When the original Max Payne premiered years ago it was an original take on action, and adventure. On the PC the game was open to modders who were able to take the developers vision and push the game play. One of the illest mechanics the game had, was a slow motion/time distortion tactic. This allowed you as the player to strategical battle enemies in the game the way you saw fit. Tactically by slowing time down you could make impactful kills, get out of sticky situations by dodging, rolling, and have a great fun manipulating the environment. Max Payne’s story was a dark, and twisted affair that lent a film noir quality to the game’s progression. The story telling aspect wasn’t the best-ever, but it drew players in long enough to give a damn. I’d liken it to say Dirty Harry meets Poltergeist. Strange I know, but it worked. Fast forward to 2011, and the long in development Max Payne 3 is now officially on its way. Rockstar/2k Games have not let out much news in terms of story, nor game play, but we know they have a focus.

Rockstar is a patient developer who love to dig into the meat, and bones of their games. Imbuing them with personality. So they are treating this classic game IP with kid gloves. You can tell by their patience, and diligence they want to get this game right. For fans of action 3rd person shooters there is much to choose from, while the slow down/time manipulation game mechanic has been down to death since the original Max Payne by other games of its ilk; there is still something fresh that Max Payne 3 can bring to the table. At the end of the day I have a feeling that the brain trust over at Rockstar games are cooking up something painful (Come on, I had to).

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I’m sure most of you know the fairy tale ”The Little Match Girl” by Hans Christian Andersen. Well, my story begins when this one ends. When the last match is out, and there is nothing else to keep her warm in this cold winter night. When she finally closes her eyes and drifts away in her last ice cold dream … Here, in this dream, she will take her last stand fighting off cold, but unfortunately we all now how this dream is going end.

Vanja Todoric’s interpretation, and forward imagination with “Little Match Girl” is a playful piece of illustration. He captures the sensibility of the fairy tale in a very whimsical, but menacing way. If you have ever read a Hans Christian fairy tale, then I’m sure you’re familiar with some of the dark parts of their philosophies. Vanja gives that sensibility in the work; In fact there is a very Don Blouth’esque style to the work.  Reminding me of old Disney films that Don created such as “Sleeping Beauty”. Vanja brings stronger lines, and yes more vibrant colors to his illustration (it’s not an animation project). Still you see the influence of Don, which is pretty awesome to see. I can’t wait to see what Vanja does next.

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It’s been a hard couple of years. Grinding doing all kinds of work to stay afloat. Shit sucks. The economy seems to have been messed up for a long time not for a couple of quarters. At the same time sure, I’m keeping money in my pocket saving on rent and stuff. It’s frustrating that everthing that I do has to be so hard. I’m not mad, but I’d like to start doing a bit better for working hard.

Now I look at Microsoft a rich company, one with vast resources of money, talent, fun, work, and triumph. Not to say no ones tasted anything less, but they are fresh water fish in wine glasses.  I don’t belong in thier league. Except I’m trying and hopefully sometime soon I’ll be doing my own thing. Killing the game the way it’s meant to be. I’m talking about living on the Xbox 360. Playing Fable 2 if I’m able. Getting exactly what I need to do it comfortably. Love to be paid, and not rich. Just be comfortable without being lazy. I can settle for on the move with my games. Can’t wait to take big screen shots off of screens that rock out more than 42 inches. wait, say is that me playing and accepting friends? It is if I do say so, it is…God willing everything works out so I can get me a 60 Gig Xbox 360…Be a gamer…Not a hater

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MTV multiplayer has new blog up concerning comments made by THQ’s head honcho at Pacific Crest 10th Anniversary Technology Leadership Forum. You can check out the blog here…

www.multiplayerblog.mtv.com

This is the first generation where you have seen that. I think it comes down mainly to price and competition. So yes there are sub genres, but getting caught up on one platform won’t allow you to elvovle the right way.

You take a look at the Wii, and you see an innovative system which is rarely if ever being used to it’s full potential. At the same time its technology reintroduced in a new generation.

Then you look at Sony and Microsoft, both hardwares are entirely new for the whole generation. So having Nintendo’s Wii is actually a smart move because it allows the developers to have options as they figure out where the technology is going. This is unique to this generation.

Let’s take a look at handheld gaming. Two things need to happen and the whole dynamic changes. PSP gets more gaming, and the Phone companies create a unified gaming platform. That would one would literally hurt Nintendo, and cast doubt on its’ next handheld. Sony with the PSP just like the PS3 hasn’t taken it seriously enough to compete. I don’t understand why PS2 development, and incentives for third parties, independent development haven’t been thier bread and butter?

Again I would not want to follow this philosophy into every generation, because the likely hood is that a developer would lose big time. The big developers like it, because it covers their margins, and they can continue to pimp sequels, and lisences. It doesn’t push the medium forward or allows gaming to grow. Which is why I’m in favor of Web browsing gaming, and XNA. Both of which allow the gaming echosystem to elvove in a way where developers and platform holders don’t get stagnant. Alot of these big companies make horrible decisions so they need smaller developers, and gaming content to bridge the gap for them.

There wouldn’t be Bioware, Epic, or Id if there wasn’t that scene, and EA wouldn’t be able to get a new burst of life. THQ is just horrible with their offerings at times, and I don’t see them around in two gaming genreations.

You see EA kicking themselves for not looking deeper into the Wii. I think they are crazy. This is the right time for them to focus on it, and take into account that the progress they have made with the PS3 and 360 is where the will benefit in the next two years. Because the shelf life of Wii is not going to be long.

Be a gamer…Not a hater

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Sony’s game division is steadily rising back into the the companies bottom line. Global quarterly sales for the PlayStation 3 hit 1.56 million, a 123 percent increase over a year prior and 260,000 units more than the 1.3 million Xbox 360s Microsoft sold during the same period. Sony has now sold over 14.4 million PS3s worldwide since its November 2006 launch.  Microsoft in comparison has sold over 20 million Xbox 360s globally since its November 2005 launch.  Nintendo, will release its quarterly financials tomorrow, they will highlight 24.4 million Wiis were sold worldwide from November 2006 to the end of March 2008.

Sony’s losses came mainly from it’s film and electronics divsion.  Electronics division saw revenues grow at a placid rate of 7 percent to ¥1.4 trillon ($12.9 billion), operating income was below expectations. Falling 57 percent to ¥44 billion ($406 million). Sony’s issue comes from the yen’s growing strength against the dollar along with increased price competition and slow growth for it’s upscale Sony Ericsson mobile division. These causes have affected gains made by the company’s flagship Bravia LCD televisions, which has seen an increase in sales and profitability worldwide.

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Halo 4…King Me

After Halo 3 the world let out a collective sigh, finally the ambassador of greatness and entertainment will bow out. Well those who don’t like how Microsoft has had such success with the Halo series. Premiering on the orignal Xbox, Halo as a series is now one of gamings prized ambassadors.  It didn’t matter that many thought the series to be over hyped after the release of Halo 2. Maybe they were right, or perhaps genuinely Halo is the pinnacle of FPS games on console. It certainly had the right to stake and take the claim. None before it (Golden Eye still holds weight, and COD4 is a monster) could mimic it’s success, or gameplay. Halo 3 capped off the saga, and created a void at the same time.  New entrants like Sony’s Killzone 2 yield to fight the good fight for the PS3 in early 2009.I mean lets face it; after E3 of 2005 Sony set the ambitious meter pretty high for the title. So it has to deliver

Others will try even more valiantly, “Resistance Fall of Man 2” has the pedigree to be more than what we may think. Insominac have proven that they can push the PS3 and actually know what good next generation content is supposed to play like. I have faith the game and the team.  Yet and still Microsoft can’t just let the tides of another be the Nile for the rest of this generations growth in the FPS console category. Either it comes from them or the Xbox 360 becomes ancient before the generation is over. Please believe, there are fanboys/haters waiting in the wings for that to be the case.

He’s baaaaaaacccccccccccck….Sort of

Halo 4 or whatever the annoucement that Microsoft and Bungie will unviel to the world will be special. Microsoft has done a fantastic job, very Nintendo like to focus one or two solid titles that drive the Xbox 360 and the industry forward. In the end it should have been written, gamers should overstand that the game was inevitable. At this point its all conjecture, but anyone who played the previous games know that somehow this great masterpiece would see the light of day. That time may soon be near, as Microsoft is set to announceThe return of the true king…Halo 4

Story of E3?…Yes we believe

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Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Doc Rivers, and the rest of the Celtics proved to be more than the Lakers and Phil Jackson ever bargained for. Game 5 was a massacre of mammoth NBA proportions. Yet to be fair and honest, Paul Pierce was dynamite to Kobe’s firecracker. He outclassed Kobe, to show the world that perhaps there have been real winners, and ballers with heart. We just may not have been paying attention. Not to exclude KG, or Ray Allen, but Paul just played like an MVP.

After years of living and playing horrible ball with few highlights, Boston and the Celtics are kings of the world. “Anything is possible” needs to be the mantra for other teams, as well as Kobe and next years Lakers. Make no bones about it the Lakers may have been outplayed, but they are certainly a team to be recokend with and if you think Kobe is satisfied. Then you are a crack baby grown.

What I loved about the series is that it was genuinely exciting to watch the teams go at it. You always had this vibe that the Lakers were coming, that they would not let things get so ugly. In many ways they came through, but when they did the Celtics responded in a real champion or prospective one who wanted glory more.

To be honest…Phil Jackson got outcoached. I’m sorry fanboy’s and fangirls of the Zen master. Doc rivers disected his ass, and gave him some things to think about. There were times where the match ups on the Lakers behalf just didn’t make sense. Yet, and still the Lakers quit in the last game. Lamar odom disapeared, Pau Gasol, well he was mentally in Memphis. He had a couple intereting plays. Yet for the most part the Lakers were cannon fodder. I don’t know if I blame them for giving up though. Playing in Boston, and for everything you do the Celtics answer? That is hard to keep your poise, but pride should have you fighting.

Zen shui Phil Jackson?

Your coach should be a catalyst for hunger, I mean the battery in the back to keep you everyone going. I mean there were times when the television cameras would get that sneak inside view of the huddle, and you can hear the poise, positive teaching that Doc Rivers was giving the Celtics team. And they drank every drop of the elixer. For all intents and purposes this was one of the best NBA finals I have ever seen.

Before I leave this blog on the NBA Finals, I’m going to call James Posey the X factor. He was spectacular! His performance is what you learn to do as a basketball player, and should embody at every level you progress.  The man did everything, guard Kobe (hard), make baskets (big ones!), stay poised, and do all the little things. It had nothing to do with his talent, because Posey came into the league with sure stats. Instead he found his niche and has been a proponent of the right way to play the game. With heart, and challenge, not taking a day off on a play. So yeah my X factor player award goes to the JP…

Anything is possible!!

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