to best the other character. In poker, you are the character, trying to disguise your strength, and hide your weaknesses while trying to exploit your opponents.

Only thing is, is that poker has tournaments that occur all the time. I wish some company would step up and perform the same. There are a whole lot of us SF, Tekken, whatever fans that would love the same thing. One can argue about the integrity of the game online vs. offline, but when you're alone? Give me lag any day, because in the end all I want to do is beat people and have some fun.

Changed yet again...

2007-02-05T12:45:00.001-08:00

Yeah, so it's fixed again. Going to update again in the future.

This is a little better.

2006-12-05T14:31:00.000-08:00

New color scheme, and logo. Needs more work, however.

What the? It's been two months.

2006-12-05T12:54:00.000-08:00

So yeah, I've been lazy. I recently came from Vegas not too long ago, did pretty well in a NL Hold'em tournament.

I come back, get Gears of War and the Wii for my mom.

Wii is good stuff. It will make fat gamers a little bit less fat. Graphics are disappointing, although Zelda looks good.

Gears of War is insanely fun. Not because it's a shooter's rehash. The campaign mode is great, the online mode is even better. I don't need to go over the stuff, many people know already.

I still need to work on this blog. It's not pleasing to the eye.

This blog is ugly.

2006-10-20T13:47:00.000-07:00

I'm going to have to change it. It's too plain, and it's hard to read. Hopefully in a week or two I can get this thing going.

I better make it quick, since I'll be in Vegas in two weeks.

Why You Shouldn't Buy Anything From EA

2006-10-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

From Kotaku:

Battlefield 2142 With a Dash of SpyWare

Buggy software on consoles, and now this? If you are too lazy to click and read through, it's as simple as this. EA is installing spyware in conjunction with Battlefield 2142 that delivers in-game advertising based on web browsing habits.

It's already reached a firestorm before I even typed this. This is the last straw, EA. I want to buy a game, not a living advertising machine.

It's bad enough I'm having problems with Madden 07 for Xbox 360. Here are my problems with it.

1. The game crashes seemingly at random.
2. The game doesn't reward achievement levels correctly. I am at Madden gamer level 11, and I still don't have my level 10 achievement!
3. I have to update my rosters EVERY TIME I GET ONLINE.
4. When I do update, I find that the Denver Broncos are rated lower than the Houston Texans!
5. You expect us to pay for a "strategy guide" and for Alternate uniforms and old stadiums, when they were completely free last year?!?

Jeez. I shudder to think what Tiger Woods 07 and NBA Live 07 are like. Doesn't matter. I will not buy another EA game until they remove the spyware crap on BF 2142, and they put out a decent product for their consoles (that does not crash). Here's hoping that MS can get an in-house studio to make an NFL game...

Xbox 360 to Have 1080p Capabilities

2006-09-20T09:40:00.000-07:00

Yes, you heard right. Announced at the Tokyo Game Show, Xbox 360s will have the ability to output both game AND movie content (for the HD-DVD add-on) at 1080p via a software update later this fall.

Quote from Shane Kim, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Game Studios:
"If it is running at 720p we will up-res it to 1080p, if it it's already 1080p then we can display it in 1080p," he said. " This is a great example of our console's ability and the great advantage of being a software company."

Of course, movie content in 1080p had to be inevitable with the HD-DVD addon. But with games, it's only a bonus. While it doesn't really mean a whole lot to the current crop of games (and maybe even the next generation), it does send a message to Sony: "Hey, we can do 1080p as well!"

"We believe 720p is the sweet-spot for high definition," says Kim. Keep that in mind, because there won't be a lot of options for 1080p in the foreseeable future.

EVIL has a name, and it's name is Elmo.

2006-09-19T13:14:00.000-07:00

Yes. We all remember this from 10 years ago. Some of you may have even had one as a kid! Well, he's back. He's bad. And watch for fighting parents come Xmas time!

"Maddenoliday" is upon us!

2006-08-22T14:03:00.000-07:00

Madden 07 is here. Hide your women and throw away the key!

I'm going to get my copy sometime after work, but many stores around the country were open at midnight in order to start selling all the various copies. My money this year is on the 360 version, as it should contain all the features that the other console versions should have, with the pretty graphics to boot. Even though my team sucks, I am going to play the Houston Texans. I'm a homer, but who cares? I should be easy to beat. (especially since I didn't really play at all last year)

New Sony SXRDs are here!

2006-07-25T12:03:00.000-07:00

The well reviewed SXRD Rear Projection HDTVs from Sony are back, and are now available in this year's models.

Available in 50" ($2799) and 60" ($3699) models, these HDTVs improve on the initial SXRD design by eliminating the dumbo ear speaker eyesore and moving them to the bottom ala the A10 designs, accepting true 1080 inputs, and being a lot cheaper than what they were 1 year ago. Imagine. the 60" was $5000 1 year ago, which makes it about 25% cheaper this time around. Don't you love technology?

It's Been Awhile...

2006-07-11T14:37:00.000-07:00

I'll be making a post soon, promise.

Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD - May, 2006

2006-05-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

Since we all know about Microsoft's HD-DVD option and Sony's Blu-Ray on PS3, it's time for a perspective at this point.

HD-DVD: Already out, $499 entry price by Toshiba. Backed by a $200-$300 option by Microsoft's Xbox 360. Does 720p/1080i upconversion on existing DVD media through HDMI. Certain movie studios backing this.

Blu-Ray: Comes out later this year. Standalone players expected to debut at $999. 1080p is possible through HDMI. PS3 will natively carry this at $499/$599. Certain movie studios backing this.

I thought E3 would help me decide in which format to support. It really hasn't done squat. I think if the PS3's high price point would have been at $399, then Blu-Ray would win hands down. We'll have to see what's going on as time gets closer to the Blu-Ray launch in order to determine the DVD format of the future.

Post E3 Impressions: Hardware

2006-05-15T09:35:00.000-07:00

Obviously, there is always a plethora of news coming on the heels of E3. I'll simply discuss hardware here.

Nintendo Wii: The inital price point seems to be set at $249. A 3 hour wait at E3 just to play the thing. My past experiences at E3 usually indicate that Nintendo always has good stuff happening, and this is no different. Virtual console seems a bit promising, but personally I've moved beyond simplistic play (except Super-Punch Out, I'll never get tired of that). Turbographx 16 games? Intriguing. Controller mechanics seem interesting, but may end up being gimmicky. The $249 price point is particularly interesting. It would seem that it would provide as a viable and affordable alternative to Xbox360 and PS3. I'm still a bit peeved about no official HDTV support (so far) and no HDMI output.

Playstation 3: $499 and $599 price points? The lesser version has NO HDMI, no wifi, and only a 20GB hard drive. The better version HAS HDMI, wifi, and a 60GB hard drive. Potentially crippling. The price points are actually more than the Xbox 360, which is kind of hard to believe. GT4 demo was unimpressive, MGS4 is well, Metal Gear Solid. Popular opinion of E3 indicates that Sony fubared this pretty badly.

Xbox 360: The system is already out, so I'll just comment on the HD-DVD drive and Xbox Live. $200-$300 seems fair for the add-on. It gives gamers an option to buy HD-DVD if they so choose for a cheaper price point (that is, until the prices on the players drop). Not impressed with regular progressive DVD capabilities on the 360 as it is, so I remain unmoved. Xbox Live did a great thing with releasing lots of trailers and demos for the masses to see.

Opinions: The PS3 prices are a bit much. People will still buy them once it comes out in November, but supply will again be an issue. That will put Microsoft in a great position to convert would-be PS3 buyers into 360 buyers since it will be logical that way more 360s will be available. (360s are still selling like hotcakes around here). That, and the lack of options on the PS3 is a bad, bad idea. Wii is in a great position with it's smaller pricepoint - it still feels like a Pug fighting against a Pitbull and a Mastiff, but they have Zelda, Mario, Metroid, all those classic franchises to back up on. I do forsee issues with the controllers, however.

Next-Gen DVD Cripple Option?!?

2006-04-19T07:27:00.000-07:00

You should read this first. In short, the article is about content providers having the ability to "cripple" the component outputs on HD-DVD players like below.

Toshiba's first model for HD-DVD. Retails for $500 at Crutchfield.

A bit shocking, isn't it? To give content providers (like movie studios) the option to downconvert the component outputs to 960x540. While I can see why they would allow this to happen (for older, non-HDTVs), it is an utterly absurd solution. One additonal reason is to help the public with the transition from standard 480i/p content into eventual HD content. Yet, an underlying, hidden reason to do this is to help circumvent piracy. But copy-protection schemes have been broken in the past.

A better solution is to allow the players to do their job, which is to display in 720p/1080i, with the ability to downconvert to 480i/p. This option should be set by the consumer at the player's settings menu, and default to a specific setting.

In any case, this could be a hot topic concerning the next generation DVD war between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. And this option will only set to confuse less knowledgable consumers in the short run.

Major League Gaming Gets TV Time

2006-04-18T07:04:00.000-07:00

So, you've probably heard by now that Major League Gaming procured a TV deal with the USA network. As you may know, MLG teamed up with us on Texas Showdown 5 and on Evolution

And now, they are on television. Good for them. And I wish them luck. They'll need it, too, since video games as a competitive event is not as exciting or as easy to follow as the three major sports (Sorry Hockey, you took a year off). 2005 in Las Vegas. Texas Showdown went on to arguably be the best tournament that year, while Evolution 2005 had a large divide between the Halo 2 and the fighting games crowd.

To the casual observer, Halo 2 is not easy to follow.

FPS games are not easy to follow. In fact, it gives some observers and gamers motion sickness. Unless you are playing the game yourself, you might find yourself having a hard time following the action. That goes for any other game (except fighting games - MvC2 not included). Unlike in sports or competitive games like in Poker, there is no charisma to draw from. While there might be charisma between the player and the character(s) he/she is playing, that necessarily doesn't hold true to the casual observer. Let's face it, when you see a game you particularly like at a gaming kiosk, you want to play it yourself.

With that said, while there might be some charisma coming from the players themselves, their focus is usually taken away by the action of the game. The charisma given off by sports athletes simply cannot be compared, as they are finely tuned humans who usually are in great physical shape, who do what they do like no other. I'm starting to ramble, but the simple point is this: Video Games make for great entertainment, but they do not necessarily make for great television. Well, not Super Smash Bros. and Halo 2, that is.

"Mainstream" Music in Video Games

2006-04-04T13:45:00.000-07:00

Looking back, we've come a long way since the sounds of bleeps and bloops of video games 20 years ago. 5.1 Dolby Digital sound, immersive environments and creative music now fill our ears when we now play our video games.

But now there is something else out there, something that has come quite subtle... music by "real" musicians. It's been around for quite a while now. Remember the arcade shooter Revolution X? They used Aerosmith to help sell the game by including their faces and tracks.

Not so anymore. There now several games out there that incorporate soundtracks in order to enhance the game. The Gran Turismo series, Project Gotham Racing and many of the EA Sports series all have soundtracks that include both established and upcoming artists.

No longer is the case where the artist drives the game. It is the game that exposes the user to new music. I do remember in Madden 2003 in which a little band called Good Charlotte had a song called "The Anthem" well before it became famous on MTV and radio.

Good Charlotte's "The Anthem" was a
recognizable tune on Madden 2003 long
before MTV.

This is another reason why video games are now the big time - it can increase exposure of a certain musical artist and lead to fame, fortune, etc. just like it did for Good Charlotte. I'm willing to bet a dollar that the record companies are taking note of this. It may not be as upfront as ITunes and MTV, but it does reach a large audience, and can impress itself upon a gamer many, many times; leading to future sales.

Innvoative Billboards

2006-03-24T08:28:00.000-08:00

Billboards. You can't avoid them. They are on your daily drive if you are on the highway. Most are annoying, but some are lighthearted (ex. Chick Fil-A and the cows).

But Honda is trying something new. There are some billboards out there that say "What would a Honda Element and a crab talk about? Tune to 1660AM to find out!" Guess what? Once I saw that billboard, I tuned into 1660AM. A lot of it was nonsense, but it was throughly amusing nonetheless. Look for them. Good for a minute.

Dead or Alive 4 Update

2006-03-06T07:11:00.000-08:00

On Friday, Tecmo updated Dead or Alive 4. Here are some of the changes, most of it being with the online aspect:

1. On the character select screen and the stage itself, you now are able to view the rank of all the participants of the current fight.
2. When entering a lobby, the contents of the match is now preloaded. It means once you join the match, you can see the match in progress a lot quicker than previously.
3. The handicap is now determined by your proximity to the character's rank (as opposed to the letter grade in the past). Basically, if there are two 'C's fighting, the higher rank now gets a small handicap.
4. "Now saving" is now on most loading screens - if only to state the obvious.
5. Last character (costume, too!) and stage picked are now remembered within a session.
6. You have the option to perform a one time reset of your ranking and wins/losses. Again, this is optional. This reset does not reset any money and items you have earned.
7. Sparring exercise position remembered.

There may be other changes, but there are the obvious ones.

The So-Called Next Gen DVD Copy-Protection Debacle

2006-02-27T13:56:00.000-08:00

Link - Gear.IGN

Quote: "In perhaps the greatest disservice to the general consumer market yet perpetrated by players in the electronic entertainment industry, it has been revealed that next-generation DVD technologies (HD-DVD and Blu-ray) will only function with monitors and HDTVs with HDMI or DVI connections."

It basically means that the industry wants to enforce HDCP (High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection). I believe it's a bit difficult to do that, since there are a lot of early adopters of the HDTV format that only have component (an analog format) inputs. In addition, those TVs that have DVI mostly are not HDCP compatible. Is the industry going to alienate millions of users just to enforce HDCP? I think not.

So what does that mean for the next-gen consoles? For Xbox 360, it means nothing. For the upcoming Playstation 3 (now rumored to be delayed until '07), Sony cannot afford to alienate the vast majority of its PS2 userbase. Sony can't implement HDCP on their games. As for DVD content - they can, but they won't since they are trying to push Blu-Ray.

I'm No Game Designer.

2006-02-24T10:25:00.000-08:00

I just read Derek's(omni's) post on Game Designer's Tax, and it got me thinking: why didn't I become a game designer/programmer/ whatever, like some members on Shoryuken are?

A lot of people on the forums aspire to reach such a goal, but I realized that I did not want to go that route. I feel that I may lose some of the enjoyment of the game. It's definitely like that sometimes in Web Development. I do so much development work on websites, I don't really want to do any other work, whether it be past work on Shoryuken or present work like Texas Showdown. But I must, so I toil on.

I always encounter the same scenarios when I think about it; will I start to break down a game to actually look for design flaws and bugs? Will I be developing so much that I do not get to enjoy other games? This is my feeling... what is yours?

AOU2006: Virtua Fighter 5 shown

2006-02-21T10:32:00.000-08:00

Source - Kotaku

The news is a few days old, but still a bit new nonetheless. At the AOU '06 Show, they unveiled a prelim version of Sega's Virtua Fighter 5. The game will have networking capability, some customization and a VF.TV add-on that will allow non-players to view matches.

Something to note: The cabinet will house a 32" LCD widescreen monitor - a first for arcade fighting games. Based on my previous entry, you might notice that I'm a wee bit estatic at this news at VF5 being widescreen. Perhaps there are more games to come?

Fighting Games and the 16:9 Aspect Ratio

2006-02-16T10:13:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: By no means am I a game designer, nor do I claim to be one.

With that out of the way, I'd like to bring up the topic of the Aspect ratios, and what they mean to today's gamer. In this post, I'll be referencing the 2 main television aspects, 4:3 and 16:9. We all know that up until fairly recently, most televisions have the 4:3 ratio. With the advent of HDTV, widescreen televisions are capable of a 16:9 ratio.

The image above shows an in-action shot of Street Fighter III: Third Stike and it's native aspect ratio. The image also shows you how much extra space you can obtain if you use a 16:9 ratio. In many games such as Quake, Doom, and other FPS games, it gives you an increased Field of View (FOV) so you can see more of the environment, and maybe pick off someone that you may not see in the 4:3 ratio. In games like Madden 06, the 16:9 ratio will allow you to see your entire formation without having to move the camera.

So what does this mean to fighting games?

In games like Dead or Alive 4, the additional space from the 16:9 ratio just allows you to see more, as the game is not limited to a 2D plane and the characters don't have an overexaggerated jumping motion. Let's assume that 3rd Stike would allow for the 16:9 ratio. It can have a profound impact on actual fighting game strategy, as the fighting environment is bound by two endpoints in each fighting stage. Would the one stuck in the corner have the advantage? Or the one thats doing the cornering? Will more turtling occur with the larger area to fight in? That's an argument for the Theory Fighters out there.

But what do you think? Rereleases like many of the Capcom games are bound to the 4:3 ratio. But what about any fighting games bound in the 2D plane? Will they still be at the 4:3 ratio? Or will they go the 16:9 route? And if they do, will they change age-old strategies? And what about arcade releases, rare as they may be? What happens to them?

With the advent of the Xbox 360 and it's HDTV-friendly support, who knows what we'll get when Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting comes out on Xbox Live Arcade... my guess would be either a 4:3 game with borders, or a game that is stretched/compressed to fit the correct aspect ratio.

About the Blogger... (me)

2006-02-13T15:03:00.000-08:00

Somehow, I've forgotten to include why I did this blog in the first place. I am Javier Moreno, I live in Texas. I am a junior/senior (in transition) web developer.

Besides doing that, I help run Shoryuken.com as one of the four original founders of the website. I am also the founder and co-director of Texas Showdown, a little tournament I started with Chris Chou which turns out to be one of the biggest Street Fighter tournaments in the United States. These two things are some of the things I am most proud of in my life.

I am not actively in the scene currently, due to married life and the increased responsibilities of getting older. But that doesn't mean I don't have an opinion. You might find that my opinions may vary as opposed to inkblot, omni, or anyone else. I also have different interests, as you might already see.

I hope to keep you entertained, and you'll visit me from time to time.

Sony Going the "Life" Route

2006-01-31T13:52:00.000-08:00

Link - Sony Decares "Full-on Assault" on Xbox Live

Cliffs - Sony is developing a XBL-like experience on PS3.

I'm glad Sony is realizing this. XBox Live is truly a great experience. Now... will Sony match the Live service itself, or offer just enough to keep the masses happy? We shall see.

The Addictiveness of World of Warcraft

2006-01-31T11:54:00.000-08:00

I've played World of Warcraft (WoW) for about a year, and for the longest time I have found it strangely addicting. To this day, I wasn't even sure what really pulled me in. Was it that my SF buddies were playing this? Was it the hype on all the gamer sites? Was it because of the promise that a casual player can play this and stay competitive?

I'm not sure. But I do know this: when I did play, hours and hours would waste away. You want to get that something that makes you a little better than the next person. And what would the end result be? Something better is out there for you to get. Sure, Blizzard promised the casual gamer that they can get in and be competitive, but now, that's not so true. I've stopped playing due to that very reason. Now that I'm married, I find myself with a new sense of responsibility. With that responsibility comes with decreased free time.

I would easily waste 3-4 hours a night on WoW, easily thinking that I've accomplished something when I really haven't. I would run the same raid 2-3 times a night to get something that might not come. That's not really a game where you can pour 30 minutes into, and feel satisified. Pre-60 (the highest level in the game), you really do feel like you've done something. But after that? Not much can be done in 30 mins. It was sometime in October/November is when I realized that I could put my 3-4 hours elsewhere.

It also seems that I'm not alone, a lot of people are playing this game. Some have realized the same things I have, some have not. And that addictiveness will seem to get worse with the expansion that Blizzard is coming out with later this year...

Sony 50" Grand Wega SXRD HDTV

2006-01-17T11:37:00.000-08:00

Man, this TV is great. I seriously want one of these... too bad it's $4k for the 50", and 5k for the 60" version. I hear the prices are going to drop soon, however. Good, since I'll be in the market for a larger (think 50" plus) HDTV.

It has 1080p resolution (1920x1080) - but only accepts 1080i input. There are many reviews out there praising this TV set. I want. You should too.

Battery Prices

2006-01-12T11:20:00.000-08:00

Kroger (grocery store): $9.99
Ebay - around $3-4, but $7 shipping
Circuit City - $13.99
Best Buy: $14.99 - wth?

Lesson: Don't buy batteries, cables, misc. accessories from Best Buy, CC, etc. - blatant ripoff.

Running wires in the home

2006-01-03T15:13:00.000-08:00

Link - http://www.fadden.com/homewiring/

Hrm... I've had some complaints about my connection with other people while running wirelessly. I'm thinking about running wires into the wall, therefore eliminating the wireless... but is it worth it? Something to ponder...

360 Gaming Goodness

2006-01-03T08:52:00.000-08:00

So I now have three Xbox360 games. Project Gotham Racing 3, Call of Duty 2, and now Dead or Alive 4. I really can't imagine having any more for a while, since all three are fun.

I'm naturally a fighting games fan, so I have a natural affinity towards DoA4. But I'm not feeling it like I think I should... who knows. I've added my gamertag to this blog, so you can see how I'm doing in the different games. 5 game winning AND losing streak in the same day - go figure.

I have a 360!

2005-12-19T14:12:00.000-08:00

I do! Got it at a Sam's Club near my work for $450 on 12/15/05, which includes the Premium console, a 2nd wireless controller, and a Charge and Play kit. Good deal, glad to see that Sam's was about saving money, not TACKING it on (like gamestop, EB, etc.)

It's something else. Streaming music from the PC, the Live experience, Project Gotham Racing 3, it's all good!

I want an X-Box 360.

2005-11-30T13:17:00.000-08:00

Truth. I really do. But demand is so high...

But it seems it can do it all. Play games, download trailers and demos, stream music and movies from a PC. What's not to like? If this is the future of gaming, then I'm all open arms.

First Blog Entry

2005-10-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

Ahh... first blog entry. It's something I've never done before, but I think it's time to start doing so.