Rong

The Hobbit

2012-01-17T16:56:00.001+08:00

So Peter Jackson makes a triumphant return to Middle-Earth for the long-awaited film adaptation of The Hobbit. Written by J.R.R. Tolkien, the book is set years before The Fellowship of the Ring so our young hero in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Frodo Baggins, has yet to be born. In his place will be his uncle Bilbo. This is essentially a prequel. But the focal point of the story isn't about the dreaded Ring of Power nor Sauron's return. Although the latter does get touched on in a different way. The Ring however, does make an appearance in the book but it's significance has yet to be realized until much later. Instead, the story revolves around Bilbo finding himself leaving the comfort of The Shire to go on a perilous journey with 13 dwarves to reclaim treasure from Smaug the dragon. It's also the first time that Bilbo meets Gandalf the Wizard so interaction between both of them should be fun.

The trailer looks absolutely stunning, doesn't it? Peter is treading upon familiar territory which had previously brought him immense fame and fortune. The colours in each frame are particularly vibrant and crisp. I assume this would be due to the decision to film in 4K resolution and at 30FPS with Red Epic 3D cameras.

You may also recognise some of the actors who have reprised their respective roles from the LOTR trilogy. It must have been weird for them to once again play their characters after an eight year period but I bet they would have given up anything to return once more. As for the dwarves, the actors playing them are relatively unknowns. The trailer does give us a generous look at them.

The Dark Knight Rises' Trailer

2011-12-23T11:09:00.001+08:00

I've yet to warm up to Christopher Nolan's choice of including Bane in his final Batman film. It's been months since they announced that Tom Hardy will be playing Bane and I've had a lot of time to think about it. First and foremost, what do I know of this character? Honestly, not as much as you think. The only portrayal I'm familiar with is the one in Batman: The Animated Series where he was a brutish fella who pumped himself full of a weird compound which gave him enhanced strength. It made him a rather formidable foe for Batman. Other than that, I don't think I've seen him much in recent comics.

Anyway lets talk about the trailer! If you go on Google and see how Bane looks like in the comics, you'll notice that Christopher Nolan and his team have taken some artistic liberties with the looks of the character. While Bane's costume may look drastically different as compared to the source material, you have to remember that Christopher Nolan is going for realism in his Batman trilogy. So tangible villains is a must. We also get to hear how he'll sound at 1 minute 30 seconds into the video.

"When Gotham is ashes, you have my permission to die."

I totally did not get what he said the first time round. Had to actually rewind the video 2-3 times. His mask gave him an odd muffled voice that can be difficult to distinguish. Being one of those trailers that gets released months before the movie, we don't get to see much. Merely snippets of Bruce Wayne, some action sequences and Selina Kyle. Which brings me to another point...Anne fucking Hathaway. Who will be playing Selina Kyle aka Catwoman.

Uhm, why?

It's a bizarre choice to pick her because I can never take her seriously as an actress. Rachel Weisz does seem like an impeccable choice for the role but too little, too late. Christopher Nolan has yet to make a bad movie and in all his films, the cast have been likeable. So I hope he knows what he's doing.

Robin

2011-12-16T01:28:00.001+08:00

"Robin is an annoying wuss who only gets in the way of Batman."

That's what your typical cynic would say whenever Robin is brought up in a discussion. When people are so adamant on degrading the character, it simply gives me and perhaps a lot of other Batman fans the impression of how much the person doesn't know about the Batman universe. The ignorance literally makes my head hurts. You're letting Burt Ward and Chris O'Donnell sully the image of Robin. It would be an understatement to say that those were truly horrendous representations. Therefore, it's best to dismiss them entirely and for eternity. But I fear that most people will continue use these two as a template should the character be mentioned again.

The majority of people who say that Robin would ruin everything have no imagination, and not to mention, no real appreciation for Batman's history. To simply put, Robin is the Yang to Batman's Ying. They work together harmoniously like a well-oiled machine. Be it Nightwing, Robin or Batgirl, they're all very essential characters to the Batman mythos.

If one really knows and understands Batman, there's absolutely no reason that he should dislike Robin or any other member of the Bat family.

Coming back to Fringe

2011-12-09T18:52:00.001+08:00

I've been catching up with Season 3 through the late of night for the past couple of days. I admit going to sleep at 4-5am isn't conducive to good health but that's secondary as compared to be once again immersed in J.J. Abrams' television series. For some reasons which I still have yet to put together, after the climatic cliff-hanger of the Season 2 finale, I stopped keeping up with the series. The long production hiatus probably had something to do with it. Nevertheless, it feels great to be back!

For those who are unfamiliar, Fringe is currently the most gripping science-fiction series to air on television right now. Created by J.J. Abrams, the man behind Lost and recent Hollywood blockbusters like Super 8 and Star Trek, the show's title "Fringe" comes from the term "fringe science". The meaning of which can be a little tedious to explain but just know that it composes of scientific theories or a field of study that is often associated with pseudoscience. Teleportation, psychokinesis, time-travel and all that. So anyway, the show revolves around a group under the FBI who are tasked to investigate these highly weird and mysterious occurrences. "Fringe events", as the characters promptly coined the term. The reason behind all these troubles was ultimately explained in a rather enthralling manner. The writers really did one heck of a job to unfold the main plot across so many episodes!

There's another reason why Fringe deserves my love and attention.

John Noble.

I apologise to the rest of the cast but this guy is most worthy of an Emmy. Unfortunately, he has yet to be nominated once despite the show going on air for about 3 years now. Playing a mad-scientist who's been gifted with high intellect but with a calming and lovable presence, his performance is absolutely delightful to watch!

Avengers ahoy!

2011-11-19T15:55:00.001+08:00

So after a slew of promotional content which were merely conceptual art, Disney has finally released live-action posters of the principal cast. Not that the early posters were in anyway ugly. In fact, the artist had skilfully captured the resemblance of the respective actors to an uncanny level. Despite that, they were still just drawings and they just can't match to the real thing. So here we are, from Chris Evans to Scarlett Johansson, attempting to look as bad-ass as possible to great effect. Compared to the horrendous portraits by Entertainment Weekly, these are much more aesthetic and worthy to be hung around. The big transparent 'A' is a nice touch for it'll probably look especially bland without it.

Alpha Protocol

2011-11-07T22:17:00.000+08:00

Alpha Protocol is a action role-playing game developed by veteran game studio, Obsidian Entertainment, which I've recently managed to procure a copy of the game via Steam. I didn't pay full price for it, the game was on sale for 2 bucks (90% off) during the SEGA publisher weekend deal. Quite a steal, isn't it? Well, in actual fact, I didn't fork out any money at all. A Internet buddy of mine traded the game with me for two sets of virtual items from Team Fortress 2. It was well worth it and I finally got an opportunity to try out Steam's trade feature. Talk about throwing two birds with one stone. It's rare to see a game go on sale at such a low price for an AAA title but I guess the poor reception during its release played a major factor.

Built on the Unreal Engine 3, a game-engine that is widely perceived as optimized and highly versatile, Alpha Protocol looks mediocre at best. You could say that Obsidian Entertainment had not put any effort into creating a distinctive style for the game. The end result is bland and generic looking environments. The character models though, are noticeably of high quality so interacting with characters won't be an eyesore to look at. I'm not upset that it doesn't have first-class graphics because by then I probably won't be able to run it smoothly. Alpha Protocol looks fine as it is. I shan't be a graphics whore.

The protagonist of the game, voiced by Josh Gilman, is Michael Thorton, the newest member of Alpha Protocol. A top secret program/agency that isn't "officially" sanctioned by the United States government. They engage in covert operations around the world with their enormous pool of resources. On your very first mission to assassinate the leader of a terrorist organization, you're faced with a shocking revelation that prompts your own agency to screw you over. After expunging you from Alpha Protocol and declaring you a rogue agent, you spend the remaining of the game uncovering the truth of a global conspiracy that could lead to World War III. You've some limited customization options to change how Michael looks like his hair, eye colour, facial hair, skin tone and eyewear. You won't be able to alter his facial features nor body type. Don't worry about it though, Michael looks dashing as he already is. In some way, it does. Kudos to his voice actor as well.

You'll be taking on linear missions in places such as Rome, Taiwan and Moscow. In each city, there's a safe-house where you can prepare yourself to head out. Stuff like buying/sorting equipment, emailing your contacts, character customization can be done in the safety of your safe-house. There's also be a big-ass television screen where your contacts can interact with you. It does work like a regular TV as well but unfortunately, the only channel it has is news. However, news reports are based on your actions during your missions. Speaking of equipment, there's somewhat a substantial amount of gadgets/weapons at your arsenal. SMGs, pistols, shotguns, assault rifles and various different gadgets. I personally found most of the gadgets to be redundant. It all depends on how you want to play your character. While on missions, you're bound to encounter some intriguing characters. Like the game's slogan says, your weapon is choice. As well as Alpha Protocol's one-of-a-kind social system, there's no telling how your relationships might end up. For example, you're only given a couple of seconds to make a decision with the dialogue wheel. Depending on what you chose, it can either repulse or appeal to the character you're talking too. If you do gain enough positive repute, they may even become an ally of yours and provide assistance in your missions. Therefore, it's imperative to read their respective dossiers and get to know more of their background if you have no intentions to piss them off.

Earlier on, I spoke of the poor reception the game garnered. Does Obsidian Entertainment truly deserve the "This game sucks" attitude? I'm on the fence about that. I did had an fantastic time with the game and playing Michael Thorton definitely made me feel like a super-spy. Plus the fact that the dialogue system provided me the opportunity to craft his personality to my liking.

It's a fact that Alpha Protocol severely lacks polish. It suffers from game-breaking technical glitches to cumbersome controls. All of these issues could have been fixed if the game was given more development time.

Skyrim, you'll soon be out.

2011-11-03T21:57:00.003+08:00

Guess what I did today? I finally went ahead and pre-ordered my copy of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. I was wise enough to do so as customers who have pre-ordered get a special price. If I recall correctly, it's $6 off as compared to the normal retail price. Sheesh, can you even imagine me paying $61 for a video game? Pfff, over my dead body, you greedy corporations! Anyway, I'll be able to pick the game up next Friday if all goes well. Should there be a delay (god fucking hope not) I honestly don't do what I'll do to vent my inevitable wave of frustration.

Hm, now that I think of it, it's merely a week to release! All the fanboy excitement within me has pretty much attained an uncontrollable status. The game has that amount of hold on me. For good reason too if I may add. The Elder Scrolls franchise has been around for almost two decades. Being synonymous with the pinnacle of role-playing excellence, Bethesda Game Studios has and perhaps, continue for years to come, secure the undying admiration of gamers around the world. I myself was only introduced to this brilliant franchise a couple of years ago with the release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. It blew my goddamn socks off. I absolutely cannot wait to see how they're going to top what they did with Skyrim.

The Avengers - Official Trailer

2011-10-12T16:27:00.001+08:00

Yesterday was the most amount of anticipation I had in a while. I sat by the computer to make sure that once the first trailer hits the net, I'll be there to watch it immediately. While I was anxiously hitting the F5 button on the Apple trailers site, I couldn't help but to imagine how glorious the footage would be. Yet with each refresh, the trailer just wasn't there yet. It was one hell of a wait. There were reports going around that the video will go live at 10am PST which means 10PM Singapore time. The unfounded rumours gave me hope to soldier on into the night.Lo and behold, there it was, 10PM on the dote.

Ladies and gentle, I now present to you the trailer for The Avengers.Watch it in 720p for full satisfaction..

Dreadful news

2011-10-09T17:51:00.004+08:00

A most recent development that is both god-awful and distressing has occurred. Nothing ever has something brought upon such high-level of drabness into my life. Am I doomed to become miserable? Yes, that's right. My iPod Touch is no longer functioning to its top form. How you might ask? Well, though painful it is for me to say, the fault may lie with me. Just a couple of mornings ago, the weather wasn't being harmonious for it was pouring like crazy. I at first wanted to sleep through the bad weather which also means playing hooky from school. However, I remembered that a poor attendance right before the exams was the last thing I needed. So I got up and prepared myself. After putting on my uniform, I stuffed my iPod into my bag. Big mistake there. I should have known that my wet umbrella would somehow impair the fragile electronic device.

Sigh, when I took it out during lunch to browse the Internet using the school's Wi-Fi, my initial reaction was, "Hm, why is it so dim? I can barely see anything." Naturally, I went into settings to tweak the brightness. When the result was still the same, I realized my iPod Touch got fucked up. By water, no less.

Lets wind back a bit. The 16GB 2nd Generation iPod Touch once belonged to my sister but she gave it to be after getting herself an iPhone. It was significant upgrade for me because I've been using my iPod Nano to watch movies/listening to music. Yeah, the whole concept of owning an iPod Touch made me incredibly ecstatic. I immediately went about to learn everything about it. For about 2 years, it served me well through and thin. I've watched over 180+ videos which includes films and television series. All viewing was done on the comfort of my bed till late into the night. It's taking me a while to digest the fact that I can't do all that anymore. With a broken backlight that makes it possible to see what's on the screen in the dark or under dim lightning, my iPod Touch is now an impractical piece of shit.

Being my "usual" optimistic self, I was determined to get my dysfunctional of an iPod repaired. I called up the only Apple reseller I knew of that also had a service centre. A guy over the phone told me that they don't repair iPods but he can give me a replacement of the same model for $250. The latest iPod Touch model (2 Generations ahead of mine) is going for around $400 or more. You know what, getting it repaired, replaced or whatever costs money. Money which I don't have. I'll have to ask my mum to consider getting me a new one as soon as possible.

I desperately need one.

Edit (October 12): It would appear that my iPod is back to normal! I was fiddling with iTunes and must have done something to it.

How do you really know

2011-09-21T16:25:00.002+08:00

I saw Enchanted again. Aside from being an unquestionably and well-crafted movie, Amy Adams is uber talented who held the movie together like glue. Where's her damn Oscar? Looking forward to see her as Lois Lane in the Man Of Steel.

Medical Screening

2011-09-19T16:24:00.000+08:00

Truth be told, I don't like the idea of getting drafted into military service. But this is Singapore and us being a small island, it's not really much of a choice. Upon reaching 18 years old, all males are eligible to serve in the army for about 2 years. Hmm, I think they have cut down the length. Not very sure. You can of course defer for two years or so to continue your studies.

Anyway, once your deferment period ends, your life as a pre-enlistee begins. Oh yeah, there're some things to do like filling out your particulars, doing a medical questionnaire....all these are done on the computer. Gotta love the internet. After that, you have to go for a medical screening where they'll do a more or less thorough check on your health and well-being.

My appointment was this morning's and I'm here to tell you all about it or at least till I get bored.

No, of course it wasn't fun at all. The commute to the location, Central Manpower Base, was almost an hour's long from home and I was 15 minutes late because I got a little lost. But hey, at least I made it there. In the nick of time, if I may add as it was drizzling heavily. Security was tight on location. I had to go through a metal detector in addition to placing my belongings through the luggage scanner thingamajig. Along with that, they didn't allow people to bring in mobile phones that have cameras. I was given a key to my own mini-locker. Afraid that we might snap pictures of your top secret military plans which are obviously lying around, are we? Ah whatever, it is a military installation after all.

Surprisingly, there weren't many people so I expected the whole medical check-up to be completed by noon. Yup, guess what? It went on for much longer then that because of some unforeseen circumstances like the staff taking a absurdly long lunch break which made the waiting duration a whole lot longer. I headed towards the information counter where this middle-aged woman gave me a pink slip of paper. It was a check-list of stations where I had to go. She directed me to the computer lab to do the MAPAS test. I still have no idea what the acronym means but it's sort of a glorified IQ test. The results are used to place you in the most appropriate appointment within the military where your skills can be tapped to its fullest potential. I thought it would be just some general questions that surround your personality. I was partly correct.

Mathematical, physics, puzzle-solving...I breezed through the physics questions but not so much for the other two. Tedious as well as irritating to say the least. God damn maths questions. I got real sick of doing them and I started randomly selecting answers. Though I was glad then to have completed it, I asked the guy behind the counter to direct me to the next station. He said to come back at 1PM.

Fuck, fuck it.

What am I suppose to do to pass the time? I had forgotten to bring my iPod plus the fact that I didn't had access to my phone made the whole waiting thing impossible. Thankfully, there was a television in the waiting area. Albeit the shitty picture quality and the re-run of a 15ish year old sitcom. It did provide me with sufficient entertainment. An hour went by, they were finally accepting new people at the stations. Urine testing, blood withdrawal, hearing test, eye test, dental examination, X-Ray of my chest, ECG monitoring and lastly, a quick look at my penis.

The hearing test was fairly fun. You get yourself in a small, sound-proof room and you'll have to raise your hand whenever you hear something. The tones were of various decibels with each corresponding one getting higher. I heard each one of them so my hearing is a-ok. I didn't know what quite to make of the blood withdrawal. Hell, the needle looked pretty long so I was really apprehensive about the whole procedure. The nurse strapped on a band at my arm area and told me to clench my fist. With a few taps, my vein popped up. The needle went in before I had even know it....Sensation wise, the pain was surprisingly minimal. When he stole enough blood from me, I was sent off with a band-aid. By the way, have you gone for an X-Ray before? I think not. Most people would never need to. I on the other hand, had to press my chest against the cold metal of some machine, breathe in deeply, just to have radiation bombarded into me. Needlessly to say, it was sensationless.

I may not be the only one in the world to believe that the idea of a urine test makes one's smirk. Its purpose? For checking sugar levels I think. I had to pee in a small cup with a strip of some sort in it. Privacy wasn't much of an issue. We did it in the toilet at the urinals.

The very last screening was a quick enough to not be embarrassing. We each were given a queue number and were told to wait for an undetermined amount of time. Imagine that, a bunch of shirtless guys waiting to be called into a room to have their penis looked at. I'm getting a boner thinking about it.

Eh, that was a tasteless joke.

Once our number is called, we were to enter a consultation office where this doctor will have us pull our pants down to take a glimpse of our penis. Yes, just a glimpse. Any longer, he might as well have just taken a picture. I believe he was checking for any signs of hernia. Look it up.

That's about it. I may have left some stuff out due to laziness or plain unimportant occurrences. Have a good day.

The Lion King...in 3D!

2011-09-16T16:53:00.000+08:00

Yeah, if you haven't heard, Disney is re-releasing The Lion King in theatres for a limited engagement to celebrate the successful completion of the re-mastered edition. Of course no release of a movie would be perfect without doing it glorious 3D. Meh, just so you know, the glorious bit was purely sarcastic. Since the incredible success of Avatar's 3D theatrical run, studios in Hollywood have been clamouring for a piece of the takings. Releasing films and slapping the 3D logo onto them.

Before I go on, 3D films increases depth perception which makes you feel as though you're in the movie. There's the occasional "popping out" of objects from the screen too I guess.

Anyway, yes, the movies they've been churning out lately and passing them off as 3D aren't true 3D movies. In fact, they were converted using some expensive software. The process is just as tedious as filming in 3D and the end result can be little to no effect. Perhaps only a few of the bunch, maybe 2-3 or even lesser, were shot in 3D.

For The Lion King's case, it just boggles the mind for the need of a 3D release. Especially when it's a hand-drawn animated film. It's downright silly because the characters as well as the environments are all flat.

I've no qualms with 3D being used as another tool to make movies but it has to be done the PROPER way through the use of 3D cameras and special filming techniques. Converting movies to 3D is NOT the path movie studios should or plan to be on. I do hope people will boycott such films that are guilty of said atrocities by not purchasing the tickets. See it in Digital or regularly film. I very much prefer the former.

Kevin Spacey is coming to Singapore

2011-08-31T15:56:00.001+08:00

To think I'm so adamant about the nature of internet ads as annoying and downright intrusive. This is a special case though! I don't exactly remember where I was browsing when I saw that banner but boy, am I glad that it caught my eye. I've been a fan of Kevin Spacey ever since I saw Superman Returns. He bloody well impressed me as Lex Luthor with his maniacally fun take on the character. Pity he didn't reprise the same role. Warner Bros stated that Superman Returns hadn't perform up to their expectations at the box-office so they dropped any plans for a sequel. Evidently, they don't know what the fuck they're talking about.

I'm not sure if fans preferred his performance over Gene Hackman's as I've yet have the opportunity to see the original Superman. Regardless, I think Kevin's work deserves my attention so I went onto Wikipedia to take a peek at his filmography. Quite a list he has there. I first set my sights on films that were critically lauded. I watched them all with great appreciation. Kevin Spacey is clearly an highly accomplished and versatile actor. With two Oscars under his belt, I do hope he doesn't retire just yet!

Back to the ad.... Yeah, so he does plays too eh? Not familiar with Richard III's material for Shakespeare's work can be perplexing to those who aren't acquainted with English literature. Fuck it, you've no idea how much it'll mean for me to see Kevin perform live right before my very eyes. Of course I'll have to fork out hundreds of dollars for a damn ticket. That I cannot do. I'm not working myself so money can be tight. Especially when I've a few luxury items to acquire. Video games, comics books and the likes.

Nice bulge, Bats.

2011-08-18T17:40:00.001+08:00

Why Bruce, thank you for taking the time off to look over the Arkham City booth at Gamescom. Oh, don't you worry about sales, I will be picking the game up when it hits stores this October. Plus after how well your last game sold, breaking world records/rave reviews and all that, you can bet that this sequel will do just as well or maybe, even better!

Chickenpox

2011-08-07T01:16:00.004+08:00

I haven't been attending school for the last two weeks for I had spontaneously decided that education was beneath me so I should cease and desist any further attempts to better myself with knowledge.

Ha, gotcha. Frankly speaking, I had came down with chickenpox so I was quarantined to my house during that period. I woke up to some suspicious liquid-filled-spots on some areas of my body. Piecing together the whole thing only took me a second. Since my friend had chickpenpox during the holidays, he must have transmitted the extremely contagious virus, specifically the varicella zoster virus, to me when we came back. My mum took me the clinic to get a confirmation from the doctor. Heh, it got awkward when he enquired if I was sexually active and about my virginity. Not because he was being nosey, but what I had could be a sexually transmitted disease. Mainly herpes. He prescribed me some antiviral pills, sleeping pills to help me sleep during the nights of endless itching and calamine lotion to ease the itch. My god, you wouldn't believe how much all that totalled up to. Over two hundred fucking dollars. I kid you not!

This is actually my second occurrence of the virus. Yeah, the doctor said it's rare but it does happen. Lucky me. Usually, the virus will retreat to your nervous system after your first time and will re-emerge as Shingles should it be reactivated somehow.

The first couple of days had me undergoing the most hellish experiences of being ill. No, I'm not exaggerating at all. It was that bad. I had vesicles all over my face and body so I looked considerably grotesque which dampened my spirits. The frequent 39.7 degrees' fever were a bitch to deal with too. Taking showers were all about being meticulous because I didn't want to burst the vesicles which could lead to scarring or complications. I'm just glad it's all over now.

By doubleleaf

Have a random picture that's associated with below's post.

Captain America: The First Avenger

2011-08-02T17:41:00.000+08:00

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is expanding at an expeditious rate. As you all know, the movies all lead up the next year's highly anticipated film, The Avengers. But before that, Marvel has one final tie-in before its imminent release. It was a really smart move to push out independent movies about the core members of the Avengers to introduce unfamiliar audiences to our fellow superheroes. It leaves a lot of breathing room for plot development as they wouldn't need to explore their origins in The Avengers which would probably be watered-down versions. With Captain America being the last tie-in, I could only hope they do a badass adaptation of him.

Directed by Joe Johnston - Starring Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving and Hayley Atwell with a brilliant group of co-stars, Captain America: The First Avenger proves to be another immensely gratifying movie by Marvel Studios. For that, I sincerely thank them.

It's no secret that Chris Evans was apprehensive in accepting the heavy responsibility in playing such an iconic character. He eventually gave in and evidently poured his heart out into the role. His presence on screen is nothing but admirable. I personally feel that no one in this movie was miscasted so everyone fitted in well.

What do I know about Captain America? As a character I mean. Well, not very much. I'm not exactly a hardcore fan so I'm only familiar with his origin story on the most basic of levels as well as his involvement in some of Marvel's comic book events. Be that as it may, I'm completely aware of what he stands for and the inspiration he brings. Wait a minute, I think I've touched on this before....Ah, here we are. Yeah, so what that post was made in January of this year? It's still relevant and the opinionistic nature of the post still stands.

Anyway, I suppose it was rather obvious that the film would be set in World War II where the Nazis are executing their nefarious plans on the world. More specifically, a division sponsored by Adolf Hitler himself that is tasked to investigate and find fantastical objects of the occult. The group, HYDRA, is spearheaded by a man named Johann Schmidt aka Red Skull (Hugo Weaving). When he acquired a powerful object known as the Cosmic Cube, he entrusted his top most scientist (Toby Jones) to draw power from the Cube to manufacture highly advanced weapons. Weapons that go pew pew with lasers! On the other side of the world, young Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) makes an attempt, among many tries, to sign up for military service. As much as he wanted to serve his country, his frail stature coupled with numerous medical conditions always gets him rejected. Poor dude. His best friend, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), who only wants the best for Steve, made a fruitless attempt to convince Steve that joining the army wasn't for him. The heated discussion was conveniently overheard by Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci). A German scientist who defected to the US government. He creates a serum that could potentially change the course of the war with "super-soldiers". As they were scouting for a worthy test subject, Dr. Erskine was impressed by Steve's high moral values and drafted him into the project among other competent candidates. His journey to becoming the famed Captain America has begun.

The tone of the movie is generally light-hearted with numerous scenes that'll tickle your funny bone. The movie does however, knows when to get all grim and serious. If you need some sort of gauge, I'll use Iron Man as a reference. The action sequences are accompanied by somewhat appealing visual effects. In some scenes, they really fake. Other than that, you get to see Cap using his shield to its fullest extent. Knocking out HYDRA soldiers or slinging it like a boomerang. The shots where they visually downsized Chris Evans into this weak, fledgling version of himself, were actually convincing. Albeit the awkward nature of how he looked. Still, it's most probably the same technology that was used on Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. For a period movie, it's imperative to nail the sets and costume design. Yes, it did felt like it was the 40s. Especially when Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) was escorting Steve to the laboratory through Boston. Nevertheless, the authenticity could be vastly improved if that scene where the group of Nazi officers that were conversing with Red Skull were done in German. Or Red Skull himself occasionally speaking German.

We get to see two different sets of costumes that Captain America dons. I've no criticisms on either one. Although, the second version he puts on is so fucking cool (see the poster above). Lets not forget Red Skull! Hugo Weaving provided the character with his signature villainous demeanour but with the prosthetic mask along with subtle special effects to animate his face, the whole package sealed the deal. He bloody well nailed the role!

Oh, here's a friendly reminder. Stay till the credits finishes rolling, its about 3 minutes long of text so sit tight, for you won't be disappointed by what you'll see.

The Avengers teaser trailer, you nitwit!

Thanks a lot dude!

2011-07-30T20:05:00.003+08:00

Artist: Dex Shilah

His colours and style made this so wonderful.

The Amazing Spider-Man: Official Trailer

2011-07-29T00:10:00.001+08:00

Yes, the very first trailer of the reboot is finally here. What I immediately notice is the drastic change of his origin. Hmm, guess Hollywood intends to go in another direction. But on a positive note, Andrew Garfield looks fantastic. Who knows, he may even be a better Peter Parker than Tobey Maguire. Lets not get hasty! Both actors are incredibly talented and they each have a unique take on Peter. Grrr, I don't think it would be appropriate to compare their performances.

The trailer doesn't reveal much though. The first ones are always bland. Must be because the movie is still post-production so they had limited amount of footage to put together.

Here's hoping the reboot gets a thumbs-up by the lovely critics, Spidey!

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

2011-07-05T12:29:00.000+08:00

Even after 7 years after the release of this title, BioWare still manages to amaze me with their ever-recognizable handiwork. If you compare their more recent titles, you can definitely tell how they still draw influence from it. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remains to be one of their best works in the RPG genre till this day! A sequel was of course in high demand after its tremendous success but alas, the responsibility fell to another developer, Obsidian Entertainment. BioWare instead wanted to focus on other projects they had up their sleeves (Jade Empire, Mass Effect, Dragon Age) so they directed LucasArts to Obsidian as a possible candidate to work on the game. Obsidian had big shoes to fill as expectations were high. With LucasArts pressuring them to release the game early, poor Obsidian had to cut a chunk of content and release a buggy game. The sequel, entitled Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, may not have mirrored the success that its predecessor garnered but it still one heck of an experience.

Sure, it may be a game from 2003 with an outdated game engine but please, don't disregard a game just because you're being put off by the graphics.

Today, I want to touch on the first game which is set thousands of years before the movies in a time when the resurfaced Sith Empire is waging an enduring war against the Republic. Darth Malak who's currently leading the Sith was actually an apprentice to the previous Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Revan. He betrayed his master (What do you expect from a Sith?) at a critical point of the war when a squad of Jedi Knights confronted Revan. Instead of aiding him, Malak fired upon his master's ship. Presumed dead and the Republic thinking they had won the battle for the galaxy, the conflict was merely escalated when Malak ascended to the position of Dark Lord of the Sith. This is where you come in to change things. Dramatically for that matter.

Did I also mention the story here is canonical to the Star Wars universe?

SW:KOTOR chronicles the epic (I greatly hate that word "Epic". It's been used one too many times so casually.) saga of your character who depends on how you play him, will either save the galaxy from the evil Sith or enslave everyone under you. Decisions, decisions, decisions. I decided to play out my character as a paragon of virtue. A Jedi who stays true to the Light Side of the Force. What can I say? I love playing the good guy. The game starts off as you wake up on a ship that is being under attacked by the Sith. From then on, you're dragged into something momentous. Your main goal is to find the Star Forge. An ancient object, which I shall not disclose its purpose, that sparked such great interest in Revan and Malak that they went searching for it. Finding the Star Forge came easy for them. They immediately tapped into its vast power. Unfortunately for you, the map to the Star Forge has been corrupted but it left specific planets of interest. Your task is to travel to these planets to find more information on the Star Forge.

The search for the Star Forge isn't as straight forward as you might think. On each planet you visit, there's a string of quests that will lead you to a clue on the whereabouts of the Star Forge. Side missions are also included. Choices you make throughout the game does leave an impact on yourself, companions and the game world. So choose carefully! Try to live with the decisions you made. Don't attempt to cheat yourself by loading a previous save. Ruins the immersion a lot. Speaking of companions, you'll have the opportunity to recruit all nine of them which includes a Wookie to droids. For some reason, I find them to be considerably dull so I couldn't really connect with them. That isn't usually the case with BioWare's other RPGs. Who knows, you might feel the opposite. Just remember to converse with your companions regularly for they'll reveal their past as well as their opinions on the current situation. You can only bring along two companions at a time. I base my choice on their skills and how they'll use their talents to adapt to situations.

At a point in the game, one of your companions will reveal to you of your affinity to the Force. You'll eventually join the Jedi Order after an initiation process which will unlock Force powers for you to use and the skill to equip lightsabers. Of course you still can use the basic weaponry like blasters, melee blades.....but why bother when you can kick-ass with a lightsaber? As Obi-Wan said, "An elegant weapon, from a more civilized age." So act civilized!

Clark Kent & Peter Parker

2011-06-26T01:38:00.000+08:00

Both of which are equally celebrated heroes in both the comic book industry and in their respective universes. I may not be the president of their fan clubs but as I've learnt more about Superman recently, I cannot help to notice small similarities in their upbringing between these two heroes...

Born in a period when Krypton was in great peril, his beloved parents placed him into a spacecraft with coordinates to head towards Earth before perishing along with the exploding planet. His destiny awaited him on our blue planet as Earth's greatest hero. The ship crash landed in Smallville where he was found by a couple. The Kents were of course perplexed and maybe even spooked to come across such a bizarre looking transport in the middle of the field. When they looked inside, what they saw warmed their hearts. There lay poor little Kal-El, wrapped in a red blanket with his family's iconic insignia. Martha and Jonathan both made the decision to adopt him as their own son and gave him the name, Clark.

I'm not so sure on how Peter's parents were killed (something about being government agents or something) but he too lost them at a young age. His next of kin, Ben and May Parker, took him in without hesitation.

Over the next couple of years, the Kents and Parkers instilled important values to both of the orphaned boys which laid the foundation to their future heroic life. Responsibility, honesty, integrity.....just to name a few. As you can see, if it weren't for their benevolent guardians and their valuable life lessons, I strongly believe that our two heroes wouldn't be what they are today.

Captain America: The First Avenger - Trailer #2

2011-06-24T14:32:00.000+08:00

Why must release date be so far away?!

Green Lantern: Emerald Knights

2011-06-13T17:10:00.000+08:00

The thing with animation is that you can perform feats that aren't possible in live-action films. Well, you could try but it'll cost you tens of millions and the results could be disastrous. Not *to mention how the shitty experience would traumatise audiences to put off any future opportunities to see something similar of the nature. What I'm trying to say is that with a movie concerning the Green Lanterns, it's in everyone's best interest to portray them through traditional animation or better still, the use of computer generated animation. The latter of which has been used for the last decade or so to great fruition (Ex. Pixar or Dreamworks). At this point, you might be confused. What's so bad with the idea of doing a live-action film? The most worrying factor about doing it as such is the quality of special effects, which makes up the bulk of such a film, be inferior which could ruin the movie. You see, the Green Lanterns are wielders of the most powerful weapon in the universe. The power ring. With it, they can tap into their sheer might of will to create light-based constructs. Of course thats where the geniuses behind CGI come up with the effects. Yet here we are, weeks away from the release of Green Lantern starring Ryan Reynolds. I'm not trying to say that the movie would be abysmal.....I'll reserve judgement till I've seen it. Anyway, that's besides the point so lets return to the case at hand.

My faith in Warner Bros./DC Comics attempts to produce high quality animated films has not wavered so far and with their new movie, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, it only enforces it. With more projects in the midst of production, I can only hope that they retain their mindset of excellence. So unlike the last Green Lantern animated film they did 2 years ago, this one does not have a linear plot. It's an anthology film. A term coined when there're several short stories told in a single film where they usually have no relation to the main plot. These shorts are being accounted by Hal Jordan to the rookie Green Lantern recruit, Arisia, as an inspirational boost while they deal with a foreboding threat that looms over the universe. I'm very pleased with the choice of Green Lanterns they picked for the individual stories and although I've not had the pleasure to be acquainted with two or three of these Lanterns, they did a good job of not stuffing the shorts with bloated content nor were they downright boring. Animation is once again, commendable. No surprise there. The action sequences consist of sharp visuals accompanied by an exceptional use of colours. Enjoy the total awesomeness of how powerful the Green Lanterns are as they are meant to be.

I beg of you, catch this when you have the chance. You won't be disappointed.

Amy Adams as Lois Lane?

2011-06-09T00:30:00.000+08:00

A couple of months back when I first heard about the announcement that she was going to be casted as the intrepid Lois Lane in the upcoming Superman film, I was earnestly jolly about it. Oh you poor dear! You mean you haven't heard? Warner Bros. has set a reboot of the Superman franchise in motion with Zack Snyder helming the director's chair. That I have no issues with for I simply adore his work on Watchmen. If it's any sort of a consolation prize for you non-fans, Christopher Nolan is helping to produce it. The reboot has been entitled, The Man of Steel. Finally, a Superman movie without his name in the title. I'm not saying that it annoys me. It's just refreshing, you know? In case you're unaware, The Man of Steel is just one of the many nicknames that people around the world have given to Superman. Anyway, Amy is a highly versatile actress who I personally feel will embody the heart and soul of Lois Lane to the point of perfection. If you happen to see The Fighter, you might actually catch a glimpse of what Lois could be like as the character Amy's playing in that movie is almost similar to that of her.

Backtrack - Y: The Last Man

2011-05-27T13:31:00.000+08:00

As dismayed as I am to have finished Y: The Last Man, I can't help but to be attracted by the thought of purchasing the hardcover editions sometime in the future. Yes, the series is that good. I'm not exactly sure where to find them but with Google and local forums, I don't think there'll be any trouble. Anyway, I'm not entirely satisfied with how the final issues wrapped up. It's almost depressing to see how Yorick Brown, the protagonist, ended up or the fact that they didn't fully explain the cause of the genocide. I fucking need closure! There are a few theories that have been tossed about throughout the issues but we can never know for sure what truly caused it. The writer wants us readers to decide for ourselves. The series is littered with colourful (personality wise) characters. So it's hard not to find one to your liking. As for Yorick, he's indubitably my favourite. He's witty, quotes movies, resourceful, fool-hardy at times....but fiercely protective of his friends and love ones. Qualities that make him a worthy hero of the story. In one of the story arcs, we get to explore traumatic moments of his past which had been affecting Yorick through Agent 711 and her extremely unorthodox methods. She performed a successful intervention on him.

It takes great courage to overcome your demons. The emotionally affected Yorick changed for the best. No longer does he charge head on towards danger which potentially could risk his life.

Sigh, I'll of course read everything again in a couple of months time. Looking forward to that!

Y: The Last Man

2011-05-10T18:35:00.000+08:00

God damn! If I had known how fantastic the series was, I would have gotten into it earlier. Heh, I even remember a friend of mine suggesting me to have a go at them but I shrugged him off. Boy, was I dumb. Fortunately, that has been rectified! The ever reliable world of piracy has provided me links to all 60 issues. I've already downloaded them last afternoon and spent hours reading them on my bed with my iPod Touch. If I recall correctly, I went to sleep at one. Not bad eh? I get five hours worth of sleep till I've to get up for school. Each issue ended with a cliff-hanger so I just had to keep going. Frankly, I've never been entertained by a comic book series at such a high calibre before. Printed by Vertigo (Imprint of DC comics), the plot revolves around Yorick Brown who has become the last man on Earth after a mysterious plague that killed all males on the planet. Human and animal alike (Ah, his pet male monkey did survive). He decides to set off to Australia to find his soon-to-be fiance but as fate would have it, he gets pulled into a rather perilous adventure. That's as much as I can summarise without spoiling the plot for you. The series ran from 2002-2008. A film adaptation is in the works If I'm not wrong.

Give credit where credit is due. Therefore, I applaud Brian K. Vaughan for his gritty and often humorous writing that makes Y: The Last Man so deeply captivating to read. I would also say that the art style is just as important as the source material. Thankfully, there's nothing much to criticize about. A word of caution. It's definitely not for minors. Sex, violence and coarse language are ensured. Not to mention bare boobs. Oh well, it's all part of the "real world" experience.

So what are you waiting for?

Smallville

2011-04-20T19:54:00.008+08:00

Smallville is currently the longest running Sci-Fi show in television history with an impressive total of 10 seasons. Based on his comic-book counterpart, the series explores the mythology of the Man of Steel and tells Clark Kent's beginnings with a unique twist to his transformation to the hero we all know so well, Superman. The producers most probably didn't expect the show to meet with such tremendous success but it did. I mean, the show did last for 10 years! That's an achievement to be proud of. With a hefty number of fans tagging along with the show, Smallville has been pretty well-received over the years. Despite having a small budget of a television series, they've always managed to pull off modest special effects, costumes and sets. Sometimes they even outdo themselves. The cast having been playing their characters for years have of course sunk into their roles with relative ease. Their portrayals are spot-on. But alas, as they say, all good things must come to an end. The series finale will air on May 13 with a 2 hour episode. It should be a blast. We can finally see Clark put on his red and blue suit! I wish all the cast members the very best of luck in your future endeavours. Cherish all your memories you have gained from the show!

If you're thinking about getting into the series, I highly recommend watching from Season 6 onwards. The show has since been very adult-oriented. Everything before that wouldn't interest you with all the High School drama and occasional ''villain of the week''. I've seen bits and pieces of Season 6 and frankly, it wasn't until the next season (pirated the episodes of course) did I fully embrace the show as a work of art. With iconic characters being introduced on a regular basis (Zod, Metallo, Supergirl....you know the rest), lets not forget ones that were written specially for the show. There's one I would like to make a special acknowledgement. As of right now, Tess Mercer, who was introduced in Season 8, is my favourite character. Mainly because of Cassidy Freeman's performance which makes her so fascinating to watch and how much the character reminds me of Gretchen Morgan from Prison Break. I've been thinking of purchasing the DVD boxsets for Seasons 7 and beyond. Hopefully, the local mall has them in stock.

The Piano

2011-04-09T17:58:00.000+08:00

I've always wanted to learn how to play the piano. Yes, it may not be a life skill but it's something I want to do on a personal level. I envy those on Youtube who upload videos of themselves playing musical scores from movies or videogames on such a majestic instrument. If I could do that, there'll be no doubt a great sense of accomplishment.

Hmm, you could say that I was presented with an opportunity to pick up the skill. Well, sort of. When I was young, say 10-11 years old, my parents sent my sister and I to organ classes at the nearby community centre. Not the colossal pipe organs you're thinking of that can be found at those old cathedrals. It's not the same thing as a piano....Of course I didn't take those lessons seriously. I was a child.

The above is someone I recently found who displays sheer brilliance in all of his videos. He's playing the theme song from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

The Green Hornet (2011 Film)

2011-04-05T00:42:00.001+08:00

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Besides being a competent musician (He's good right? I've never gotten into the whole ridiculous "Chinese rap" business so I wouldn't know.) and being unquestionably famous in Asia, Jay Chou has acted in a couple of movies in his career. I've never seen any of them and I don't think I'll ever want to.

He can't act. Not in English movies anyway. His performance felt so emotionless and in some scenes, often uninspiring. I've no idea how Jay Chou got involved in such a heavyweight Hollywood production. I was pretty much dubious of the fate of the movie from the moment I learnt of his involvement. Being a native of Taiwan, could he even speak English at all? Why not cast someone who actually does? Whatever reasons the studio has, I don't want to know. In preparation for his role as the sidekick, Kato, Jay had most probably gone through a crash-course lesson in English. Surprisingly, I didn't have a hard-time understanding his dialogue. He wasn't that articulate so he could use more practise. Ah well, I guess he has to start somewhere if he wishes to break into Hollywood. In fact, I could name three guys right now who were probably in his shoes. Jackie Chan, Jet Lee and Chow Yun Fat. Look at them now!

The movie itself is nothing more than mediocre but the action sequences does stand out though. Oh alright, the sole reason I saw the movie was because of Christoph Waltz who plays the villain. After Inglourious Basterds, it's just so hard for me to pass up on such talent.

Captain America: The First Avenger Official Trailer

2011-03-30T00:06:00.000+08:00

I seem to have forgotten to post this on the day they released this which was what....a week ago?Regardless, I'm really happy with the footage they've decided to piece together. I can almost tell how the tone of the movie would be. Lets just say it'll be somewhat similar to Iron Man and that's a good thing. Seeing how bloody successful it was. Hopefully, fans and critics will give nothing but positive feedback for Captain America's big screen appearance.

Mafia 2

2011-03-24T16:58:00.002+08:00

As someone who acknowledges that quality will forever triumph over quantity, I really appreciate it when a game developer employs the same attitude while designing video games. For that, I highly recommend you get yourself a copy of Mafia 2 as soon as possible. Set in the fictional city of Empire Bay, you're Vito Scalett, an Italian war-veteran trying to make a name for himself along with his childhood friend, Joe. Together, you explore the ins and outs of the Mafia.

I personally haven't seen any of the Godfather films. I know what you're thinking, blasphemous, right? Just never got around to see them but I know it's a good trilogy so cut me a break! The closest thing I've exposure to organized crime is Martin Scorsese's The Departed. Eh, wasn't that film about the Mob? I assume the Mafia and the Mob are totally different? Whatever the case may be, Mafia 2 has got me engaged into the story so far. Captivating even, if I may add. I just purchased a copy yesterday so I'm far from completion. Roughly about 25% into the game. Expressing how much I'm loving every bit of it will be an understatement.

If you're familiar with the Grand Theft Auto franchise (who the hell isn't?), Mafia 2 will come to you relatively easy. The basic mechanics are present. The entire city is sandbox so you can free-roam as and where you like, food & beverage/clothing stores to add a hint of role-playing elements, customize the cars you stole at the various garages in the city. Just to name a few.

If you would have me describe Empire City to you in one word, stunning comes to mind. The 1940's esque is astonishingly detailed to a point where it actually feels true-to-life. Even the fashion and the various vehicles have obviously been spared no expense. The game takes place over a span of years so you can basically see the city change. From the snowy, gloom that winter brings to a city to the lush, vibrant effects of spring. To simply put it, the atmosphere the game brings is no more than fantastic.

I will like to declare that Mafia 2 is very much optimized for the PC. It's not what some of us call a "console port" where graphical hiccups causes a hit in framerate or frustrating controls.

The gun fights are pretty nifty too. There's a cover system in which you will use most extensively. There aren't many assortment of weapons in the game. Probably at most five? I can't remember. But trust me, that's the most a game like this will ever need.

Of course when you're doing all the nasty criminal work, you've to be wary of the law. The police will come after you for grand theft auto, running around with a firearm and even hit-and-run. There's a wanted system where you'll need to change your clothes or vehicle to elude capture. If you do get caught, you can bribe them and they'll look the other way. Depends on what your wanted level is though. Too high and they'll shoot on sight. If it's low enough, you'll get away with a fine.

Also, I'm having difficulty naming another game that allows you to collect vintage Playboy magazines. I've collected one at the moment so I'm no Hugh Hefner. I guess going around the city hunting for pictures of bare-naked women can be seen as an incentive for some people.

Just not me.

Behind the scenes of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

2011-03-19T12:28:00.001+08:00

I'm desperaly trying to hold in my excitement. July seems such a long way to go!

Dragon Age 2

2011-03-11T11:19:00.002+08:00

My my, what a week It has been! Like so many others around the world, I’ve been absorbed into the intriguing world of Dragon Age 2. I got my copy from the video game store at a small price of $56 for the Signature Edition. It includes the soundtrack, various in-game items and a downloadable content worth USD$10. I’m very pleased with the purchase. God damn it, BioWare! You did another fucking fantastic game and for that, I sincerely thank you. I’ve poured 27 hours into it and shall begin another play-through in the near future. When I do, I’m going to do it with a different class this time round to keep things spicy. Judging by the Rogue’s skills descriptions, it really seems like a fun class so probably that. While the recent backlash of the game has been most disheartening and not to mention, harsh, I refuse to jump on the bandwagon of hate. In fact, I grudgingly agree on some of the points they have made but I feel that they aren’t that substantial so I overlook them and continue on playing. Nothing will hinder me from having a good time. Most of the insufferable whining is by trolls anyway so I wouldn’t take the majority into account. You have to admit though, it’s so damn difficult to please hardcore gamers these days!

I wouldn't go as far to call this a sequel though despite the namesake. Since it does not feel that way. The best way to get around this is to classify Dragon Age 2 as part of the ever-expanding Dragon Age universe.

Presentation

The most significant change you’ll notice is the new visual style they have taken. It seems to be a little cartoony with the shading/lighting they’ve went with. With that in mind, the game engine has undergone an overhaul too which has influenced spell, skill and weapon animations to be a whole lot fluid and extremely pleasing to the eye. Interface has not been spared from change. It’s a whole lot less cluttered. I can confidently say that newcomers to the franchise won’t have problems getting used to it.

If you’ve been keeping up with the controversy surrounding the game, you would have read or heard about an article about the music composer for Dragon Age 2, Inon Zur, openly admitting on how the development of the game was rushed by EA. That’s probably the reason behind the most irksome element in the game. Repetitive dungeons. Yes, the majority of the side-quests send you to the same fucking areas. If not, areas that look the same like every other dungeon. “Oh hey, this place looks familiar.” or “Uhm, wasn’t I here before?” reactions are ensured. It really shows how much they believe in variety. Either that or they didn’t have enough time to design new areas. Most likely the latter.

Gameplay

You are able to customize your character. Changing his facial features and such. I myself spent a good half an hour to create a dashing looking character. Race on the other-hand, is locked to human only. There’re three classes in total, the Mage, Rogue and Warrior. Each with its own sub-classes and a assortment of kick-ass skills.

Combat is a lot more engaging in real-time but like its predecessor, you can pause the game any-time you want and issue orders to your companions. I do that a lot in Dragon Age: Origins but not as frequent this time round. Only in the most difficult of battles do I employ tactical manoeuvring. Like the magnificently scripted boss battles for example. Save your game regularly, folks! There’ll be times when you get wiped out and need to re-load your previous save game. Be sure to resist the urge to lower the difficult level! It's all about positioning your companions when facing a formidable opponent.

Speaking of companions, they now have a fixed set of armour and not being able to change their looks can seem frustrating at first. But look at it this way, they can no longer wear stuff that makes them look so out of place as the armour pieces weren’t designed specifically for them. You can however, equip them with basic armour like belts, rings and amulets which all have different statistics. Companions can once again be romanced. The unexpected twist is that they’re bisexual. Which means you can basically pursue a relationship as a male or female character. Amazing right? The odds of all your friends being bisexual are astronomical! How well you can relate to your companions is really based on personal preference. I mean, I personally found one or two or them to be incredibly unappealing. Perhaps you may think of them differently.

Ah how the gaming industry has seen her fair share of silent protagonists. Most notably Gordon Freeman from Half-Life. In Origins, when you choose a dialogue option, your character never expresses it out loud. BioWare made a smart decision and followed in the footsteps of their other successful franchise, Mass Effect, to include a fully voiced main character. Heh, with a British accent no less. There’s also a speech wheel which when you mouse over the various dialogue options, there’ll be a symbol to illustrate what kind of response you’ll make. Flirty, humorous, violent, etc.

Story

The plot is being narrated by one of your companions, Varric, who tells the tale of how the Champion of Kirkwall, you, came to be. You are reliving it and your actions will affect how it’s being told. This takes place in the city of Kirkwall over a span of 10 years. You’ll spend all of your time in, under and even the outer regions of this stunningly designed city. There’re three acts in total with each being inter-connected to the final showdown. You may also import your previous save from Dragon Age: Origins to experience the decisions you made play out.

Conclusion

When When BioWare announced a sequel to the highly acclaimed Dragon Age: Origins back in July of 2010, I’d been all hyped to the point of crying when I saw the very first combat game-play video on Youtube!

Ok, I exaggerated the last part. But you do get my point? I was really excited.

But was it worth the wait? Uh, give me a moment to think this over......OBLIVIOUSLY YES!

Did Dragon Age 2 deliver? It may not appease the most die-hard of Dragon Age fans due to their stubbornness to accept change, but newcomers to the franchise or the genre even are in for a decent surprise.

An update on school

2011-03-05T23:48:00.000+08:00

My lovely class advisor, Mdm, Suja, confided with me about my current attendance in school. She said everything was satisfactory with the exception of Sports and Wellness. You may know it by another name, Gym or Physical Education. Apparently, my friend and I have the lowest attendance record in the entire class. 13% if you want statistical numbers. We've been skipping it since day one of this year's school term. As you know, I'm no athlete so I make it a point to avoid all form of sports. Why bother going to a lesson that encourages it? I've no intentions in embarrassing myself with the likes of basketball or soccer. Hmm, my friend probably shares the same belief. He does have a passion for basketball. Uhm, his position on the wrong end of the weighing scale does make it problematic. Yes, he's obese if you want to put it so bluntly.

Unfortunately, Mdm Suja made known to me that if this continues on, I would receive a warning letter of sorts and she would have to give my mum a call. I'm not at all intimidated by that but I'll see what I can do. No promises though.

P.S

Five more days to Dragon Age 2, bitches!

All-Star Superman

2011-03-04T18:21:00.000+08:00

I wholeheartedly welcome any new addition to DC comics' growing list of direct-to-video animated films. Despite not being a fan of Superman, I was open-minded enough to sit through all 76 minutes of it. Was it worth my time? Hmm, I wouldn't go as far to say that it was a superb animated flick so it's definitely nowhere as exceptional as Batman: Under the Red Hood.

Like most of the animated films DC Comics dishes out, All-Star Superman is based on a comic book series. Written by Grant Morrison, the twelve-issue series ran from late 2005 to 2008, it saw success in both sales and reviews. That was probably a factor in DC's decision to adapt the series to a movie. It's a grim fact that the screenplay was carried out by the late veteran comic book writer, Dwayne McDuffie. May he rest in peace.

A relatively simple plot, Lex Luthor manages to pull off his master plan by poisoning Superman with an overdose of solar radiation which begins to slowly kill him. With that in mind, Superman decides to set his affairs in order before he runs out of time. That means revealing his secret identity to Lois Lane. The woman who he loves so much. Not to mention some delightful plot twists along the way. All-Star Superman will most definitely keep you engrossed. If the story doesn't, perhaps the Aeon-Flux inspired animation might.

The most curious voice cast that includes James Denton (Superman), Christina Hendricks (Lois Lane) and Anthony LaPaglia (Lex Luthor). Unfortunately, the usual talents from the DC Animated Universe did not reprise their roles. Although it's somewhat fascinating to see these actors' take on their characters. Calm and mellow Superman anyone?

Overall, I'll recommend my friends to watch this. Don't worry, no prior knowledge of the characters are really needed. Well, I was already very familiar with them so it may be a totally different experience for you. Just to be safe, a basic understanding of them should do you good.

Dragon Age 2's demo

2011-02-24T18:13:00.000+08:00

It's been 2 years since the prequel, Dragon Age: Origins, was released to great universal acclaim. It was followed by an expansion and multiple downloadable content. Majority of which I couldn't get my hands on as you had to buy them. Curse you micro-transactions! Anyway, BioWare decided that a sequel was the next step. It was announced sometime in July of 2010 and now has an official release date of March 8 this year. This makes it 3 weeks to go! And because of that, I've been getting more and more jubilant as the days go by. So like any good developer will do, they released a demo a few days ago on their official website and through Steam. I'm glad that they decided to do this.

From a technical standpoint, I was curious to know if the improved technology in Dragon Age II has made the game unplayable on my mid-range desktop. Fortunately, it runs better than its predecessor. Gameplay and appearance wise, it's hell of an improvement. Combat is more fast-paced which means action packed battles is ensured. The user interface will need some time for me to get used to. Overall, I'm pleasantly pleased with this sequel. Well, regardless they had a demo or not, I had already set my mind on buying Dragon Age II since they announced it.

Thanks BioWare!

You can download the demo here.

Will I be getting Portal 2?

2011-02-15T18:15:00.000+08:00

With retailers around the world accepting pre-orders right now, one might wonder if they should lay an order. I personally wouldn't. Despite of all the tremendous amount of hype surrounding the game even before release, it does not compel me to buy it. Puzzle games simply do not interest me. Honestly, I suck at them. Though I admit Portal has a rather original and innovative concept and no doubt it'll receive rave reviews like its predecessor. Portal 2 is set to be another success by Valve. It's a no brainer.

Perhaps I may get DotA 2. Another Valve product.

X-Men: First Class Official Trailer

2011-02-12T11:47:00.000+08:00

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Two trailers in a single week from two very awesome films? This is certainly an omen foretelling a bright future.

Just so you know, X-Men: First Class is set in the same continuity of the X-Men movie franchise. This is a prequel obviously. Personally looking forward to Michael Fassbender's performance as Erik Lensherr aka Magneto. He was fantastic in Inglourious Basterds. Bless him for that!

Captain America: The First Avenger Official Teaser

2011-02-09T09:20:00.003+08:00

I'm all hyped up.

Chinese New Year

2011-02-06T14:37:00.000+08:00

So how’s your Lunar New Year been? Not sure how many of you readers out there are Chinese but the year of the rabbit has been especially pleasant. I even spent the night over at my cousin’s house when his mother was hosting this year’s dinner. We basically talked the night away. You see, it’s tradition during this period to visit both sides of the family for a reunion dinner. It’s a great time to catch up with your cousins and whatnot. Not to mention getting Hong Baos! They’re essentially red packets with cash inside. How much you get depends on how generous your aunt/uncle is. Although I will say this, $5 is the minimum amount or I’ll label you as a cheapskate! Ah well, it has been a good run and as they say, all good things must come to an end. I’m looking forward to next year. Perhaps I'll get my New Year clothes this time round.

Buried

2011-02-01T16:44:00.001+08:00

Ever wondered what it'll be like to wake up in a coffin? Totally unaware why or where you are? Yes, difficult to perceive isn't it? No doubt that It'll be a terrifying ordeal to go through. You can either give up and die a slow death from suffocation or find a way to escape. Whatever the case, the whole concept of this makes a good film. And bingo, Buried covers all that. Directed by Rodrigo Cortés, some Spanish fella, and starring Ryan Reynolds. He's the only actor in this flick so for roughly 94 minutes, it's a one-man show. Although people who were talking to him over the phone were credited for their respective roles.

Truth be told, I'm not much into thrillers. I simply stumbled onto this when I was browsing Ryan's wikipage. Don't ask why.

Ryan Reynolds plays an American truck driver, Paul Conroy, who has been contracted to do some work in Iraq. His convoy was ambushed by terrorists or was it insurgents? I think it's the latter. Anyway, he took a hit in the head and woke up to total darkness in an enclosed space to which he realized was a coffin upon further inspection. Things get intensified when his captors called him through a mobile phone which was left in the coffin. They demanded money for his release. Five million dollars. Obviously, a truck driver of his stature does not have that kind of money. He hastily made several calls until he reached the proper authorities. The agent assured him that they will find him. Did they? I shan't tell you!

Overall, it's a captivating movie that's heavy on emotions. Ryan Reynolds is convincing enough that you'll feel sorry for the character and the predicament he's in.

Bleh

2011-01-28T00:18:00.000+08:00

It's only been a month and I'm already fed up with the new subjects this year from my course, Info-Communications. Mainly Java programming and Networking. The apparent source of my woes. Just imagine yourself going for lessons five times a week while knowing that you'll never want to or even, NEED to utilize the stuff you have learnt. Learnt? Haha, I barely understand what my teachers have been talking about. So yeah, you can say that I have learnt zilch so far. Gosh, I sure can't wait till next term when we go over new subjects. Till then, patience.

Hell, I don't even know why I chose this particular course. Should have picked something business related. At least I know I'll do well there. It's far too late to regret anyhow. Two years too late. For now, my goal is not to do exceptionally well but to just pass. A plausible feat.

Captain America is awesome

2011-01-23T13:49:00.001+08:00

The man who punched Hitler, subdue enough villains to put every other hero to shame, saved the world on multiple attempts from full scale alien invasions, lead a resistance force against an oppressive law, just to name a few. Yes, he has done a great deal of heroic acts in his lifetime. I may not have been around when his character was established during World War II for anti-Nazi propaganda but I have learnt to appreciate the ideal he represents. So what if he's draped in the flag of America? The message remains the same. Freedom. Democracy. The man who never compromises from his beliefs, Steve Rogers aka Captain America. My hero.

As such, I've repeatedly stated how much I'm looking forward to the movie adaptation of this famed superhero. Release date draws near with each passing day and we've been getting little titbits of information from Marvel. Most recently, an exclusive glimpse of his costume.

It overwhelms me with its pure awesomeness. I know one should reserve judgement till he sees the movie but.....Chris Evans seems to be the perfect choice to play Captain America. A personal opinion that I regard highly and hope you would do the same too.

Unable to come up with a title

2011-01-21T16:52:00.001+08:00

I’m a bona fide loner. Well, I do enjoy the company of friends on some occasions but during my free time? Nope. I don't get together with my chums to go shopping or whatever teenagers do these days. Instead, you'll find me at home keeping myself occupied on the computer with my various video games or browsing the forum, Facepunch, which I happen to be addicted to. Partly because of the community they have. A fun bunch of characters there. Anyway, you may think what I do sounds terribly depressing but fuck, I'm enjoying myself and that's all it matters. To me anyway. As such, my friends know me to possess diminutive anti-social qualities. I've repeatedly turned down offers to hang out over the years. They've confided with me on this matter many times but I knew this already. However, I do go out on my own once in a while like catching a movie that I’ve been dying to see or getting a haircut. You get the picture. I'm not ashamed of being a person who's somewhat social awkward. Like I said before, we all have issues. We either get over them or live with it.

Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man Costume Revealed.

2011-01-14T11:30:00.000+08:00

I'm very pleased.

Hoo hah!

2011-01-11T15:49:00.000+08:00

That grabbed your attention, didn't it? Mass Effect meets Star Wars meets Team Fortress. An awesome tribute to the phenomenal franchises above that is indubitably best done in Garry's Mod.

And before you know it, another year has gone by. Forget about the past and focus on the present and perhaps the future. Yes, I'm exceptionally enthusiastic for the year ahead. Not usually like this but this year calls for an exception. Just to clarify, it's not academically for sure. Well, we'll be going over new subjects but it's nothing to look forward for. In fact, I'm dreading it! Java programming for example. As abstruse as they are, I cannot imagine why I would ever want to learn a programming language but I don't seem to have a choice this time round. Anyway, there're other matters worth anticipating. More notably, the entertainment industry will be on a roll with numerous highlights in both movies and gaming that'll leave me gasping for air in sheer exhilaration. Hopefully, it won't kill me. I'm already saving up money for the purchases of tickets and video games. It's a working progress. Let it be known that Rong is on a mission to fulfil his needs and nothing is going to stop him!

Scratch that. So long as video game publishers are sticking to the generally accepted price of $60 for a game, of course less is much more desirable but rarely achievable, I'll fork over the cash. Anything more will just leave a negative impact on me. You wouldn't want, eh?

The Social Network

2011-01-07T17:09:00.000+08:00

We all know what Facebook is. With millions of users around the world, it has become a household name and perhaps a necessity to some people! But what do we know of the founders? Besides them being ingenious and filthy rich of course. It’ll be interesting to see how it all came to be in a feature film.

Well, wait no more, the legendary story was adapted by Aaron Sorkin into a screenplay for a full length feature film which is directed by Academy Award winning David Fincher. Along with that, the film stars Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake and Armie Hammer. Loosely based on real life events, the representation of the founders and events is heavily dramatized. I mean, a movie where they’re just sitting around coding Facebook wouldn’t sell tickets. It’s Hollywood! We need a considerably amount of drama for it to be engrossing.

After watching it, I strongly believe that they’ve reached that goal. It was engaging, gritty and the performances by the young actors were sublime. Who knew Justin Timberlake could be so convincing on screen. His talent pool has sure as hell increased. Not forgetting the lead, Jesse Eisenberg, you probably know him best from Zombieland. That comedy/horror zombie movie? Saw it months ago but I didn’t find it appealing one bit. The 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead is still my favourite zombie movie ever and I highly doubt anything will come close to it. Anyway, that's way besides the point! I’m just delighted that Jesse is able to do serious roles too. There’s even some Oscar buzz surrounding the movie. Whatever category the film or actors get nominated for, they deserve it. Hm, you could also say that I treat the film as sort of an audition for me to make peace with Andrew Garfield’s involvement in the Spider-Man reboot as the title character, Peter Parker. He now has my fullest approval. Go break a leg you suave bastard!

Spielberg confesses on Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

2011-01-03T13:17:00.002+08:00

"They're not aliens they're inter-dimensionals."

"What will they look like?"

"Aliens"

Regardless of the certain shortcomings, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.

Some stuff about me

2010-12-31T17:44:00.000+08:00

The "About Me" page is as bland as it can be. So I'll very much like to jazz it up with more information.

I was born on April 1st 1993 in Singapore. Yes, April Fools' Day. You have no idea how many times I've been teased because of it. You can call me Rong for short. I'm from a family of five which includes my parents and two sisters, with me being the youngest child. My parents have been estranged since god knows when. They're still living in the same house but he sleeps in the living room. Honestly, I find him irksome and a parasite. Not forgetting rude, ill-tempered and disgusting. That's how I feel about him. Being always half naked all the time is no more than an eyesore. It makes life at home so difficult with him around. Like when my mum or sisters are hosting a party/inviting guests. She keeps talking about a divorce but I don't see anything happening. Wish she'll stop procrastinating and just fucking do it already.

As someone who's Chinese, I'm very incompetent with my mother tongue. Mandarin has never been my strongest points. Probably never will. I don't see myself improving on it at this point of time. Throw Maths into the equation while we're at it. Some of my friends say it's rather shameful for having a poor grasp of your native language. I ignore their so called ''advice'' and tell them I don't give a flying fuck about it. We all have our own issues. Some we want to leave unresolved. That's my decision and I'm sticking to it. Maths is one hell of a daffy subject. Numbers have never been my thing. Over the years, I got a few teachers frustrated (not intentionally of course) while attempting to tutor me on the subtleties of Maths. I wouldn't call myself a straight ''A'' student but I have my moments from Science and English. Well, Science specifically being Biology. No darn calculations. No darn equations to remember. Yes Einstein, I'm talking about Physics. English on the other hand, is something I'm really gifted at. I love the subject and boy, am I proficient at it. Hm, don't take me for being complacent here!

Stereotypically speaking, since I'm a guy, I'm supposed to be totally obsessed with soccer or some sort of physical sport. Au contraire, my good readers, I'm no more as disinterested in the sport as I am to religion. I can never understand what millions of people around the globe see in soccer. It's just men kicking a ball around. Here's me sarcastically saying what a thrilling activity it is. I'm just not a fan of any sort of sport. Don't want to take part in any. Don't want to spectate any. As for religion, I feel no affinity to God or any sort for that matter. Although for the past couple of years, my mum has been pushing me towards Buddhism. Bringing me along to meet lamas, temples and attending dharma classes. It's just not working out for me. I'm happy being an Atheist and I'm going to stay that way. It's much better than being delusional by believing in God just so that you wouldn't go to purgatory. That's just sad.

Sigh, I'm beat. Let me continue this shindig some other time when I feel like it. You heard me right.

Christmas dinner

2010-12-25T22:05:00.080+08:00

I just came back with my mum from a Christmas dinner hosted by one of my aunts. My cousins, uncles and aunts, from my mother's side, were present. Bunch of relatives eating and chatting away while a movie is being played which I can barely hear. The standard stuff in all family gatherings. Doesn't really bother me one bit. These gatherings happen as infrequent as it is already. One thing's for sure is that my cousins and me have drifted apart as we grew older. We used to interact a lot. Fun memories. Both of my sisters couldn't come along. One's in Taiwan while the other had plans of her own. More food for me I guess?

The first thing I notice when I stepped into the flat was the refurbishment. After my grandfather passed away, she decided to give the place a modern look. That means away with the altar where different deities once rested upon. She replaced it with something more practical. A bookshelf. To top it off, there's a sleek, big ass 35ish inch television in the living room. A rather dramatic upgrade from the ancient one she had. Not to mention the new Xbox 360 to go along with the set. I never knew she was into that sort of stuff. My 13(?) year old cousin even brought games to play. The poor guy was clutching Halo 3 while patiently waiting for us to be done with movies.

I was famished by then. Everyone else was there before us. They were already watching some Chinese film which was ending by the time we arrived. I don't like being late. It gets awkward. I said my hellos and want to the kitchen. A marvellous selection of food was on the table. Catered, I think. Took my share and plopped onto the sofa. We were in the midst of deciding the next movie to watch. Despicable Me or Inception? I've already seen both films so I didn't mind what got played. Despicable Me eventually got chosen. We saw 15 minutes of it till my mum commented on how boring it was. My uncle suggested Unstoppable which he had on his tumbdrive. Who knew televisions these days allow you to plug in a thumbdrive to play videos from there. I heard of Unstoppable but never got around to see it. Some flick about trains starring Chris Pine and Denzel Washington. The former of which is becoming a favourite of mine for his deliverance of a great performance in JJ.Abrams' Star Trek.

It was an alright party. Could have been better if it was at my place though! My cousins would really enjoy the video games I have.

Conan O’Brien vists the DC Universe.

2010-12-21T13:03:00.001+08:00

Damn, Conan is so comical. Also, Bruce Timm is a fucking genius. We have the DC Animated Universe to prove that.

Fallout: New Vegas

2010-12-21T00:04:00.000+08:00

"Patrolling the Mojave almost makes you wish for a nuclear winter." Anyone who plays Fallout: New Vegas will get the joke. If not, a smirk at best. Basically, just laziness personified by the developers, Obsidian Entertainment. It seems they they couldn't provide characters that cannot be interacted, a wider range of idle dialogue. Don't get what I mean? Well, you won't be able to start a conversation with all the characters in the game. Some are merely there for cosmetic purposes. To liven up the place or guard an area. You get what I mean? They make the role-playing experience more believable that's all. So when you walk by them, they either ignore you or utter a piece of dialogue. However, when they have such a meager amount of voice-lines, it gets to the point of annoyance! Ah fuck, I can't blame them for paying a little attention to this but hell, it's the small, under-appreciated aspects that makes the game a tad more realistic. New Vegas is set in the vast persistent world of the Mojave desert. The harsh, arid and often deadly environment makes it a hell of a appealing place. In the middle of it lies Las Vegas. A place untouched by the nuclear devastation. Like it's predecessor, the game is free-roam. Do whatever you want for you're not restricted to the main story-line. Explore every nook and cranny of the map and believe me, it's going to take you some time. Don't worry though, you can instantly travel to the hundreds of outposts when you discover them.

Despite the various complaints of the inevitable bugs, Obsidian Entertainment has deployed major updates to fix them. I myself have encountered some of them but nothing significant that required me to restart form the beginning.

You know, before yours truly bought New Vegas, I was considerably sceptical on whether the game was worth forking over the cash. The fact that it was developed by Obsidian Entertainment, a studio widely known for picking up sequels (Knights of the Old Republic II & Neverwinter Nights 2) and releasing them plagued with numerous bugs/glitches, didn't inspire a lot of confidence. Judging from the videos on Youtube, it even retains similar gameplay from Fallout 3. At least they decided to use Steamworks! Meaning the game is totally integrated into Steam and it binds to my account so I do not need the CDs to install or play anymore.

A quick search on the Internet also revealed to me that they had added new features and refined certain aspects of the game. Companions, reputation system, weapon modding, new weapons, iron sights and gambling. Good stuff.

Companions and the reputation system are the true highlights. Eight companions are available for you to acquire. Scattered all over the world, you may encounter them on your travels or you would have to find them yourself. Not forgetting the reputation system, the game has many factions that you can side with. What rank of reputation you have matters a lot in the game! The NPCs (Non-playerable characters) in the world react accordingly. If a faction likes you enough, you get discounts from merchants. On the other hand, being vilified will have them attack you on sight. Not ideal at all if you're the benevolent type but sometimes, it can't be helped.

I've totalled 49 hours of gameplay since I got the game and in the midst of my second play-through. New Vegas has opened by eyes to what its predecessor didn't deliver. I'm now willing to give Fallout 3 another shot as soon as I get my hands on a copy. Here's hoping that New Vegas pulls you in!

Scoots of the Week #6

2010-12-19T18:26:00.000+08:00

DC Universe Online

2010-12-15T00:33:00.001+08:00

Sometime last week, I received an email from Sony Entertainment Online (Yes, Sony. They design games too. You mean you didn't know? Well, I'm not surprised! Their selection is rather impressive. Ranging from Everquest to Star Wars Galaxies. They're an alright developer.) pertaining to my application for a beta invite to DC Universe Online. Hmm, if my memory serves me right, I applied on their official page a couple of months ago. Right back then, I was full of uncertainty if I would even get picked. It's usually random or based on what you inputted in your application. But I'll go with randomly chosen this time round. Immediately followed the instructions in the email and began to download the game client through the launcher. Assuming 13GB of content would be done in a couple of hours time, I left it alone and went about my business in Fallout: New Vegas. 6 hours later, it had barely reached halfway. Impatient as I was already, I made the decision to leave it overnight to finish off the download. Even used a utility that auto shuts-down the computer at a specified time. The next morning, I woke up with a fresh sense of optimism that the download was done. Booted up the computer, fired up the launcher and there it was! As clear as day. 20% into the download.

Almost pulled my hair out. I mean, seriously? Why the fuck is it taking so slow? It's best to blame the servers for being so far away. To be precise, it took me 3 whole days complete the download. At least I was finally able to get into the game. So my thoughts on the game so far? Keeping in mind that it's still in beta, I gladly give this game my seal of approval. You have no idea how much fun I'm having in it. Will I be buying it when it releases. Sorry, but no. The monthly fee is a turn off.

Wait, forgive me for not explaining. You must be scratching your head, trying to figure out what does "beta" mean? In computer jargon, it simply means a piece of software that's still going under development phase. By getting access to a beta, in this case, I've a shot at getting my hands on the game early and giving it a go. Often ridden with bugs and unpolished work, you're meant to playtest everything and report any bugs you might find. I've been doing that a lot. The game deserves a resounding, bug-free, success when it debuts.

And at the top of the post, you'll see my character. A hero who wields Sorcery to bring justice upon evildoers. What do you think of his armour? Got different pieces here and there from quests or loot. Personally, I think he looks kick-ass. The level cap right now is 20 so I'm in my second playthrough right now. Huzzah!

Scoots of the Week #5

2010-12-10T18:43:00.003+08:00

Family Guy: It's A Trap!

2010-12-06T12:00:00.001+08:00

It'll be the last Star Wars spoof of theirs.

Very strong desires.

2010-12-06T00:09:00.000+08:00

Have you ever experienced the urge to buy something just for the sake of spending money? I do. When it comes to video games, that is. Just a fortnight ago, I headed into a video game shop to kill time while waiting to be let into the cinema for Deathly Hallows. The shop was conveniently right next door. I immediately went looking for the PC platform section but to my dismay, their selection was limited and pathetically displayed on two revolving fixtures. The remaining of the store is completely dedicated to consoles. Compared to the last time I was there where PC games occupied an entire shelf. Can you imagine how depressing it is? I didn't expect the owners to conform to console elitism so soon!

I engaged in browsing anyway. Rotated the shelf slowly while looking at the prices. Pretty much what you would expect. My eyes then caught sight on Fallout: New Vegas. I have a thing for role-playing games as they have so much replay value. I picked it up and pondered on whether I should purchase it. $54 wasn't that bad. I had more than enough cash. Besides, I moderately enjoyed Fallout 3 and I've read the reviews for New Vegas. Response has been notably positive. Man oh man, my mind was racing. Yes or no? Yes or no!? A voice then whispered to me, "Hey, you already have a couple of games that you bought out of impulse that are yet to be completed. Don't be a fucking idiot and buy New Vegas!". The voice was unfortunately right. Oh don't be mistaken! The games I have are all fantastic and I'll gladly play them. It's just that I spread myself too thin with all my games. I left the store empty handed but mentally drained. The battle was won but not the war!

Ah fuck it. I'm going back tomorrow to buy it.

The uncertain future.

2010-12-03T20:10:00.000+08:00

I'm certain that you've been asked the question," Where do you see yourself in the future?", once before or on several occasions. What do you reply with? My mind usually goes blank right in the spot. Such questions require a few private moments of pondering and quiet contemplation. It's not something you answer on the spot! So it's best to prepare a response right now.

I've a passion for writing. I wouldn't call it a fiery one but a rather impassive past-time. Largely because I've a strong grasp of the English language, it inspires me to continue doing it. Writing almost comes to me as a natural talent. Almost, because I'm not without flaws. Hell, it's a working progress. Despite claiming to be the uncreative type, I manage to pull through every now and then. I perceive myself to be a writer working for magazine publishers or even go further by getting a Bachelor's degree (or whatever) in journalism in the future. Preferably a gaming magazine where I can be more at home. Immersing myself in video games and writing up an unprejudiced review. Reviews are sometimes a large contributing factor to a gamer's decision to purchase a game or not. Speaking from experience of course. I'm not at all sure how much the salary would be. Hopefully, a respectable sum to make life easier. My home shall be a quaint high-rise apartment with a top of the line gaming rig to appease my gaming and work needs. Perhaps an alluring, ingenious and witty girlfriend for romantic companionship. Someone to care for. Someone to talk to. Someone to love.

It all sounds good but can I make it happen?

Scoots of the Week #4

2010-12-02T15:43:00.001+08:00

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1

2010-11-28T17:41:00.001+08:00

I was lucky enough to not miss out a window of opportunity last Monday to catch the movie at the theatre. Ah hell, lets be frank, I skipped the last lesson of the day to get home early. Played hooky to watch a movie that I was full of anticipation since my eyes had set on the trailer was totally worth it. No regrets or whatsoever. When I got home, I took a fast shower. There wasn't any time for lunch but I was too excited to be hungry anyway. Fortunately, I made it just in time for the 2:35PM slot. It wasn't really that crowded. Mostly students who just got released from school. As expected on a weekday afternoon. Bought a seat right at the back of the cinema. I'm very tall so it's most appropriate for me plus I get a full view of the projector screen. It was a nerve-wrecking 10 minute wait before the lights dimmed which signaled the commencement of the cinematic experience. Saw the usual retarded advertisements which I don't care for. The movie trailers came next. Some Jack Black movie and a Thai romantic comedy flick.

Ugh.Where's the Green Lantern trailer which I was expecting? Sigh, it didn't came up. Was disappointed. Yeah, I know you can view it online. It's just that seeing it on a big screen with an awesome sound system is far superior than anywhere else!

At last! The opening scene of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Some monologue by the Minister of Magic who was played by Bill Nighy. What a weird accent he had decided to use. Anyway, I thought I could enjoy the film in peace but it was obviously too much to ask. There was a group of boys on my left, judging from their school attire, were from a good school nearby. I presumed they knew proper etiquette. But damn, one of the fuckers had to explain constantly scene after scene after scene to his friend. Honestly, I was getting quite peeved. I ultimately told them to hush. Which worked well.The trio of the franchise, Daniel Radcliffe. Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint have all grown up into beautiful people. With their acting prowess growing too, I enjoyed each's performance in the movie. They've really matured into real actors. Practically millionaires right now, I hope their stars continue to shine. Hmm, it would be marvellous if all three had a reunion in some kind of a movie in the future. One highlight of the movie was the visual effects. I was beyond doubt, impressed by it.

After 146 minutes, I emerged from the cinema with a sense of satisfaction. Deathly Hallows is definitely one downright exceptional Harry Potter flick.

Horrendous handwriting.

2010-11-26T12:00:00.009+08:00

After years of continuous writing in the same style, my dislike for my atrocious handwriting has reached a breaking point. It's not illegible nor do you need a degree in cryptology. Words can be made out but It's just that they tend to be messy and letters are usually out of proportion. I'm not sure how grave this matter would be as my teachers have never expressed their concerns. Well truthfully, some of my classmates have. But they're no better than me. Perhaps it isn't as bad as I concluded? Nuh uh! I still think my handwriting needs dire improvements. In fact, I've been aspiring to refine pencraft for the past couple of years. No success of course. Not yet anyway.

Source Engine day/night cycle & Dynamic Weather.

2010-11-26T03:25:00.002+08:00

So much work must have been put into this to showcased the engine's capabilities. Truly amazing.

Scoots of the Week #3

2010-11-25T15:49:00.000+08:00

by ~objectively-pink

by ~Racoon-sama

by ~birdofyore

Another trip down the Guild Wars memory lane.

2010-11-25T13:22:00.000+08:00

The last post I made about Guild Wars promised more interpretations of the game. That, I don't want to do any-more no matter how concise it would be. The sheer amount of content I will have to go through is making me succumb to high-level apathy and you wouldn't want me to get bored, right? So let me wrap this up already. I'm proud to be part of the franchise. Proud of my accomplishments in the game. Even-though I've gotten a little distant from it for the last 2 years, recent developments have caused me to return. For a 5 year old game, the player-base is fairly active but majority of the mission outposts are ghost-towns so you might have trouble grouping up. Thankfully, the developers are on the verge of rectifying this by introducing a brand new outpost (Embark Beach) where it acts as a sort of staging area where players can group up. In the meantime, make use of heroes and henchmen. Is it wise to get the game at it's current state? Yes. It's not too late to take a shot at it. But there's always the sequel.....if you're patient.

As some of you may or may not know, a sequel is in production with no release date yet. Much hype has been generated from the developers. The affirmations, game-play footage, screenshots. They're all stupendous so far. It get me all tingling with anticipation too! I predict sales to go through the roof. The developers deserve it. It's so obvious that they have put in so much blood and sweat into it. The creativity route they have taken in the sequel is far from inconspicuous. Here's something NOT surprising, the majority of the fanboys in the franchise are claiming that the sequel will "pwn" World Of Warcraft. Heh, people say that all the time whenever a new MMORPG is announced or showcased. As far as I'm concerned, that's not ever going to happen. With 21 million strong, World Of Warcraft is and probably will remain to dominate MMORPG in the gaming industry.

Green Lantern Official Trailer

2010-11-17T17:20:00.001+08:00

Ok folks! Forget about the preview in the post below, have the official trailer that was just released instead! Have some complimentary still shoots with compliments from ComicBookMovie. Enjoy!

Green Lantern Preview

2010-11-15T17:31:00.000+08:00

We can finally catch a glimpse of our green superhero. Green Lantern! I'm really looking forward to this along with the other comic book movies next year. Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan? The most powerful Green Lantern of them all? Sure, sure. I'm quite fond of him in-fact, he's good looking and has a certain cocky attitude that makes him great for certain roles, aka Deadpool. Anyway, we don't see much in this short preview but at least we get to see the ring in action. And that suit! It looks kinda weird right? Fear not. The movie is still undergoing post-production and what we see here is not the final cut.

A trip down the Guild Wars memory lane.

2010-11-15T17:22:00.002+08:00

Being my very first MMORPG (Massive Mutliplayer Online Role Playing Game, for you non-gamers) I have developed a certain affinity for the game over the last 5 years since yours truly, was 12 years old. You heard me right! Playing a highly socially interactive game at an age when I could barely use proper grammar nor spell proficiently. Talk about pleasing stereotypes that pubescent kids are truly amusing themselves in MMOs. If I remember correctly, it was my mum who decided to get me a video game with no specifics in mind. Was it a birthday present? Eh, I'm uncertain about that. But whatever the reason was, it was sure as hell for the best! The store was fairly crowded. Most of the patrons were at the back where a modest line of computers were lined up. Probably trying some of the video games before they decide to buy. A salesman came up to us. He was pretty much gracious throughout as well as knowing his stuff especially when my mum wanted something non-violent. I know right? Non-violent video games at this day and age? They're almost scarce in numbers. Anyway, he suggested Guild Wars. Can't recall his sales pitch but I bet it was persuasive enough for my mum to fork over the cash. The guy even told me his in-game character so that we can meet up. That got me all excited with impatience on getting back home to play. Back home at last! I immediately plop the CD into the drive and began to installing it. The process took a reasonably long period with all the patches. Created an account with the serial key and my first character was born. Haha honestly, I'm having trouble thinking back the name of my very first character! But I know it was an Elementalist. Just one of the few classes I'll go through with you readers.

I spent the next few years cultivating my prowess in the game. That and unquestionably buying the campaigns that were shipped out every year since 2005. For an MMO without any monthly fees, it doesn't come to a surprise that the one-time payment of Guild Wars or it's campaigns can be exorbitant to the ignorant. I'm talking about $80-$95 range here. But you have to realize that without any source of steady income (monthly subscribers) the price is very much justified.

Professions

There're a total of 10 professions in the game. From the left, Warrior, Ranger, Monk, Necromancer, Mesmer, Elementalist, Assassin, Ritualist, Paragon and Dervish. When you create a character, you will have to choose a primary profession and later in the game, a secondary one. Can't decide what to choose? That's why I'm here! Let's take a look at your playing style. Do you prefer attacking at range with deadly hexes or sorcery? Going head-on with your enemy? Conjuring spirits to aid your allies in a fight? Supporting them with beneficial skills?

Whatever it is, there's one that bound to suit your needs. I'll end here for now with a continuation on the remaining topics something this week.

Scoots of the Week #2

2010-11-14T15:40:00.000+08:00

by ~Hunty33

~Dev-She

by ~Hunty33

Earthbound Fortress 2

2010-11-06T19:38:00.001+08:00

Well done Max! Your machinima work and modelling in 3Dsmax is very commendable!

Also, why is Scout so unbelievably adorable here? I cannot for the life of me, stop yearning to give him one big amorous hug!

Disappointment

2010-11-03T14:05:00.000+08:00

Yeah guys, I'm not at all happy with myself over this blog. Most of the time, it takes me an entire week to come up with a post. I cannot seem to set my mind onto it. To simply focus on finishing a post in an hour. Especially when I do it on my home PC. There're just so many distractions! Computer games for one. Argh, right now, my attention span is already draining and the temptation to start fire up Global Agenda is so fucking strong.

Epic face is epic.

2010-11-01T11:12:00.000+08:00

Oh Scoot! You never fail to annoy some people.

Acne

2010-10-29T17:49:00.000+08:00

I know a thing or two about the oh so horrid, self-demoralising skin condition known as acne. As a teenager myself, I'm not spared from the wrath of pimples, zits nor blemishes. Worst case scenario would be inflammations. Those are quite painful and can be very sensitive to the slightest of touch. I've been through all that over the years. Adolescence is like one long roller-coaster ride that you'll never know when you're getting off but it's a guarantee hell of a ride. I've of course treated these acne annoyances to the best of my abilities. Well, it has always been my mum who buys the skincare products. To the contrary to what you may think, the expensive ones aren't always effective on you. In fact, it may take you a few attempts at trying different prodcuts till you find the one. The ''one'' meaning, no manifestations of side effects.

Benzoyl peroxide. Heard of it? This stuff is widely sold in cream form for acne treatment. I find it effective. You apply directly onto affected areas. But I must caution you, it can be strong on sensitive skin and may cause your skin to peel or burning sensations. If you do decide to apply, do it in small doses and slowly increase frequency over time.

Scoots of the Week.

2010-10-28T18:39:00.003+08:00

I may not know much about art but I'm sure everyone can learn to appreciate them if they gave a moment or two of their time for it. That's why I've decided to preside over a weekly art appreciation project where the ''Top 3'' best pieces of Team Fortress 2's Scout will be posted. If I however, am unable to find any new works, I'll select them from my collection. Proper credits shall be included!

Week #1 - 28 October.

The Milkman by *dust-bite

Unfreakin Touchable by Kihanna

TF2 - Need a dispenser here. by ~mayradati

As you can see, I have not provided any analysis on them (Too lazy anyway). I'm hoping you'll contribute your own critique in the comments!

Fuck

2010-10-23T23:43:00.000+08:00

One of my dear friends gifted me a copy of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Oblivion for short, through Steam. It's the digital deluxe version with the expansion and all of the downloadable content. That's a hella lot of game-play hours. Just so you know, this isn't my first time playing Oblivion! I pirated the game many times and have been through quite a number of play throughs. Despite that, I never completed the game. There's just so much content to keep you distracted from the main storyline. Too much of a good thing.

So, after installing the game, it's roughly 5GB in size if you must know, I went ahead and installed mods too. There're literally hundreds of mods for the game. Some adds new features, fixes bugs and so on and so forth. The modding community is still pretty much alive. Active and loyal. Being that, the game is far from dead. After which, I started up the game and began playing it. Was quite excited. Haven't touched the game for months. 15 minutes later, my screen turned to a solid colour and everything froze.

Fuck.

My computer wasn't responding at all. The only way was to shut down manually by holding down the power button. I don't like doing that one bit as it makes me feel uncomfortable. You're forcing the computer to boot down! After the reboot, I fired up the game once more. Alas, got the same bullshit 15 minutes later. What could be causing this damn lock up? Mods? No way at all! I'm pretty sure the issue had something to do with the graphics. So hardware then? Negative. Other games work fine. And then it hit me. It probably was the additional settings I had placed earlier. Deleting the configuration file and tweaking the graphical options in Nvidia Control Panel did the trick. Thank fucking god. Now I can enjoy the game.

Family

2010-10-21T18:20:00.000+08:00

Scout and his mother taking a family photo. How touching!

Tron inspired Marvel Comics covers

2010-10-21T15:57:00.001+08:00

In this line-up, we have Spider-Man, Quicksilver, Captain America, Ghost Rider, Iron Man, Wolverine, Thor, Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel. Simply impressive, right? Right!

Hurray for Disney!

Hatless forever.

2010-10-20T14:28:00.002+08:00

To those uninitiated to Team Fortress 2, there're cosmetic items in the game called hats. Oh boy, you have no idea how sought after these items are! Rare enough to not to get one regularly but common enough for everyone to have one. I'm a avid collector myself. Scout hats specifically. But right now, I'm focusing on Baseball Bill Sport Shines or some may call them, Hatless Scouts. It all began when Valve officially said they were working on adding the ability to trade with other players into the game. Music to my ears! I've been waiting for this particular feature since god knows when. Wasting no time, I quickly went around arranging trades with people. Along with that, I also begged my friend to give me his Baseball Bill Sports Shine. He agreed to relinquish it to me. Without any reluctance! He's such a dear. So the day arrived, the biggest and perhaps, most important update for Team Fortress 2. Did I also mention it's free? Trade agreements made prior were honoured and so was my free Hatless Scout. Feeling content with what I got, I went into my backpack to give a self-congratulation. You've done it Rong. You got yourself the sweet Whoopee Cap and a badass Troublemaker's Tossle Cap. The circle is now complete. Or is it?

My Baseball Bill Sports Shine was staring at me the whole time. It stared right into me. Directly into my soul. It made me strangely happy. I had an epiphany then. A quest to collect as many Hatless Scouts as possible! If a single Sports Shine was able to make me that happy, imagine what an entire page of them would do! The first few were relatively easy to acquire. Meaning they were given to me gratuitously. I've such generous friends! It got tough finding people to trade with later on. We're talking about the rarest hatless hat here! Some people are so desperate to get rid of them for they share the same opinion with hatless hats that they're worthless, even took simple weapons for it. Others, the stubborn kind, thought that I undervalued Hatless Scouts and demanded I trade another hat for it. This I had strongly disagree. Nevertheless, I eventually accepted that logic. A hat for a hat. Even though the latter would be a hatless.

So here's my current backpack. I arranged them in such a way that they represent a penis. Talk about subtlety! Hence, my quest continues to further develop my collection!

Young Justice sneak preview.

2010-10-16T18:31:00.000+08:00

Shown to the public at this years' New York Comic Convention, the 5 minute preview gives us fans a taste of the cast.

Don't ask me about the ice themed villains. I've no idea why either. The pilot episode will air this November 26 on Cartoon Network. I'll certainly wouldn't miss it for anything.

God damn weather

2010-10-16T18:22:00.000+08:00

It's 35 flipping degrees! You can only imagine how the blistering heat is annoying me right now. I blame the Equator since Singapore is so fucking close to it. Thus this tropical rainforest climate we have to endure year-round. Well, there's the occasional monsoon floods. But the majority of us don't really have to worry about that since we live in high rise flats. It's the businesses that get the worst hit. Too bad for them.

Captain America: Super Soldier trailer

2010-10-08T23:39:00.003+08:00

Obvious that it has some elements from Batman: Arkham Asylum and Prince of Persia. Looks satisfactory so far.

How to Train Your Dragon

2010-10-08T18:05:00.002+08:00

Based on a novel I've never heard of in my life, How to Train Your Dragon is an animated feature film by DreamWorks Animation. You may be familiar with their previous projects such as the Shrek franchise, Kung Fu Panda and Monsters vs. Aliens, just to name a few. Directed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders, the film stars Jay Baruchel (Hiccup), Gerard Butler (Stoick), America Ferrera (Astrid), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Fishlegs) and Jonah Hill (Snotlout).

A tale set in a fictional world, a village teeming with belligerent Vikings struggle co-existing with menacing dragons that frequently badgers the village for food. The film opens with a narration of our hero, Hiccup. The son of the village chief, Hiccup is a featherweight compared to his compatriots. He lacks the physical stature as well as the mindset of a bona fide Viking. Knowing this, he tries his absolute best to impress his father. Even going as far to capture a Night Fury. The most mysterious and rarest of all dragons that only a handful number of Vikings have the misfortune to come across. He did successfully take captive it with luck on his side no doubt. But when it came the time to kill the Night Fury, Hiccup couldn't do so. It wasn't that he hadn't had the guts to do so, it was more of a wouldn't than couldn't. He had an epiphany then that it wasn't in his nature nor should he be something he wasn't. Despite a slow start, the pair soon bonded with each other becoming friends. Hiccup soon gave it a name. Toothless. An adrenaline pumping adventure awaits them!

How to Train Your Dragon's plot can be considered cliche. I'm pretty sure you can name a few movies that has more or less similar adventure. Be that as it may, it's not sub-standard. The execution is considerably congruous. Scenes where Hiccup and the Toothless buddy up are indubitably heart-warming. Toothless doesn't talk, mind you. In fact, none of the dragons in the movie can talk. It communicated with Hiccup through its eyes, ears and body. With growling and wimping thrown into the mix. The dragons in the movie were given quite an adequate amount of lore. There is a scene where Hiccup flips through a Dragon Manual which gave him explicit details on the different variety of dragons. Sketches of them, their abilities and whatnot.

The key to bringing an animated character to life is the voice behind it. Getting the right person for the job can be a burdensome task! DreamWorks is lucky enough to have contracted proficient actors/actress for the film. I'm delighted to say that voice acting is none other than magnificent. Who knew Gerard Butler could pull off a Viking accent. Well duh, he's Scottish! Jay Baruchel's pleasant voice gave Hiccup his much needed personality. I just adore his voice. The animation is impeccable. Each dragon species has a distinct appearance. Colourful, fantastic creatures they are. Not to mention how realistic everything looks. From the hair on characters to the clouds in the sky. Scenes where Hiccup was maneuvering on Toothless through the sky will only knock your socks off with the gorgeous scenery. I would have confused this with a Pixar production. Truth be told, if DreamWorks keeps this up, Pixar might actually have some tough competition on their hands!

How to Train Your Dragon is an exceptional film that with its unforgettable characters and moving acts. It'll be an understatement to say that this film has it moments when clearly, it offers that throughout the movie. So here, have a fish and enjoy the movie.

Guy was high.

2010-10-07T23:54:00.000+08:00

New Captain America game.

2010-10-07T23:49:00.000+08:00

I'm not really a fan of good ol' Cap but I regard him as a commendable guy. His high sense of duty, readily stands up for what be believes, indomitable will are just a few of his qualities.

Anyway, the game is a movie tie-in for the upcoming Captain America: The First Avenger. It looks pretty neat so far. Cap's costume never looked so awesome in a game before!

I'm watching you.

2010-10-04T23:12:00.000+08:00

He stares right into my soul.

I love it!

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse - A closer look.

2010-10-04T18:43:00.000+08:00

I'm such a comic book nerd. So when they get adapted into a animated film, you can only imagine how I would feel! The anticipation was killing me after I found out that they were doing a sequel to Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.

Superman/Batman is an ongoing publication that features DC's two flagship characters. Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent are unquestionably good friends. It would only make sense to have them both star in a series. In this flick, the plot is based on the The Supergirl from Krypton story arc. Coincidentally, right after Public Enemies' story arc if you want to look at it chronologically. The storyline is pretty straightforward. Kevin Conroy (Batman), Tim Daly (Superman), Susan Eisenberg (Wonder Woman) and Edward Asner (Granny Goodness) returns to voice their respective DC Animated Universe roles once again. Additional cast include Andre Braugher and Summer Glau who voices Darkseid and Supergirl.

When Superman was still a baby, his planet Krypton, was on the verge of destruction. Knowing this, his father (Jor-El) sent him off to Earth in a spaceship. His brother (Zor-El) did the same to his daughter (Supergirl). Both families hope that their children would rebuild their culture. However, as Krypton exploded, her ship got caught in a large Kryptonite meteor which made her stray off course from Earth. Decades later, the same Kryptonite meteor that Supergirl was trapped in, came hurling towards Earth. As seen in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, it was obliterated into pieces which scattered around the planet. A large piece plunged into Gotham City's river. This prompted Batman to recover it and ultimately stumbling upon Supergirl's spaceship. Superman later found out from her that they were both related. Blood relatives. Cousins. If Kara Zor-El had successfully made it to Earth, she would have been much older than him. But it was the other way around. As the spaceship had placed her in suspended animation, she retained her teenage youth. So Superman and Batman had a Kryptonian girl on their hands who's allegedly a cousin of the most illustrious superhero on the planet.

They both shared a different opinion on Kara. Superman, who has a habit of seeing the good in all of us, insisted that Kara is truly his cousin while Batman being his cynical self, is very suspicious of her. The plot thickens when Supergirl is taken in by Wonder Woman who feels that she's the only one who can offer specialized training for Kara. Darkseid's involvement is made clear soon enough.

They've taken a new art direction this time round. More realistic than compared to its predecessor where the beefy versions of Superman and Batman made the movie...homoerotic. I'm on the fence with some of the character models. For one, they went overboard with the eye-liner around Superman's eyes. It's excessive and I don't see the point of it. Not forgetting how awful Granny Goodness resembles. Unlike her DC Animated Universe counterpart, her blocky design induces confusion about her gender. Coupled with Edward Asner's voice, it only furthers the confusion for newcomers to the DC Universe. The overall illustration of the film was placed in good hands. Satisfyingly choreographed fight scenes is its strong point for it's not your regular mindless brutality. I actually find it quite graceful. The voice acting is nothing but mediocre. Kevin Conroy sounds weird. Like he hadn't record his lines at the studio and was doing it over the phone. Andre Braugher's take on Darkseid is inferior. Darkseid, being one of the universe's strongest beings, sure as hell doesn't sound menacing with that voice.

Don't expect to see Batman frequently. The movie is very much focused on Superman and Supergirl.

Only pass on this if you're not a fan or trying to get acquainted with DC Animated films. For aficionados however, give this a go but I can bet that you wouldn't announce your affection for it.

Sharing is caring.

2010-10-04T18:32:00.001+08:00

I had decided to try my hands at editing wiki pages. Poor old me just had to satisfy my sudden crave to try out something unfamiliar. Plus I thought it would be somewhat fun and there was the learning experience. Does it shock you? Learning something new during a school holiday? Hahaha!

Enough of this frolicking!

Anyway, there're so many wikis out there that are solely dedicated to a specified subject. Of course the wiki we all know so well is Wikipedia. It has everything you need to know or even want to know. But it's too general for me. So which wiki shall I bestow my newbie editing skills with? How about a subject I'm acquainted with? How about my favourite video game of ALL TIME?

Yes, Team Fortress 2. I'm surprised you haven't already guessed. As a player, I frequent the site for juicy strategy tips or to take a look at the trivia on the different weapons/items. Right, the first step was to create my own userpage and plaster my personality all over it. An easy task which was accomplished relatively fast. I then decided to take it upon myself to upload a picture for the newly added items. It was a waste of effort. My picture was disregarded a day later by another image. As glad as I was to have my own contribution up there for everyone to see, I was disappointed. Other than that, I did expand some of the articles diminutively. They have yet to be taken down so I assume people are happy with it.

Sigh, I just think this is not for me.

Happy Halloween, folks!

2010-10-03T18:48:00.000+08:00

Oh..28 days too early.

Blogging

2010-09-29T18:01:00.001+08:00

It seems that I'm the last man standing who's actually still having a go at it. Most, if not, all of my classmates have ceased any form of journalling. Can't blame them. Sometimes, I'm either lazy to just sit and think of content or procrastinate to do it the following day. Hmm, maybe social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook are also to blame because of their micro-blogging capabilities. I dare-say I've managed to find a balance between Blogging and Facebook. The former holds a very special meaning to me though. All the hard work put into it. I think I'll go nuts if my blog gets deleted out of the blue but thankfully, I don't see that ever happening.

Will there be a day where I too leave the blogging scene? Bah! I won't even consider any possibility.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Trailer

2010-09-24T00:03:00.002+08:00

Fucking awesome.

Photoshop

2010-09-18T18:49:00.000+08:00

I've been playing with Photoshop all day. Following tutorials step by step to finally get these results. It's easier than it looks.

Doh

2010-09-18T00:25:00.000+08:00

The Resident Evil films are mere popcorn movies. Engaging for a moment but ultimately, forgettable. No argument there. It's intriguing how a string of movies can give such a bad name to a video game franchise that spans 14 years AND has sold over 40 million copies worldwide! When I saw the first one, I felt no connection with the movie. It was just some zombie apocalypse movie that celebrates Matrix-like gun-shooting. The subsequent sequels fairs no better. Seriously, if they followed the game's plot, it could be better.

Heed my warning!

Dreams

2010-09-14T14:39:00.002+08:00

How many of us actually remember what we dream?

For me, the last one I do remember was about me buying new clothes in some department store. Naturally, I was curious about the meaning behind it. So like any normal person who is in query, I went onto Google and found the answer on a Dream Interpretation site. Seems like I've anxieties fitting in for some "ever-changing" role that I've yet to figure out what. I had this specified dream months ago.

Fucking cryptic shit.

Captain America costume photo

2010-09-12T18:23:00.000+08:00

The costume below is reportedly worn by a stuntman and not Chris Evans himself. This particular chase scene involves Steve Rogers and agents of H.Y.D.R.A. on some awesome motorbikes.

Thoughts on his costume? Well, I think it looks dandy. I'll also like to say that the costume goes though several changes during the film before ending on the final piece. So this isn't the only costume. Plus, they'll probably touch up details with some CGI. Just like they did in the Iron Man films.

The everyday life of Darth Vader.

2010-09-10T23:14:00.000+08:00

Our favourite Dark Lord of the Sith has a life too.

Spider-Man getting his ass kicked?

2010-09-10T23:02:00.000+08:00

I was browsing around a forum and came upon a past post of mine.

That's Venom from Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, a rather decent game featuring the web-slinger. As I recall, this was boss was annoyingly difficult boss.

I love Scout.

2010-09-10T22:51:00.004+08:00

You may notice my above banner is composed of the Scout from Team Fortress 2. There's a logical reason for this. I have a crush on him. The Scout. A video game character.

People don't seem to get why I'm such a fan of Scout. To the point of obsession.

Pervert. Weirdo. Attention whore.

Just a couple of adjectives that people have thrown around about me. Does not affect me regardless. Sticks and stones, simple as that. I am who I am. Gay, straight or bisexual. I'm however, at a stage of confusion of who I truly am. Sexuality wise. Anyway, I believe a couple of you are already well aware about why I'm so into Scout. Useless information to have, if you ask me.

I have a crush on him. The Scout. A video game character. Now, don't be so quick to judge! I'm sure you have/had some sort of infatuation with one. Be it Cloud Strife or Link, it doesn't really matter! Don't suppress your feelings. It's bad for you.

Back to Scout, he's attractive. Well voiced, has a colourful personality, he's seems like the sort who doesn't give a shit but tries very hard to makes friends. The arrogant flair he upholds is quite refreshing. Plus he loves pancakes. Quite an impressive number of videos on Youtube that parodies that. Garry's Mod is just so damn handy. There're some other qualities he has that I can't put my head around. I'm very grateful to artists around the world who have depicted him in their own style. Hope you guys continue!

Behold! The evil hand pyramid of contemplation!

The Green Lantern Corps' oath

2010-09-09T10:22:00.002+08:00

Oh I'm sure you guys know of the oath so what makes it so special? How about having Ryan Reynolds reciting it!

In brightest day, in blackest night
No evil shall escape my sight
Let those who worship evil's might
Beware my power, Green Lantern's light!

Movie is due to release next June 17.

Fable 3 screenshots

2010-09-09T10:19:00.000+08:00

The Fable games is one of the two franchises, the latter being Halo, that has placed Microsoft on the gaming map. For those who've been living under a rock, Fable is a Role-Playing-Game that was first released in 2004 for the Xbox. Subsequently months later, Microsoft released a Windows version much to everyone's delight. The franchise expanded with a sequel in 2008. Much hype was generated before release. It didn't fair quite as well as it's predecessor. A second sequel is in development. It was announced it'll becoming to the PC/Xbox and from the looks of these screenshots, I'm worried that the system requirements might be too high.

Impressive isn't it?

Young Justice

2010-09-08T12:38:00.001+08:00

It's an adaption of the comic book series of the same name that ran from 1998 to 2003. The Justice League will also be making occasional appearances on the show as mentors. Yes, the show is in the same continuity as Crisis on Two Earths. I'm very thankful for a new DC series.

Man..

2010-09-05T18:58:00.002+08:00

This picture never fails to put a smile on my face.

To the modeler responsible for modelling those fancy scarfs, good fucking job. Oh and let's not forget the person who posed this picture in Garry's Mod.

That's all folks.

Addicted Gamer Sues Lineage, Wants 20,000 Hours Of His Life

2010-08-28T16:33:00.000+08:00

Normally, I don't post news here but this article, as ridiculous as it sounds, the judge has approved of the lawsuit.

A Hawaii man is suing the makers of Lineage II, a product he says is so dangerously addictive that he played it for 20,000 hours over five years, forgetting to get dressed, bathe or call mom during that span.

Better yet, a federal judge is letting the lawsuit, a negligence claim, to proceed against NCsoft. Normally, publishers ask for dismissals of these sorts of claims, and normally, judges agree. But U.S. District Judge Alan Kay sees something in the case that indicates "plaintiff has stated a claim for both negligence and gross negligence."

That claim, by Craig Smallwood, says he became so addicted to Lineage II that he is "unable to function independently in usual daily activities such as getting up, getting dressed, bathing or communicating with family and friends." He says he played the game for 20,000 hours between 2004 and 2009. For reference, that five-year span amounted to 43,848 hours (two leap days boosted the total.)

Judge Kay's ruling came Aug. 4; on Tuesday, NCsoft again asked him to toss the claim.

Such cases are usually thrown out of the court. Must be some very convincing evidence he has placed before her.