Stressful Shows

Only in the past few years have I experienced stress - knowingly, at least - while watching a television series. There's different types, of course. You could be stressed out because of the awkwardness of what you're watching. Shows falling under that category could be Curb Your Enthusiasm, Peep Show and perhaps It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The awkwardness of shows like The Office could be considered (as you watch Scott fumble around), but are pretty light in comparison to the others. In these shows, the characters are getting into trouble, or acting in such a horrible way you cringe, or in some cases, walk out of the room and wait for it to be over. True story. Peep Show is notorious for doing this to me. I can't comprehend how they keep digging themselves deeper into their own graves, but they do, and it's horrible. Yet great at the same time.

The other type of stress - for me, at least - revolves around legal and financial issues, it seems. I first experienced this when trying to get into Weeds. Hey, everyone was telling me what a great show it was (and still is, maybe?) so I gave it a shot. The mechanics of the show dictate that you worry about the protagonist constantly. She's dealing drugs, and is always looking over her shoulder. But the legalities are not what's stressing me out, it's the constant financial problems she's having. I have enough money problems on my own, especially when I first started watching the show years ago, and didn't need to come home and live through her problems too. It seemed like every episode was just her and her family struggling. I could see it branching out a bit, but I was losing interest quickly. Suffice to say I don't watch the show now, but I'm not entirely against trying it again.

One issue with my Weeds hate is that I love Breaking Bad; they're very similar shows and the only conclusion that I can come to (aside that Breaking Bad really is infinitely better) is that Walt and Jesse just don't have money problems. They're making meth, and raking in huge cash. I think Walt has millions of dollars at one point, but it doesn't matter, because it's not the focus of the show. It's partially why he gets into it the trade: to build up a little nest egg for his family when he passes on. They have so many larger, more interesting problems to tackle the financial thing rarely pops up. Of course, there is a bit of stress involved while watching as you wonder who is going to get "taken care of" but it's really just par for the course. I find when you start worrying like that, you have to let go and just trust in the writers. This is notably true when you love the show and in general, the show is loved by everybody (i.e. the show is a raging success).

The reason I bring this up is Game of Thrones. What a phenomenal show. But I visited my parents house the other night and they had a few weeks worth of Entertainment Weekly. I flipped one open and in the news section is a half page image of the show, detailing the ninth episode. In the screen shot is a SPOILER ALERT bubble over somebody's face, as they are about to be executed. Of course, other - related - characters are in the shot and it's quite clear what is going on. They tried the spoiler alert, and even warned me not to read the article, but it's too late. So I was a bit sad, of course, but I got over it because I have trust in the source material and writers/producers of the show. They know what's going on. Plus all my friends say it's fantastic, so it's no problem. But Game of Thrones is another type of "stress" wherein you worry about the well being of the characters you love. It's clear who the good guys are, and the bad guys (so far) and knowing that anybody can just get the ax (literally) at any moment is kind of worrying. Earlier on in the season there was an attempted assassination on a child; you never thought it would really happen but now I'm not so certain. It's stressful, but intriguing and awesome at the same time.

Next Generation Console Predictions

Every so often I get an urge to make a post full of nonsensical comments on something I read on the internet. Most often I form some ideas in my head and the writings feel like they could be incredibly epic and profound. So what happens is, I start writing or actually sit down (and forget everything) and what I end up with is a big pile of crap. Now, that's not saying most of the stuff you read on here is crap, I'm sure it is. It's amazing that you returned in the first place. So what you get now is a pretty scattered post sour with my prediction on the next generation of gaming consoles. You've been warned.

A couple months back I got real excited - a rarity for me these days - about the next Wii console. There's something magical about Nintendo, and the anticipation for their next console will always stir up some nostalgic, emotional pudding in my soul. One of my fondest memories is the years of rumours and news about Project Reality, aka the Nintendo 64. There was a flurry of systems coming out on the market at the time and it was at the height of my magazine madness; I must have collected three or four gaming magazines a month. I was a well informed consumer. It was also epic sad times as the system was being pushed back and I wanted nothing more than for it to come out. I eventually abandoned hope - my soul crushed and pierced with holes - and asked for the PlayStation for Christmas, which I did receive. And for a time, it was good.

The debacle around the N64 would tarnish me for a while. The system was fantastic when it did come out, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, I would never anticipate a game system release in the same way again. Things started picking up though when the XBox 360 was trying out some crazy viral marketing campaign, although honestly I had no clue what was going on. But it's a testament to the power of it all that my buddy and I stayed up to watch some live broadcast - on television, no less - of the unveiling. It was kind of loony, really. I certainly didn't get into a fervor with the Wii, although the tech was intriguing. So the new Wii U is announced and all I can feel is "meh." Knowing full well that it really doesn't matter what they come up with: I'm going to buy it. Perhaps not at initial release, but it will find a home in mine.

It used to be simple: a new system would just be more powerful, graphically. Soundwise, and whatever. You could count the bits, and things were measurable. This is not the case anymore. Nintendo hinted at it with the Gamecube (with a focus on gaming, no extras like DVD playback) and confirmed it with the Wii (motion controls?!). So now they're amalgamating all the current tech trends: wireless, touch screens, multiple screens, etc. The Wii U should be interesting. But what about the next generation of Microsoft and Sony machines? It feels like we've reached a certain plateau: the current systems have been out for nearly six years (Xbox) which blows away any norm we've had before. There's no sign of slowing down, either: there are entire franchises coming and going on the current gen systems; they don't seem to have limits as the graphics and gameplay keep improving. Most importantly the narratives are improving: we're pretty much playing interactive movies. They are extremely engaging, and the overall quality is astounding.

So where do we go from here? Better graphics? You know that's guaranteed. The PC is eclipsing the consoles right now and I'm jealous as all hell. There's also the whole physics processing thing going on, which seems to just add more elements to what's going on on screen, which is fine by me. It's the little things that matter, right? Then there's all the accessories, like motion controls, cameras and whatnot. Basically what I suspect is that the Kinect will receive upgrades (i.e. new versions) and will be future compatible with the new system. I always thought it would be neat if we could just add expansion cards for something like graphics, or physics. Games are scalable now: look at Arkham Asylum for instance. You could crank the settings down, taking away elements like shadows, lighting effects, blowing paper in the wind (yeah that's right) and of course, graphical detail. You can turn them up into the other direction. So imagine releasing a version of Arkham Asylum that can be put into either an XBox 360 or 720. The 720 version would play the game way but would feature an assload more luxury features (graphics, physics and sound, of course). The 360 version would play just as it does. It's very PC-like, in a way, except you don't have to invest $800 in one graphics card and spend hours trying to get a game to install or play properly.

And that's my whole focus: scalability. But I have a feeling it just won't happen. Basically consoles have typically been simple, and that's where their main benefit is. Plug and play, literally. You start adding multiple hardware versions and you confuse the market. However, I think we're being conditioned: the Kinect. Systems with different hard drive bundles. There must be a few dozen SKUs of the 360 out there now, and it took no time at all for the slim PS3 to come out (typically a last ditch effort to generate sales in the bit era). The slim 360 changed the hardware a bit so that it would run quietly, and I wouldn't be surprised if they snuck in some extra stuff for future expansion. We could very well see games that are "Slim 360 Only." So take that up a notch for the next system. You did buy an expansion pack for the N64, didn't you? Same thing, really. 

The other major element of the next generation is the cloud (I hate to use that term here) and basically, buying games online. The 360 marketplace or whatever it's called is so ingrained into the system it's simple. The PlayStation Store (when it's up, zing) is a good example of where we'll be buying games in the future. Look no further than a service like Steam on the PC, and it's dead simple. You're going to have a massive catalog of games available to you; they will go on sale, and you will buy them. For crying out loud, I bought Deus Ex on Steam for $2.50 just because it was so dirty cheap. I may never play it, but it's mine forever. The legitimacy of owning them like this is sure to curb piracy to some degree. Instead of bringing a disc over to a friend's place, you can just log into their system and download it. I did this with Perfect Dark on the 360. It was clunky, but it's sure to improve over time. Now this whole buying and downloading bums me out a bit as I love the physical collection of games. If I spend $60 on a title and get every penny worth out of it, I want a trophy sitting on my shelf to show off.

So there you have it, a few insights into what the next generation could be like. Scary thing is most of this will be implemented on the current systems. I mentioned reading something on the net that spawned this article, and it was some quote from Ubisoft saying that they are feeling constrained by current gen hardware. Many of the comments in response pointed out the richness of games and innovation being showcased. Seems like the gamers don't think there is a need for a new generation right now. I'm tempted to agree with them, but damn, I would be very happy if I could buy a 360 that had some beefier specs in it. Graphics aren't everything in a game, that's for sure, but it's tech. It's gadgets. We love buying them, we love playing with them. You add in gaming and tech, and you have yourself an addict. It's a great time to be a gamer, and I'm looking forward to where the industry goes from here.

Halo: Reach

By the time you read this, I should be finished with Halo: Reach. As it stands, I'm only two levels away from completing this beast, and I have to say I'm thoroughly enjoying it. A while back I was playing through Halo ODST and can safely say that while enjoyable, was quite disappointing. I can say this now, because I've been playing Reach and the two really do stand apart. Perhaps it's the fact you get to play as a Spartan, and you're surrounded by other Spartans. These genetically modified superhumans are fantastic; when you pull of nutty moves it's not implausable. You recruit "regular" marines throughout your journeys, but you don't command them. They simply follow you and act as cannon fodder, and they love you for it. When you die, they freak out, as they know their time has come too since the almighty has fallen. The levels are tightly designed and actually interesting, and there's some great vehicle combat too. The level design is a sticking point for me as I feel as though I got off on a bad start in my Halo experience, running through numerous levels of generic hallways and fields. I'm glad to see the Bungie team moving away from that; it creates a much more compelling experience.

Let's back it up though.

Whenever I visit my friend down south, I'm bombarded with jealousy as I have to sit within feet of dozens of special editions of video games. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but I absolutely love these things and it's what I've dreamed of since I was a child. Not until the last generation have we gotten so much care put into the packaging of video games. So, being somewhat broke, I can't buy all the editions I would like to; instead, I selectively pick and choose, running releases through a filter of which I myself can't comprehend. One of the criteria seems to be my enjoyment of the game, for good reason. But it's also dependent on how much I owe the series. For instance, I bought the Fable III special edition because I haven't invested very much in the series already. I owe it to Fable to pick this up to show my love or whatever. Halo has been up and down for me, but generally, I like the games. It is, after all, why this blog site was initially started and it got me subscribing to a gold membership on Live at the very beginning of it all.

I'm perusing my favourite game sites and see Halo: Reach heavily discounted on Amazon.com. Brought down to a very reasonable price, and I bite, placing my order before fully thinking of it. The automaton known as Game Buying Ryebone took hold and yeah, it was scary. But reason came through and I decided to look at the Canadian version of Amazon. It wasn't any cheaper (a little more, actually) but factor in taxes, S&H, and you were looking at about the same price. So, I cancelled the US order and placed the CDN one instead, and my package of Halo delight arrived two days later. I can get into the specifics of the edition itself but all I'll say is that Reach is one of the best out there. The packaging - like the level design - is tight. The artifacts and documents are very neat, and as a bonus, it doesn't take up much space on the shelf and what space it does take up is quite presentable (as much as I love that giant tin of Assassin's Creed II, it looks bonkers sitting anywhere). Little did I know the package would be such a precursor to how good the game inside actually is. And in typical fashion, it would take me nearly six months after buying it, to actually play.

OK, so after writing this up, then going home and (almost - I need to fuel my body first) immediately hunkering down for a night of Reach, I finished it. Probably wasn't even an hour later and I was watching the credits. Disappointed a bit, only in that I wanted it to keep going. Then all of a sudden it was back on: the eleventh "level" where you basically have no choice but to die. You can hold out as long as you like, but it gets crazy as swarms of enemies are devastating you. Absolutely brilliant were the broken visor effects and I guess, the epic-ness of the situation. Its reminding that you knew the ending before going in. I sort of knew, but I don't really follow the stories in Halo. Reach was the beginning of the major assault on human forces - or something - and was the first to fall. Even the back of the game case indicated as much, as did the beginning of the game as it opened and closed on your broken helmet.

So, going back to the special edition stuff, have I paid my respects to the Halo franchise? I have just about all the core games, I believe. I even bought the special edition of Halo 2 way back, although that was more because it was on sale dirty cheap and it would be completing my (original) XBox steel book series. The legendary edition of Reach was a monstrosity of an edition, including some giant statue of the Noble team from the game. I didn't understand it at first when I saw a teenager receive it for his birthday at the other end of a restaurant. He pulled it out of the box and everybody was watching - as well they should - and the look of sheer excitement in his face made me a bit jealous for those days when I could get crazy-excited like that. I wondered why you would want such an intricate statue without the Master Chief in there, but now I see the point a bit more clearly now. You have to appreciate that they release various levels of special editions for these games so it gives us "intermediate" gamers a chance at something special without going ridiculous. My experience with Reach all but guarantees I buy the next special edition Halo game that comes out.

Another Outing in Urban Exploration

While this trip was not nearly as organized as our first outing last year, we still managed to visit quite a few interesting places. I have to say I'm impressed with our skills: we just took a vague description of the abandoned facility and very unclear directions as where they could be - and found them. Keep in mind, we have GPS capabilities but can't really use them. You can't pop in the address of an abandoned facility and be expected to have your hand held to the destination. No, you need to look at maps. It's off a road off of highway 28? Where is that? GPS can't really help. So, we get to the general area where say - an abandoned house - is and where do you go from there? It takes a keen eye to see through thick brush and around trees and spot the roofline or boarded up windows that mark our real destination.

Thankfully we had it all together the other weekend and not only found a few places, but were able to go inside. Below are a few images of our adventure, and a slideshow of the full gallery (click on the slideshow to get the full deal).

Movie Update - June 2011

Last month was just a torrent of movie consumption. It's not often this happes, but it really depends on what's going on in any particular month. May was Hawaii, which meant I was gone for most of the month and not taking in any films. Perhaps June was my month to make that up, as I took a whole bucket-load in. In no particular order:

Videodrome
My Girl
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Choke
Rubber
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Adjustment Bureau, The
Paul
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
Gnomeo and Juliet
Insomnia
X-Men: First Class
Enter the Void
Piranha 3D
Company Men, The
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Pirate of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Actually that's a straight up lie: the above is in order of viewing. What stood out? Well, I seemed to get into the franchise thing with Pirates of the Caribbean, but couldn't bear to load the third film. The first one was magnificent and exactly what I wanted. The second was convoluted, corny and it only got worse from there. I watched all three Lord of the Rings movies (extended, of course) thanks to their BluRay release this month. It's been so long since I watched them that I was completely engrossed in them. For all the moaning of how long they are and perhaps tedious at times, they really are fantastic films that immerse you in the world of Middle Earth.

Aside from that, just some other solid films, with a couple of quirky ones thrown in for good measure. I'm trying to watch some old classics, hence the My Girl viewing in there (and yeah, it got me teary-eyed). Paul was a riot and Rubber is bound to become a cult classic, one I'm happy to be a member of.

Fringe

It truly is a wondrement that I don't watch Fringe week to week. Perhaps, because when the ball starts rolling I don't want to wait the seven measly days, so instead I put a hundred or more between myself and the series before fully embracing it. In the third season of Fringe, I watched occasionally, and I'm happy to say the show certainly supports that. It's not like Lost where every single episode counts; Fringe is more like its predecessor, the X-Files, where they take a little break every now again from the mythos episodes and let you fall further in love with the world. So I'm going about my regular viewing habits and Fringe catches my collar and never lets go. So it's a good thing I waited long enough that I could blast through the last twelve episodes, and even take in the last three episodes of the season in one day.

I was not disappointed, obviously. This show blows me away every year. Sometimes I hear something in the media - a commentary, perhaps, or insight - and I can't let it go. In this case, I recall reading that the creators of the show were going to distance themselves from the like of Lost by revealing more and more frequently. I believe it was at the end of the first season where they reveal an alternate universe, and explaining why many of these fringe-events are occurring. And they just keep going; the season finale of this past season is just crazy. I won't spoil anything for you, because I know some of you haven't caught up yet, but I plead you to do so. But in all the reveals they bring up even bigger mind-benders, which is exactly what happens here in not only one, but two ways. I have a lot of faith in the writers and the direction the show is going: they are keeping it fresh every year (perhaps learning their lesson in the oddly-paced first part of the intro season). As a lover of sci-fi, there's nothing better on TV right now.