The Crash of Video Games

I like how my visitor activity spiked today. I guess that personal tragedies really boost my popularity! Oh well, I guess it shows that I have enough people who care about me to want to find out what's going on with me, so thanks everyone. I ran into an extremely engaging editorial post about how the video game industry is heading for a major crash, and I'm actually inclined to agree with him. I differ with him on a few points, like I believe that the current generation was a big leap from the previous one, but I don't feel the same about this upcoming one, and only the Wii really changes the mechanics. The fact that the PS3 is using a modified DualShock shows that all Sony wants to do is churn out beefier boxes every year. Microsoft is trying somewhat, at least, with the Xbox 360. Everyone is praising their improvements to Xbox Live, which really do sound like they make the experience of their console even simpler, which means more of a focus on the fun. They're really trying to open up their Live Anywhere service and possibly start a revival in the lost art of PC gaming, which was a pretty big deal in my younger days. The fact stands though that the PS3, despite not having the worst pricing ever, bodes very badly for the industry as a whole. It's also about the games though, which seem to be becoming rehashes of old ideas and derivations from movies. Still, I have faith in Nintendo for the first time in years. You can review some of the big things we saw from them at E3 in this terse video and maybe you'll understand my sentiments. Will the industry really collapse though? We'll see soon enough.

Speaking of games, the PSP will be getting a camera attachment very soon. While it looks nifty, I just can't see it catching on very well. Why would anyone want one so late in the product cycle? Another topic I was thinking of centering this post around was that a lot search engines are copying Google now because they think that the same formula will work again. That's like guessing that lightning will hit the same place twice! I wish people would move on and realize that Google succeeded because of a couple of smart guys with great ideas, not because they followed a set path. You can still learn a few new things about Google over here though. Japanese company Softbank let the cat out of the bag that Apple has entered a deal with them to produce a 3G iPhone for the Japanese market, which has been rumored for several months now. No word on the American front quite yet, but I can't imagine that Apple would have put Japan at a higher priority (unless it's just a test market), so it's just a matter of time before an announcement. Lastly, MTV has launched its URGE music service, which offers both pay-per-download songs and subscription based unlimited listening. It's a decent plan except that it's still incompatible with Macs and iPods, which is going to really hurt its chances.

Why would I show you that poster? Well I know you like to see more than just black text, but other than it being a new poster, it's also a movie featuring Hugh Jackman, who I think is a pretty good actor. He also spoke with IGN about the sequel to Batman Begins and X3. It turns out that his consideration for the movie was pure speculation, but he wouldn't be averse to taking the role. Oh, and plenty more multimedia have sprouted about for X3. There's a pseudo trailer at AOL for The Devil Wears Prada about an overly harsh boss at a Vogue-like fashion magazine, and I thought it would be horrible but it didn't look half bad. Clerks II is now set to release a whole month earlier than before on the same weekend as Lady in the Water. Besides proving that Kevin Smith has a brass pair, it shows that he must have great confidence in his latest creation, which was budgeted at around $5 million. Lastly, Halle Berry has said that she may be willing to do another Catwoman movie if it were to be handled better, and it looks like she liked the director because she's considering a Cleopatra movie with her.

Now for some Monday Madness:

1. If I could change ONE thing from this past weekend, it would be ________.
my car accident. That should be pretty much a no-brainer. It has come up in my head a lot, how close I was to having a perfect weekend by taking a break, which I was considering just minutes before the wreck occurred.
2. One of my favorite recipes includes ________.
onions
3. If things don't go as originally planned, I tend to ________.
come up with a backup plan
4. My daily routine is very ________.
familiar
5. The one television show I will probably miss, since the season is coming to an end, is ________.
Joey, though I won't be that upset by it ending.
6. I have a calendar hanging/sitting on my ________.
wall
7. I'm really ________ about changing the calendar when the day/month changes.
good