Red Dead Redemption Sequel

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick gave Red Dead Redemption fans the best news since 2010.  He hinted that there is a potential development for Red Dead Redemption to become a franchise with multiple games in its future.

Zelnick said,  "It's been our goal not just to preserve and grow the Grand Theft Auto franchise, but also to build other franchises that we think can be permanent, whether that's the Red Dead franchise or the Borderlands franchise or the BioShock franchise or others, Civilization, for example." 

"Our goal is to try to create permanent franchises, that's the unique goal in the industry. Our competitors do not see it that way. Our competitors' view is that our franchise will have a certain life, and at the end of that life, you move onto the next thing, so you better make hay while the sun shines," Zelnick said. "Our view is to the contrary. The best franchises are permanent franchises. Outside of our business you can look at James Bond, for example" said Zelnick.

I'm looking forward to the next generation of Red Dead Redemption, but It must have a the same writers and directors.

Food for thought

Spending years as a researcher, taught me not to rely on judgement alone.  I started to learn about things by grasping them, looking at them tasting them...the science of life comes with some level of curiosity, discovery, desire to change.
Consider the implications if every single living thing is different from every other living thing then diversity becomes life's one irreversable fact, only variations are real. And to see them...you simply have to open your eyes.

Alfred Kinsey

No Justice for Trayvon Martin

I'm dissappointed by the verdict for Zimmerman as not guilty, but I knew it was coming.  I won't point out the obvious racism from the south and Florida, but the presentation of the case by the prosecution was weak.

I remember my political science professor once said if you present a case like Law and Order tv shows where you merely state the obvious to get your point across and you expect people to have the common sense to fill in the blanks...you're going to be in for a big surprise with the results.  People the guy was on the phone saying 'N**** come into his neighbor and you guys (cops) don't anything about it.  And he said he was taking justice into his own hands, seconds before he got out his car to confront Trayvon Martin for merely walking in the neighborhood.  Trayvon didn't cause a scene or commit a crime, he was just walking and Zimmerman attacked him at gun point which lead to Trayvon's death.

I don't expect riots in the community or nation wide, but I do expect civil unrest and a watchful eye by the community that knows now that don't expect the justice system to be in your favor...racism still exists unchecked

To those that do wrong, you'll answer to a higher judge which is God one day, to those that walk the earth with that cloak of injustice and corruption on your backs...all I got to say is I hope it was worth it b/c one day you might have a child in the same situation or wake up one day realising what you've done.  The pics below are the last moments of a boy that went to the store for a drink and candy...that lost his life to racism in modern civilized America

Naruto Road to Ninja Movie Review

Sakura: "Are you happy in this world?"

As an ode to Dragon Ball Z Battle of Gods movie being released in the United States next month, I am reviewing some of the current anime movies I'm watching.  Today I finally caught up with my naruto shippuden and saw the Naruto: Road to Ninja.

I must admit it's amazing.  Madara uses a tsukuyomi ninjutsu to reverse the circumstances of the world and create an alternate reality that gives Sakura and Naruto the world they wished for.
This world parallels the real world and characters, and all the characters have reversed personalities and lifestyles. Characters like Minato and Kakashi were stronger in the other world because despair and burden rode their backs, but in this world they have a paced life full of happiness.

Naruto: Road to Ninja is a coming of age story that demonstrates how we as humans are products of our environment and the choices that helped shared our destinies are sometimes made because of the circumstance put before us.  For example, in the parallel world, Sakura's family was dead and she was alone but daughter of hero's like Naruto. This circumstance made Sakura appreciate what she has and empathy for what Naruto has to deal with as a result of his solitude.  

Honestly, if I were Naurto then I wouldn't return to the normal world.  In the story, He is loved and has a family for support.  His parents are the most powerful ninja in the village and he is well respected as a result. He must face the same scenario of a crazy man trying to take his powers but at least in this world he is not alone and treated like a burden and outcast.   

Naruto: "I've always wanted to live like this"

Makes you ponder your choices in life. Would you be wreckless with the choices made all things considered?  Would you want your inner most heart's desires over the lives of others you known?  What would be right or wrong to you, if you had options or weren't given a choice?  Naruto: Road to Ninja made me analyze a lot about myself.  It awakened a part of me that felt dead inside for a while.  It's hard to accept the bad cards you are dealt in life, but it's only an illusion to imagine what is real will magically go away because you covet more.  

In the end, I could feel Naruto's pain and refusal to embrace the false world. Why give your heart and mind to something that you know is not real and doesn't exist?  I felt Naruto: Road to Ninja carried the motif that not everyone is willing to give up what they desire or love for strangers. Throughout the movie you had a sense that you accepted the lies because they are what you wanted, but a part of you would never embrace it fully because you knew the lie would come to an end eventually. 

This is an amazing movie story wise. The ending sets up like a preview for the final battle between Naruto and Madara giving the audience a glimpse of what's to come.  If you played the video game Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 3, then you saw the ending of Naruto Shippuden ends with an epic battle similar to this movie.  All the pieces fit together in Naruto: Road to Ninja so I give a 10 out 10.  Must see.   It made me shead a few tears and questions why couldn't the writer let Naruto be happy for once, but in the end...the truth is a bitter pill of acceptance we all must swallow in life. 

Best QUote ever

Kiba "Akamaru, you don't go 1 day without biting me in the ass!"

Fable Anniversary Contest on Lionhead Studios Website

Lionhead Studios is remaking a high definition version of the original Fable game, and the developers are launching a create your own achievement contest for the game.

Titanfall for Xbox One

The first launch of new games for the Xbox One is looking impressive.  Titanfall is one of Xbox One highly expected games developed by Respawn Entertainment published by EA. 

It's starting to be a trend for consumers didn't get much info about the game storyline wise except for the gameplay trailer.  From the looks of it, Titanfall is an advanced warfare game that gives players the freedom to fight as both elite assault Pilot and agile, heavily armored Titan.  Expected release date is 2014 Quarter: 2 .

Here are some pics to pleased your eye:

Bayonetta 2 Trailer and Info

Bayonetta was a sleeper hit for all PS3 and Xbox 360 that got a following among the underground gamers, but Bayonetta 2 is getting off on the wrong foot from the start.

Top 4 Biggest Disappointment at E3 2013

Maybe it's just me but Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft didn't really bring the final driving point to convince consumers to invest in their new generation of consoles launching in the fourth quarter.

1. Xbox One Price and Outrageous Fees
After the announcement of required internet connection and used game fees, the last thing the Xbox One needed was more negative press. But after announcing a $499 price point, many people declared it the final nail in the coffin. The Xbox One has been branded overpriced and consumer-unfriendly, leading to speculation that the PS4 will dominate the hardcore market

2. Playstation Losing it's free online subscription
One of the biggest benefits of buying a PS3 was its ability to play online without paying a subscription fee like Xbox Live. With the PS4, this is no longer the case. PS4 owners will have to pay around $5 a month to play games online.

3. Absence of Big Name Franchise Titles
What happened to sequels to games like Legend of Zelda, Fallout, Half-Life, Elder Scrolls and Metro Prime?  I mean this E3 really under impressed with the new generation of games.  I'm just saying, I love Madden and Halo, but DAMN how many times are you going to sell consumers the same game with same storyline and features before consumers realize that they can just sit on their investment in last year's version of the game.

4. Wii- U Big Disappointment
Nintendo Wii- U is about two years too late.  Sales of the console are just over 3.45 million units world wide.  Third party developers like EA, Activision and Ubisoft have all but said no to committing to make games for the console.  It seems like Wii-U is competing with the PS3 and Xbox 360 when an entire new generation of consoles in Fall 2013.  Rumors are floating around that Shigeru Miyamoto is being forced into retirement for lack of vision to stay competitive and the results of the lack of sales.

Zynga new CEO set to make $40 million dollars upon hiring

When your parents said stop playing video games, they won't earn you a career or money...boy were they wrong!

Former Microsoft Xbox One, Don Mattrick will receive a mix of salary, bonuses and stock options that will gross $19.3 million in his first year at Zynga.

Mattrick annual salary will be only $1 million, but the bonuses he will receive is what will push his salary up. According to gamespot.com Here's how it will break down, "Mattrick will receive a signing on bonus of $5m alongside another $2m as his 2013 bonus, giving the executive's bank account at least an $8m boost after his first year at the company, but the bulk of the newly minted CEO's potential profits come from 9 million stocks at the company, which are currently valued at over $30.5m.

Mattrick's stock will vest over the next three years, with the CEO able to cash in just over 45% of his 9 million shares at the end of his first year at the company. This means Mattrick is set to earn $19.3m dollars over the next year.

The stock options are part of a package to compensate Mattrick for the stock he lost in leaving Microsoft.

In all, Mattrick is expected to make approximately $14.3 million in his second year and around $8.4 million in his third. If the board of directors at Zynga is happy with his performance then he'll be in line for even more money"

Mattrick was smart enough to get the fuck out of dodge before sales for the Xbox One came in, and his business reputation took a hit.  He was a CEO for a Mega market and took the downgrade for more money. Men, lie, women lie, numbers don't

Sometimes in life, you don't have to overwork yourself and take the blame for a failed team effort. Sometimes it's best to take your talents to another area and get what you are due.

Microsoft Fires Xbox One CEO for Poor Decisions and Vision

Well, if you are a gamer, then you know that Sony PS4 kicked Microsoft Xbox one ass at E3.  Microsoft got too greedy and lacked the vision to stay competitive.

Sony marketing and business development team won against Microsoft in every area, so like any business that is on the point of going bankrupt, Microsoft fired the CEO.

According to Bloomberg, "Windows boss Julie Larson-Green is set to take charge of Microsoft's hardware division, including the Xbox.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is set to announce a management reshuffle next week, with Larson-Green in line to oversee the division in charge of producing the Xbox One and Surface tablets. 

Bloomberg also reports that Skype president Tony Bates is being lined up to manage acquisitions and relationships with Microsoft software developers but that the potential restructuring isn't finalised and is subject to change"

Don Mattrick was reported to have been lined up for the position, before departing Microsoft to work for Zynga as its CEO. 

Larson-Green has worked at Microsoft for 19 years and has overseen the launch of Windows 7 and its more controversial successor, Windows 8. She also led the visual redesign introduced in Microsoft Office 2007, and her earlier work at the company saw her working on Internet Explorer 3.0 and 4.0.

Beyond Good and Evil 2, not happening

For those of you that have been anticipating the sequel to the 2003 underground hit Beyond Good and Evil, don't hold your breathe.

The Walking Dead: 400 Days Review

The Walking Dead: 400 Days comes to xbox live arcade as one of  the last embers of a glaring flame for Xbox 360. It's going to be a tough transition for successful indie arcade games like the Walking Dead and State of Decay to be profitable with all that provisos that the Xbox One will have in place just to use it.

The Walking Dead: 400 Days opens with a missing person's bulletin board. You play as different characters from the board and learn their survival or side story. The stories takes place between the end of season 1 and beginning of season 2.  Sorry to disappoint fans, but there is no Clementine or survivors from the season 1 in this game. It's fresh start with new characters.

As usual, the writing is genius.  I really got the impression that most of the characters were in Hell before the outbreak happened: one character was going to jail and the others are junkies recovering.  Everything happens so serious, so quickly.  I felt like the story always was on point, but the same unfixed problems with the game mechanics become troublesome.

Often you find the simpliest things such as pressing X becoming the main reason you have to reply a scene.
I won't harp on this because developers have done a better job with making the game mechanics more smooth and controls practical with the expectations to the story.  I mean, that scene where you have to navigate thru the corn field while bandits search for you was brilliant use of the limit range of motion.

Overall, The Walking Dead: 400 Days is an expansion of the first game with new characters and stories. The weren't any changes to the game that was really new notably.  The game plays like a read thru of a comic book with optional choices that affect the outcome of the storyline. It's a welcomed summer treat for gamers, and I give it a 9 out of 10.  It's probably going to be the last best hit for the xbox 360 arcade so what a way to say goodbye.