The Recycle Bin

Coming to you live from the aeropuerto San Jose. This was a fairly short trip; arrived Monday around lunch, depart Wednesday afternoon, and make it home before midnight. Entertainment value on these business trips really depends on your traveling companions, and this trip was, let’s just say, not so much. I tend to avoid writing about work; my boss thinks I complain too much, and I certainly do not need to add any fuel for the HR department to use against me one day. So adios Costa Rica.

I finally got some decent use out of my PSP on the way down. I spent well over half of my time on the plane playing Star Wars Battlefront Renegade Squadron. It took me a while to get use to the controls (actually still getting use to them), but once I got the hang of ground combat, things improved in a hurry. I have been spending more time with the Instant Action mode, and it is a great way to waste some time. The CPU bots are OK; since I do not usually play this sort of game I have no way of really judging the AI, but I usually end up with the most kills and the fewest number of deaths. I guess once I master the controls, this could get boring in a hurry, but it is probably a good way to tune up for the online multiplayer mode. There is also a huge variety in the number of weapons, character types, and various things you can do (jetpack and rocket launchers are pretty cool).

It took me a while to get a handle on the space combat, but much like the ground mode, once you get the hang of things, the game really improves. I love playing with the TIE fighters, and I almost always use the weapon locking system to help smooth things out. I know there is another “advanced” control scheme option, which is supposed to be more complicated, and makes things way too difficult. If things get too easy or boring, I will have to give that a go.

I plan to spend some time with the single player campaign mode on the flight back, but for now, all good things must come to an end. I am almost out of battery power, so I am signing off.

Pura Vida!

I am not sure what to make of the Conan demo.  On one hand, I guess I should be thankful that we are getting demos.  On the other hand, let’s just say that I need to withhold judgment on this one for a little while.

Conan is pure hack and slash carnage.  I cannot recall a game that has this much blood, guts, beheadings, dismemberments, and then some.  If you want to see an M rated game; here you go.

Supposedly the game is going to have nudity, which is another reason for the M rating, and I am sure that some well rendered breast will help push a few copies.  If the opening scene in the demo is any indication, we are in for a treat.  When the scantily clad vixen asks Conan if he would “serve” a woman, his reply is classic “Service” smiles “Aye”  Good stuff.

I have read comparisons to the God of War titles and Heavenly Sword, but I have played neither, and it has been a while since I owned a true hack and slash game.  The demo seems a little rough around the edges, the graphics, while stylistic (Dark Horse comic book like), and are not really top notch for a PS3 title.  I am sure that the Xbox 360 version will look tons better, because that is pretty much how all the ports work these days.  It is just a damn shame that the developers do not hold this one back for another 4-6 weeks to pretty things up, and still make the holiday season.

This is a game I want to like.  I enjoy Conan – from the Robert E. Howard novels to the Conan the Barbarian movie (a staple of all males my age).  I am just not so sure about this game.  I know there are going to be combos and some strategy involved with the fighting action, but I also know that I just mashed buttons in the demo.  I do not need a game to see boobs, so that novelty will wear thin quickly.  It is also hard to justify “trying something out” for a $59.99 price point, which for this gamer, makes a huge difference over the PS2 days of $39.99-49.99 games.

I play the Ratchet & Clank demo a handful of times last night. The game is simply amazing – from visuals, sound effects, weapon selection, enemies, to the right balance of platforming and shooting action. This game seems to have it all.

I am not sure how this demo is being received by long time fans of the series, but as a Ratchet & Clank first timer, I am very impressed. I always figured that this series was more or less for kids, and maybe that is the intent. For me it has been a long time since I played a platforming (with shooter elements … or maybe I have that reversed) that has made me smile this much. To me that is what gaming is all about.

I have to make sure time for this one because it looks to be fantastic!

Does anyone really think that QB play is what ails Atlanta? Byron Leftwich is not going to turn things around; these Falcons have far too many issues. The defense stinks, the offensive line has serious holes, there is no running game, the QBs are not mobile, and I could go on with all the official NFL statistical rankings. Why bother? I think ATL is ranked 20 or worse in all significant offensive and defensive categories. Try this one on for size: Falcons have been outscored 40-9 in the 4th quarter. No doubt about it, this team stinks.

These days I do not seem to have enough time for gaming, but today has been a good PS3 day. First up was Super Stardust HD, which continues to be a great Playstation Store purchase. The game is just a bowl full of old fashion shooter goodness fun, and in co-op mode with the kids, it is great entertainment.

It is nice to see so many demos showing up on the Playstation Store. I download Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, which looks wonderful and after about 30 minutes with the game, it is now on my purchase radar. I have never played a Ratchet game, but this thing is fun, and looks great on my TV. I will probably sell a few games to raise some funds for the game, but I could see this game becoming a system seller for fans of the series. Probably a pack-in title for Fall ’08.

I am downloading the demo for FIFA 08 right now, and I plan to give the NBA and NHL demos a spin. I have never gotten into hockey games, but I keep reading great things about EA’s NHL 08. Sounds like the NBA games may not be worth a purchase (at least not at $60), but it is nice to be able to download demos and give them a whirl.

It looks likes I completely dropped the ball on Oblivion and did not time the price drop in conjunction with the release of the Oblivion Game of the Year Edition. Actually, I had no idea that a new version of Oblivion, complete with Shivering Isles, was scheduled to be released a few days ago. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is now priced at $29.99, which is an awesome deal; well worth your money if you are an RPG fan and have not played the PC or Xbox 360 versions. I have no idea if the Shivering Isles update/download is scheduled for release on the Playstation Store at some point down the road, but it would seem like a decent thing to do instead of making PS3 owners throw down another $60. Elder Scrolls IV is a great game, but as is so often the case these days, I never seem to have enough time to play. I am tempted to throw the game up on eBay to get something for it, and pick up the GOTY edition. The cheap ass gamer in me is screaming “No!” but something else keeps telling me that I should do the switch out even if it means that I am spending $90+ on the game (considering both versions and getting something in return for the original). Decisions, decisions, decisions.

A couple of threads at ps3forums about the GT5 Prologue Demo caught my eye:

• interesting ps3forums GT5 Prologue Demo thread #1
• interesting ps3forums GT5 Prologue Demo thread #2

This game looks amazing, but it is funny to read opinions at other sites because they seem to be all over the map. The Playstation brand has a huge Gran Turismo following; I wonder if this one is going to be enough to pick up PS3 sales. I am not sure if I am going to mess around with trying to setup a Japaneese account to get the download. I do not have enough time to play all the stuff mention above, so why force the issue.

Good gaming!

SW Renegade Squadron has been out for a little over a week, and while I have only put in a couple of hours, I thought I would share a few comments.

I read about the game when I was looking at picking up a PSP Slim Star Wars bundle, and while SW Renegade Squadron is not the type of game I typically pick up, I decided to give it a go because of the Star Wars license.  There I said it.  I know that sounds bad, but lately, with the exception of Pinball HoF and Tiger Woods 07, my PSP has not seen much action.  I figured that a Star Wars titled would spice things up and serve as a good change of pace title.

I have never played a SW Battlefront game, so I did not really know what to expect.  I have only played a couple of hours; all time spent in the Single Player Instant Action mode.  As I said, I do not normally play these types of games, so take my comments with a grain of salt.

Most of the reviews I have read rip the game for the controls, especially the auto-locking system.  I stink at the game, so I actually do not mind the auto-lock on fire system.  As an older gamer, these days I appreciate all the help I can get, but it sounds like most gamers think the auto-locking system allows you to breeze through the game in a few hours.  My experience thus far is that the controls basically suck.  I am not sure if that is an indictment of the developers, my lack of gaming skills, or just a limitation of the PSP (where is the redesign with a better analog nub or better yet, dual analog controls).  The controls are not responsive (I can never seem to roll on demand), but as I said, I do not really have any complaints with the auto-locking system.  Unless master the controls, I doubt I will fool around with the alternate control setup that does not include an auto-locking option.

Everyone is also complaining about the graphics.  To me I just do not see the reason for the complaints.  SW Renegade Squadron certainly does not feature striking visuals, but they do not seem like they suck.  The environments are large, the players are detailed, and things just look like Star Wars.  I wonder if gamers expect too much because of the age of HD gaming, or if I just settle for less?  I have never been a graphics whore, so no worries about the graphics.

At this point I guess my overall reaction with the game is probably more line with an average gamer.  I get to play Star Wars and see all my favorite characters (Darth Vader), and control cool ships (Millenium Falcon).  So far SW Renegade Squadron is fun, and works well as a pick up and play title.  As I master the controls and learn the ins and outs of the game, it will be interesting to see if this one can hold up.

For those of you that dropped by earlier today, you were greeted with the following note from our web host

Please contact the billing/support department as soon as possible

The bills had already been paid; the lights are still on. Minor mix up that was quickly corrected.

BTW, we are now six! Calvert Games was launched September 27, 2001, but “officially” launched October 1, 2001. Earlier tonight, for grins and giggles, I looked at some of the content from the original site. Not that I no longer sound like a pompous ass, but some of that stuff is hilarious. I may have to post some of it again just for entertainment value.

Happy birthday to us. Go have a cold one in our honor!

Apparently Bobby Petrino has seen enough of Joey Harrington, who will be replaced by Leftwich as the Falcons starting QB this weekend against the New Orleans Saints.  I figured this move would take two weeks; it took four.  Not that the timing matters; ATL is still going to suck because QB play is not all that ails the Falcons.

I downloaded the newest OOTPB 2007 patch earlier this morning, but the darn thing did not work. Instead, the patch installer told me that it could not move forward because I had a newer version of OOTPB 2007 installed. Ouch. It looks like the OOTP gang have temporarily removed the patch from their site until the issue is resolved:

PC, Patch 3 only (Mirror 1) : Temporarily unavailable
PC, Patch 3 only (Mirror 2) : Temporarily unavailable

Probably not the sort of black eye that The OOTP Developments Team needs right now.

Interesting article about the state of fan affairs in the SEC. First you have Ole Miss fans throwing all sorts of crap on the field after a seemingly bad call, and then you get Kentucky fans going all out crazy after shocking LSU, which to me is one of the more appealing aspects of college football. The craziness really is a mixed bag, but the ESPN.com writer is correct in pointing out that the SEC needs to get rid of poor fan behavior.

A suggestion for the SEC to consider: The next time play is delayed for removal from the field of even a single object from the stands, penalize the home team 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct. Second time it happens, penalize it 30 yards. If it happens a third time, eject the head coach.

And if it happens at the end of the game, as was the case at Alabama, assess the penalty on the first play from scrimmage in the next home game.

Oh, and a fine would be OK with The Dash as well. Whatever it takes to reinforce the quaint notion that it’s not permissible to act like spoiled 3-year-olds when your team loses.

As a Dawg fan, I also enjoyed reading the kind words about Mark Richt, but the picture of Yesica Toscanini probably makes the article worth a mention here. Wow!

I just read that the Falcons are 9-19 (.321) all-time on Monday nights.  Make that 9-20 after tonight.  I am not sure how this one is sitting at 3.5 points.  I see something like 27-17 Giants.  Alge better ask Joey to throw him the damn ball … and when he does, he better catch everything thrown his way or he will come across looking like a big fat idiot.

Joey Harrington has not played that bad, but he is really in a no win situation now.  No matter how well he plays, he has to be looking over his shoulder at Byron “the number three QB” Leftwich.  After the last minute sub against the Titians, it is the worst kept secret in ATL that Bobby Petrino has to put in Leftwich or Petrino risks looking like a bumbling fool.

The season continues to deteriorates.

An abysmal season for the Atlanta Falcons continues to unfold (or maybe I should say unravel).

The good news is that ESPN.com is reporting that the Falcons may get some of Vick’s signing bonus back, which will help with salary cap issues. Chalk round one up to ATL.

Any money the Falcons recover from Vick would be credited to its future salary cap, a huge step in recovering from the loss of the team’s franchise player. Atlanta (1-4) is off to a dismal start with Joey Harrington at quarterback.

…

In a highly technical, nine-page ruling, Burbank said the Falcons were entitled to $3.75 million of the $7.5 million bonus that Vick was paid after signing the deal in 2004, $13.5 million of the $22.5 million in roster, reporting and playing bonuses he was paid in 2005 and 2006, and $2.72 million of the $7 million roster, reporting and playing bonus that he received this year.

The bad news could take all night. Instead, I thought this AJC article was fairly interesting. Actually the comments are more interesting, but bottom line is that this is going to be a completely lost year. I just hope that enough folks bail on ATL in order to bump me up on the season ticket priority list.

I decided not to pick up a new PSP Slim. The Star Wars limited edition one sounded cool, but at my age, value wins out over cool and collectable. Honestly, it is not like I am going to keep the system on a shelf to collect and eventually sell. At some point maybe I will go slim PSP 2000, but I am going to stand pat for now.

I did pre-order Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron from ebgames; the game arrived today. I also could not hold off on Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions. I decided to pre-order this one from Amazon for a couple of reasons. First, we use the Prime service, so shipping is cheap, and I did not like that ebgames wanted to charge me $9.99 per game for next day shipping. $20 to ship SW Renegade Squadron and FF Tactics? No thanks. Second, I wanted to see if Amazon could deliver games on the ship date. Nope. I will not get this one until after my beach trip.

I came close to getting Dungeons & Dragons Tactics and Madden NFL 08, but decided to hold off on both. For now. Jeanne D’arc also looks great, but not sure if I really need this one and FF Tactics.

I swear if I do not play the Star Wars game then I may as well throw all my PSP crap up on eBay.

So I spent some time playing my PSP tonight and finally decided to see if there was a new firmware update.  There was, so I did the usual download.  Then I went to apply it, and could not because my batty was not charged up, which was to be expected since the darn things only last a handful of hours.

I pulled out my power adaptor, but still no dice.  The update requires my battery to be fully charged.  WTF?  Not sure what the battery has to do with it if I am using the adaptor.

I also played WipeOut Pure for the first time in months.  I went to the download section, but for some reason the game would not let me use my network connection.  A few months ago I upgraded my router and changed from WEP security to WAP.  Not sure if the game did not recognize my network profile due to the game not supporting WAP or if at some point one of the firmware upgrades disabled the option.  It is strange because I can browse the internet, download firmware updates, etc with the WAP enabled profile.  Strange stuff.

For my Falcons preview, I predicted a 5-11 season, but after today’s mess at Tennessee, things look to be much worse.

Does anyone really think the Joey Harrington led Falcons are going to do anything this year? Even the most ardent Homer has to expect Atlanta to stink up the Georgia Dome.

* Wins by week: Minnesota (1), Houston (4), Tennessee (5), Tampa Bay (11), Tampa Bay (15)
* Loses by week: Jacksonville (2), Carolina (3), NY Giants (6), New Orleans (7), San Francisco (9), Carolina (10), Indianapolis (12), St. Louis (13), New Orleans (14), Arizona (16), Seattle (17)

5-11 is actually pretty generous. I am assuming that Tampa Bay will suck, Minnesota will have QB issues, Houston will not be significantly improved, and even the magic of Vince will not be enough for Tennessee to win. Trouble is definitely ahead.

At this point I thought ATL would be 3-2, instead we get an abysmal 1-4 record. How do you lose when the other team has five turnovers? These guys are pitiful. Looking for wins down the road? Take the two Tampa Bay games off the board. Are we really looking at a 1-15 record? Maybe there is hope against New Orleans (what happened to them this year), and St. Louis, but that is not really much in the way of hope. Don’t hold your breath for much improvement; it is going to be a long, long season.