Wrestlevania

Wasn't that bothered about this episode to be honest. I rarely enjoy the really granular personal stuff in BSG, so I didn't find anything much to get excited about here. Anyway, time for a Grand Theory Adjustment (from a proposed series 39,823):

Cobblers, Ging. I'm sniggering like a school boy reading that.

They changed their software, breaking their own standards and conventions in order to do so. I know sometimes you can't get around this, but it's still a shitty thing to do; lots of 3rd party software was affected by it as well, of which Apple were as equally dismissive. "You want to use our products? Then you use our software," is basically what it comes down to. As long as everyone's got iTunes on their machines, they don't give a monkey's.

Gutted. My 2nd-generation nano plays back fine on my 360, but Apple haven't bothered with the firmware on that model for a very long time now. Really arrogant and stupid decision on Apple's behalf if you ask me; I'm sure someone must have hacked it back in by now though. Have a browse...

Sinister, yet... strangely satisfying to not have that orange bastard shoe-horn in some bollocks remark. Much appreciated.

Finally sorted myself out with a copy of Vangelis' Blade Runner. Wonderful stuff and I'm sure I'll drive everyone else within hearing distance mad with it.

/me twists and writhes in a horrible fit of TV envy

You could say the same about football in the UK, but fuck all that nonsense. (We do love motorbike racing at Castle Mania, though. And boxing.)

Fair point, but I'm sure someone with an actual understanding of international commerce would probably rip me a new one over those numbers anyway...

My cheap little JVC MiniDV camcorder has a low light feature, which is very close to night vision, and that's about 5 years old now. And I believe the solid state camcorders last a decent amount of time, as they don't have any moving parts except the lens.

Whilst you might have to hook a 360 up to a PC running Media Player 11, video playback is more than acceptable. In fact, we now watch a fair chunk of TV and films this way--and there's no farting around with formats either, since MS introduced DivX/Xvid support natively. The 360 isn't bad at media playback, it's just not as immediate as the PS3 sounds.

The Elite definitely has the newer, quieter hardware in it.

Makes for a decent disguise?

I firmly believe that's the only reason for the President's visions. Although... Anyway: I've had beer for dinner, so I need to sleep.

"Hey, kids -- welcome to 'Mickey Mouse Economics*' with me, Wrestlevania!" US game and instruments = $190 (inc. 10% tax) = ~£100 (ex. VAT) US game only (derived EU %) = ~$58 (inc. 10% tax) = ~£30 (ex. VAT) EU instruments only = £130 - 17.5% = ~£111 (11% markup) EU game only = £50 - 17.5% = ~£43 (43% markup) So, are we really expected to believe EA are paying £19 per instrument pack for shipping? Absolute horse-shit; with distribution costs that fucked up they'd have been out of business years ago. And when you crunch the numbers on selling the game separately too, it's just bare-faced profiteering. The game's unplayable without the instrument pack, unless - and I think this is critical - you've already got a GH guitar. To my mind, that's the only reason for the unbundling -- cultivate some positive mindshare, amongst people satisfied with just the guitar aspect, by way of, "at least they're not forcing me to buy another guitar again!" It's the usual EU cash-grab, nothing more. Robbing bastards... * Obviously I didn't study maths at degree level. Or any other level really.

The civil war is indeed an excellent, if logical and perhaps well-trodden move. But it's good that we're getting that fire - the passion - back into the key characters again. Anyway, I don't want to divest any more theory as it's not my intention to completely kill it. Assuming I'm right in the first place of course. (I've also got a theory as to why Kara has divine powers, why she disappeared for 6 months and saw Earth - and knows the way back - but remains apparently as she was.) </fanboy>

And I wouldn't want you to. Do post your thoughts though, please?

Meant to say that I watched Sweeney Todd with Mrs V a little while back. Seems Burton's starting a trend in grossly over-produced musical clangers; it's arse. The score never seems to change throughout, whilst Depp and co screech as best they can over the top. It drags on and on, pointlessly examining plot details at a very superficial level without actually adding anything. It's like someone's listened to one Lloyd-Webber production on tape, have never actually seen the stage show in person, then tried to emulate it using just one arrangement over and over in every scene. We found it excruciating to watch within the first half-hour, but persisted to the end anyway. Really don't recommend wasting your time though--very poor.

Now this is more like it; Season 3, stop sulking and pay attention! Already liking the heightened tension permeating the 4th season--gives me hope for a fitting climax to the whole story.

There are a lot of seeds for Pathologic at the moment, so I managed to nab it quickly over the course of this afternoon. And, rather satisfyingly, it actually runs this time! Haven't properly played it yet, just checked that it works OK, but it's got a definite style none-the-less. The intro and incidental texts so far are interesting enough.

Starting to get fed up with people citing every "reductionist" indie game being released at the moment as some work of miraculous genius. So much so, in fact, I was compelled to vent in considered, written form: Just burn the sodding rope Not my finest hour.

"WITHE FWOM YOUR GWAVE!" Seeing as Rock, Paper, Shotgun continue to bang the drum for Pathologic, I'm interested to know if any Thumbs got around to playing it? I attempted to last year, but I've had performance issues with my laptop for a long time and only just got around to wiping the thing and starting from scratch with drivers, etc. So I may give Pathologic another go--it wouldn't even run last time. How about you lot - anyone tried it?

You're 6 days too early for this particular thread's anniversary. I never did get around to playing it beyond the demo, which didn't quite do it for me in much that same way Bladestorm's didn't either. I've a few unwanted titles taking up space now though, so I could always pick up N3 for cheap I suppose. What with GTA4 on the horizon I'm keeping my trades to go towards that for now.

I'm already in the midst of mentally drafting a more rounded and considered piece on game mechanics at the moment. However, I wasn't happy with leaving the original post up there to fester until I had a chance to write the new one. So that's why I cut it. Not very professional, I know, but then this isn't my stock-in-trade anyway--just idle musings. I'm home alone for the week from Sunday night, so I'm hoping to get some decent writing done over the next few days. Starting with the revision. Thanks for the support though, I appreciate that.