Geek vs Life

Sorry it’s running late, I just had someone move in with me, we’ve been messing with getting the router set up… So the list’s not even formatted. Or organized by date. It is alphabetized, though…

My recommendation for the week is Story of Saiunkoku volume 1, although it’s probably a bit too girly for most of the regular crowd. Basic story: Poor girl wants to be an official in ancient China/Japan-type country. Too bad girls can’t be officials. But the emperor’s an idiot who doesn’t do anything. So some of the other officials hire the girl to be his “consort” (wife/concubine/whatever you want to call it) and teach him to be a better emperor. Oh, did I mention that he’s good looking, and so are many of the other court officials? Yeah, it’s that kind of show.

08/31/07- 100% Perfect Girl Graphic Novel 3
08/27/07- A Chinese Hero Graphic Novel 3 (hardcover and softcover)
08/31/07- AEGIS Graphic Novel 5
08/30/07- Apothecarius Argentum Graphic Novel 2
08/31/07- Boy Princess Graphic Novel 8
08/31/07- Chibimono Graphic Novel 1
08/31/07- Click Graphic Novel 3
08/30/07- Contemporary Japanese Workbook Volume 2 + CD
09/01/07- Couple Graphic Novel 1
09/01/07- Couple Graphic Novel 2
09/01/07- Couple Graphic Novel 3
08/30/07- The Devil Does Exist Graphic Novel 11
08/31/07- Devil Within Graphic Novel 1
08/28/07- ES (Eternal Sabbath) Graphic Novel 6
08/30/07- Empty Empire Graphic Novel 5
08/31/07- Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days Graphic Novel 6
08/31/07- Flock of Angels Graphic Novel 1
08/28/07- Flower and Snake 74 DVD (S) (LiveAction)
09/01/07- Full House Graphic Novel 1
08/28/07- Gacha Gacha: The Next Revolution Graphic Novel 4
08/28/07- Galaxy Angel Rune DVD 2 (S)
08/31/07- Good as Lily Graphic Novel 1
08/29/07- Gunsmith Cats Omnibus Graphic Novel 3
08/29/07- Hanami: International Love Story Graphic Novel 2
08/28/07- Horrors Malformed Men DVD (S) LiveAction
08/31/07- Japanese Katakana for Beginners + Flashcards
08/31/07- Kanna Graphic Novel 1
08/30/07- King of Cards Graphic Novel 1
08/31/07- Let’s Be Perverts Graphic Novel 4
08/28/07- Mamotte! Lollipop Graphic Novel 3
08/30/07- Musashi Number Nine Graphic Novel 12
08/28/07- My Heavenly Hockey Club Graphic Novel 2
08/31/07- Narration of Love at 17 Graphic Novel 4
08/28/07- Negima! Magister Negi Magi Graphic Novel 15
08/30/07- Omukae Desu Graphic Novel 5
08/28/07- One Piece DVD 10 (D)
09/01/07- Otogi Maturi Graphic Novel 1: Dark Offering
08/30/07- Oyayubihime Infinity Graphic Novel 6
08/29/07- Path of the Assassin Graphic Novel 7
08/28/07- Princess Resurrection Graphic Novel 2
08/27/07- Real Fake Princess Graphic Novel Set (1-5)
08/31/07- Rival Schools Graphic Novel 1: Taiyo High
08/28/07- Rozen maiden DVD 3: War of the Rose
08/28/07- Samurai 7 DVD 1: Search for the Seven
08/28/07- Samurai 7 DVD 2: Escape from the Merchants
08/28/07- Samurai Jack Season 4 DVD Set (D)
08/28/07- School Rumble DVD 1 (also available with artbox)
08/29/07- Shaman Warrior Graphic Novel 4
08/31/07- Shiki Tsukai Graphic Novel 1
08/28/07- Shugo Chara! Graphic Novel 2
08/28/07- Snake Woman’s Curse DVD (S) LiveAction
08/28/07- Snot Rocket and Super Detective DVD (S) LiveAction
08/28/07- Story of Saiunkoku DVD 1 (also available with artbox)
08/31/07- Street Fighter Alpha Graphic Novel 2
08/28/07- Suzuka Graphic Novel 5
09/01/07- Sword of Shibito Graphic Novel 2
08/28/07- To Heart DVD 4: Love and Truth (also available in Limited Edition with Artbox)
08/28/07- Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE DVD 3
08/31/07- Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase Graphic Novel 6
08/30/07- Unbalance Unbalance Graphic Novel 2
08/28/07- Utawarerumono DVD 5: Beast Within
08/30/07- Young Magician Graphic Novel 9

Words are not enough to describe what I have been wating for all summer long, so I shall do it in song and interpretive dance. Here goes:

I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero ’til the end of the night
He’s gotta be strong
And he’s gotta be fast
And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero ’til the morning light
He’s gotta be sure
And it’s gotta be soon
And he’s gotta be larger than life

Antibodies (2005)
The Beautiful Washing Machine (2004)
*Blades of Glory (2007)
Blood and Tears: The Arab-Israeli Conflict (2006)
The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros (2005)
Cocaine Angel (2006)
Confess (2005)
Design (2006)
Dialogues with Solzhenitsyn (1999)
Friday Night Lights: The First Season (5-DVD Set) (2006)
Guarding Eddy (2004)
*Heroes: Season 1 (7-DVD Set) (2006)
The Hit (2007)
I Love Miami (2006)
I Was Stalin’s Bodyguard (1990)
Kickin’ It Old Skool (2007)
The Last Day of Summer (2007)
Martin Lawrence Presents: 1st Amendment Stand Up Season 1 (2005)
The Odd Couple: The Second Season (4-DVD Set) (1970)
Offside (2006)
On the Silver Globe (1987)
Out of the Blue: A Film About Life and Football at Boise State (2007)
Red Road (2006)
Shredderman Rules! (2007)
UFC 69: Shootout (2007)
The Ugly Duckling and Me: School Days (2007)
*Year of the Dog (2007)

Labor Day is considered by many to be the last real weekend of summer. For some it’s the return to school and others it’s just another Monday, just like every other week. When to game, when to game. Especially with a treasure trove of gaming goodness that is being released this week.

Let’s start off with Blue Dragon for Xbox360, another promising RPG from the folks at Mistwalker and Artoon released by Microsoft Game Studios. The game melds an older style of RPG’ing with cool anime style graphics.

Next up we have Guild Wars: Eye of the North. There’s just something that entices me about being able to play a MMORPG without having to pay an extra fee every damn month. Besides, the game is awesome.

Metroid Prime 3 will make use of the Wii-mote to it’s fullest capabilities. I had a chance to get some hands on time at PAX and folks, I like what I saw, chances are, so will you.

Then there is the game that I want, but fear. Dynasty Warriors:Gundam? Really? Ancient Chinese historical figures alongside with Giant ass kicking robots? As I have mentioned in previous posts, I am a Dynasty nut, but there’s just something unnatural and fishy smelling about the combo. I think I’ll have to add it to my gaming cue anyway, I mean after all, upon its release in Japan, it sold 100,000 copies for the PS3 on its first day. It is the only PS3 game to ever do so

(08.27.07)
Wii Virtual Console
Breath of Fire II (Wii) RPG
Ghouls ‘n Ghosts (Wii) Action
Super C (Wii) Action

(08.27.07)
NHRA: Countdown to the Championship 2007 (PSP)( Driving
MotoGP 07 (X360) Sports
Ultima Online: Kingdom Reborn (PC) RPG

(08.28.07)
Blue Dragon (X360) RPG
Brunswick Pro Bowling (PS2/PSP/Wii) Sports
Carnival Games (Wii) Action
Dead Head Fred (PSP) Action
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam (PS3/X360) Action
Freak Out – Extreme Freeride (PC) Sports
Guild Wars: Eye of the North (PC) RPG
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes (PSP) Action
Medieval II: Total War Kingdoms (PC) Strategy
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii) Action
MetropolisMania 2 (PS2) Strategy
Monster Hunter Freedom 2 (PSP) RPG
Pet Alien – An Intergalactic Puzzlepalooza (DS) Action
Snakeball (PS3/Plasystation Store) Action
Stuntman Ignition (PS2/X360) Driving
Turn It Around (DS) Action
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 (DS/PC/PS2/PS3/PSP/Wii /X360) Sports
Undercover: Operation Wintersun (PC) Adventure
Warhawk (PS3) Action
Wild ARMs 5 (PS2) RPG

(08.29.07)
Garfield’s Nightmare (DS) Action
I SPY Fun House (DS) Puzzle
Professional Fisherman’s Tour: Northern Hemisphere (DS) Sports
.
(08.30.07)
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (PS3/X360) Puzzle

(08.31.07)
Super Trucks Racing 2 (PS2) Driving

As if the end of AvP didn’t hint like a Clue-By-Four about an upcoming sequal.

IGN has released the Aliens Vs. Predator – Requiem movie trailer.

It appears they held nothing back on this one and rightfully earned their R-rating. I’m hoping, and think I may have seen in the trailer, that the Predalien (which would be hatched from the end of AvP) will be in this one. They could either make it look amazing or totally blow it, but I am definitely looking forward to making an event of going to see this movie.

I love the smell of conventions in the morning. It has the fresh new car smell. The rooms feel so drab when the media are allowed access half an hour before the rest of the crowds, I understand the “why’s” of it. As a media outlet, we have to have a certain amount of uninterrupted access to the stands and booths, so we can actually do our jobs of reporting. After all, we have to write about what the gamers are going to be waiting in line for, whether it’s to try out Rock Band or the newly released Bioshock.

Gamers got to try out the much anticipated Penny Arcade video game.

Personally, I like it though when the convention goers are present. The crowd abuzz with anticipation of playing new games. The screams of excitement and watching where the people are actually walking to, seeing what they want to play and what they avoid like the plague. Ultimately, when we putting things into perspective, the media as well as the retailers, developers and publishers are there for one sole purpose: cater to the gamers, feel their pulse.

Giving away free t-shirts, games, demos, posters, wall art and collectibles isn’t a bad idea either. For example, no one was heading to the Nvidia booth to find out when their new video card was being released, they headed there in droves to get the limited edition t-shirt, but more importantly, to get a button.

See Nvidia had the brilliant plan to assign a number to everyone who visited their booth and have it printed on a button. Not an individual number mind you. That would made the whole ordeal look more akin to a prison/holocaust/Orwellian scenario. The idea was to give out matching numbers at random to some 30,000+ attendees. Find your matching number and win a prize, simple right? Not so much.

A gloved gamer looks for his match on the wall of numbers.

The convention center became a literal cluster-fuck of “who’s my match”. People set up online forums, created massive databases, erected a wall of names, number and contact info which was being updated daily, if not hourly. People began to walk around with numbers written on boards in hopes of finding their matching partner and winning a chance to spin the Nvidia wheel of prizes. Some people did in fact find their “number mate” and walked away with a video card, but alas most people didn’t fare so well.

So Nvidia, in a stroke of mass marketing genius got more buzz from their match game throughout the convention than most of the other events combined… well apart from Rock Band and keynote speaker Wil Wheaton, but still, that’s debatable, and a story for another post.