Star Trek 2 Theories & Speculation

A few days ago some set pictures from the new Star Trek movie popped up online. These pictures included Spock (Zachary Quinto) and Uhura (Zoe Saldana) fighting the film's currently unknown villain (played by Benedict Cumberbatch from Sherlock). The fight looks to take place on some sort of space barge or junk yard. The pictures don't show too much of the surrounding area, just the action with the characters themselves.

There are a few things to be gleaned from these pictures. The first is that the villain seems to be human. He had no ear make-up or prosthetic pieces of any kind indicating he's some sort of alien villain. I like this is idea mostly because whenever Star Trek tries to create a new species of villain for a movie they tend to screw it up terribly (such as Star Trek Insurrection). Granted this doesn't stop them from also screwing up a human villain, but there are less chances of it.

Another thing I (along with all the sites reporting these pictures) noticed was the Starfleet logo on the villain's shirt. Is/was he a member of Starfleet? Or is he some other villain who has taken a Starfleet uniform? A lot of people are speculating that he's Gary Mitchell, an old friend of Kirk's from the Academy in the original series.

Personally, the most telling thing about these photos is how well the villain is able to handle himself against Spock. If you remember from the first movie when Kirk attempted to defend himself against Spock it didn't too well for him. Here though it seems that Cumberbatch has not only escaped a Vulcan nerve pinch, but is seen even holding Spock in his own death grip.

To me, this could mean that our villain is part of the Eugenics, or rather the type of augmented human that Khan was. Of course then the question is: couldn't this be Khan? Certainly, it could be a different interpretation. I would hope that Abrams and crew wouldn't try to re-interpret Khan and simply opt to go for an original villain instead of being bound by the old lore.

So what do you guys thing? Do you guys have any wild ideas about who or what the villain could be?

(See more photos here)

(All photos by Eric Ford of On Location News)

How StarCraft 2 Could Work on TV

Now before I begin the meat of this post, let me put a disclaimer out there. This piece isn’t about whether StarCraft should be on TV, but rather how it could work if it was on TV. The argument of whether or not SC2 should be on TV has beaten to death and I’m not here to kick it any further.
Are we good?

Sweet.  Now let’s begin.

Out With the Familiar, In With the Different

The first thing that would have to go is the current tournament format. That doesn’t mean it can’t continue the way it has online, but viewers on TV aren’t going to have the attention span that most SC2 fans do. The goal here is to appeal to an audience larger than the current SC2 community. They need to reach out and grab other viewers, or else there’s no point. Therefore any current tournaments like MLG and IPL would be pointless to try and translate to a TV experience. It’s better to start fresh than ruin what already works online.

The current long format with multiple games and several streams is only going to confuse new viewers or make them feel like they’re only getting half the action. They need to be able to get the whole package. The solution? Shorter, single elimination tournaments. This keeps things clean and crisp with minimal complications and confusion. He who wins advances and he who loses is out. It’d be very easy for new viewers to catch on to.

You also don’t need to show so many games in a single day. People aren’t going to be watching StarCraft 2 for seven hours straight. They’re going to want it in smaller chunks (closer to regular sports games). This would help extend smaller tournaments while keeping the viewership happy.

The Rise of Team Games

People enjoy one-vs-one sports like UFC and other martial art related sports, but all of the most popular sports in the world are team sports. People enjoy watching team members work together towards a common goal. Nothing is more spectacular to watch than when everything clicks into place and a “play” goes exactly as that team had planned.

This is something StarCraft 2 could use to its advantage. While anything above 2v2 is seen as a more “casual fun zone” type of game mode, I think if utilized properly there is a wealth of material there for people to enjoy. Sure it may not be as “in depth” as 1v1 but put a prize pool in front of those teams and you bet your ass they’ll be trying to figure out the best way to win.

A More Defined Season

The tournament scene for SC2 on TV would have to be streamlined. Instead of several different tournaments going on right near or at the same time as each other there needs to a more defined season similar to football or baseball. The smaller format detailed above would help with this.
This makes things easy to follow for the casual viewer. He doesn’t have to wonder which tournament this is, which players are still playing, what the prize pool is, who the casters are, etc etc. He can tune in any time and know what the deal is because it’s been the same all year.

Create Characters

As Artosis once stated in a State of the Game episode, the biggest advantage SC2 has is its diversity. People from all different backgrounds play the game at the highest level. Many of them are already figures (whether they like it or not) that the community looks up to. Take these people like White-Ra, Naniwa, Huk*, and make them stars. Build them up so people will want to invest in them and their story. Nothing is more exciting than cheering on your favorite player whether their part of a larger team or on their own.

*There are of course many more people worthy of being built up, I just didn’t feel like boring everyone with a “complete” list.

Money Makes the World Go ‘Round

Obviously the biggest hurdle for StarCraft 2 is monetization. How do networks make money off of StarCraft? It’s not a sport where there are times and places to break (except for the occasional pause). Ads would have to be presented similarly to how they’re presented online. Commercials are played in between games, sponsorships are talked about by casters, and perhaps a few overlays could work?
I realize that this is clearly the biggest obstacle, but my lack of knowledge in the advertisement industry makes it difficult for me to pinpoint the exact way ads should be approached. No doubt there is a solution that I haven’t found yet. It’s certainly not impossible.

So what do you guys think? Would you enjoy watching something like this on TV alongside the big online tournaments?

Why I Will Not Be Playing Mass Effect 3

I'm gonna tell you a story, one that as of yesterday has been concluded. It's about me, who stupidly forgot to move his Mass Effect saves over to a safe location before blowing away my PC and rebuilding it from scratch. I do this about twice a year to keep everything fresh and running smoothly.

The solution sounds easy enough right? Just replay the games! Well there are a few problems with that idea. The first of which is that Mass Effect is not a very good game. Its gameplay is slow and boring. Don't even get me started on the Mako (the atrocious vehicle sections in Mass Effect 1).

My next thought was to just download a save off a website that had all the choices I made when I originally played Mass Effect. This was going well until I learned that Mass Effect 3 would require Origin. No thank you. I've heard way too many horror stories about Origin that I don't want to risk paying $60 for nothing.

So there goes Mass Effect on the PC. What could I do next? Well I could buy the game on the PS3! The comic it had allowed me to bypass playing Mass Effect 1 while getting all the choices I wanted. It also came will all the DLC (except Arrival which was released after the PS3 version) that I'd bought and paid for on PC. All for the excellent price of $20. Everything was falling into place perfectly.

Well I get home from the store, pop it in, and wait a ridiculously long time for the game to install. When it's finally done, I go to input my code for the DLC. Welp, the PSN is down. I totally forgot about that, but fine. I wait until 12:30 AM EST for the store to come back online. I go to put my code in and it rejects it. At first I thought the letter were case-sensitive (sometimes the codes are, it's rather odd). So I input the code again, got rejected. The messages was different than the standard "not valid" message. It said the code may have expired. I didn't think these download codes could expire...

Turns out they can. On the fine print of the paper it says the code expire January 1, 2012. Perfect. I then went online to find out if it was possible to still redeem the code. Most people didn't seem to have a problem redeeming the codes after their expiration date, but every once in awhile I'd come across someone on a forum who was unable to get the DLC. Nearly defeated, someone suggested I try an online chat with an EA support person.

I spent an hour "on the line" with someone who talked like a robot. It was all rather awkward, like the whole thing was automated and scanned my messages for keywords with which to reply to. Anyways, he started telling me that the DLC was in my account and that the code should work. N0t the case. There still isn't any DLC in my account and the code still doesn't work. I gave up once it hit 2 AM and my head was ready to explode from a major headache.

And now we're here, the day after where I'm ready to go back and return my copy. Or trade it in rather since I opened it and I can't fully return it. At least I'll get something out of it (I'm expected about $5). It simply isn't worth it to spend all that money for DLC on the PC that I've already paid for on the PS3. I also don't want to risk my money buying ME 3 on Origin. So I'm done, and will simply find out how everything ends on YouTube. Chances are it'll be better that way as I won't have to play through awful corridor shooting sections.

Funday Monday All Semester Long

I'm well through the second week of my classes/work schedule and I've come to a realization. I can no longer play StarCraft 2 as much as I'd like.

This may not sound like a big deal to you, and in the grand scheme of things it probably isn't. But StarCraft 2 is a game I enjoy immensely and have aspirations of playing at a high level someday. I did my best to stick to a set schedule of playing a certain amount of games a day, but between classes, homework, and my job it has become impossible.

So I've decided to enjoy the game in a different way, and that's to completely fool with the system. I'm going to do crazy builds that make no sense, do cheap builds whenever possible, and just do whatever I want. My league standing will no doubt drop considerably and I'll probably get demoted, but whatever. I can't keep up a practice schedule right now anyways so who cares?

Anyways, I gotta finish my ramen and run to class. PEACE.

Bastion Review (PC)

Developed by Supergiant Games, Bastion is an Action RPG about a Kid that awakens to find his world torn apart by something called The Calamity. The story is simple, but wonderfully told through fantastic narration. Your goal is to power the Bastion, a sanctuary built to survive such an event. You do so by going around the remaining chunks of the world collection shards. These shards enable you to create buildings where you can upgrade weapons, buy items, and accept additional gameplay challenges. All of this happens to the wonderful score composed by Darren Korb.

The art style of Bastion is superb. The water color visuals paint such an amazing picture as that rapidly builds itself as you move throughout the level. Everything from the characters to the monsters is wonderfully drawn.

No matter which path you choose to take, which weapons you use, or how many times you fall off a cliff, the Narrator talks about everything you do in the game. This storytelling device is easily one of the best I’ve seen in recent memory. It all leads up to a choice you have to make in the end that for once, feels earned by the story before it. Too often choices are put in front of you that are rather black and white. No so with Bastion.

You travel throughout the world of Bastion using the Sky Bridge. This serves as your over-world map. Scattered throughout the world map are challenge levels for each weapon in the game. Completing each allows awards you with several different drives, ranging from menial upgrades to some of the best abilities in the game. These upgrades work towards building your weapons up while the abilities are something extra to help you out in a pinch.

Bastion’s gameplay is simple, yet effective. You control the Kid and a crosshair for his weapons. There are only two types of weapons: melee and ranged. You can carry two of any kind of weapon throughout the game. The problem is that about half way through the game you’ll have obtained the some of the most powerful weapons. This gives you no reason to upgrade your other weapons past wanting to complete their specific challenges.

Bastion plays rather fluidly, though sometimes it’s hard to judge how close you are to a cliff and need to make that jump. Other times you’ll completely miss your mark when throwing a weapon or using one of the guns even though the crosshair is hovering right over your target. Despite these issues though, Bastion is extremely fun to play.

If you love great graphics, gameplay, and music all wrapped in one neat downloadable package, then Bastion is for you. The game runs from $10 to $15 depending on where you buy it, but it’s worth every dollar. Bastion was a welcome addition to my gaming library in 2011.

The Year of 2012 Starts Now

Today is my first day back at classes. And to commemorate it, there's snow everywhere! While snow is nice to look at and play in, it's a bitch to drive in, especially since Virginian drivers are complete morons. Thankfully my school isn't too far from where I live, but I imagine it's going to be harder than it should be to get there.

Now I know my semester starts extraordinarily early compared to other colleges (at least three that I know of so far), but what about you guys? How many of you are starting classes this week? Are you ready for the new semester?

Today basically marks the true beginning of 2012 for me. While the last week has been nice, with barely any work or any worries, it was a glorified holiday. From now until May my life will be classes and work (with PAX East mixed in there somewhere). It feels a bit daunting to be honest, trying to work and manage my classes. I'm doing my best to keep a positive mind about it though. One video I draw strength from is Day[9]'s video on Being Relentlessly Positive.

I won't go into a whole thing about who he is and why I follow him, but if you know the StarCraft 2 scene at all, then you know who Day[9] is. Sufficed to say though, his advice is something I need to heed. I worry quite a bit about burning out and then suddenly losing the ability to do my job properly and keep my grades up. My goal is to be done with community college by June/mid July (summer classes will be involved unfortunately), and I don't want anything to prevent that from happening.

One piece of advice Day[9] does share is to look at things that take a long time (such as losing weight or a long essay, etc) and instead of looking at them like "ugh, this is going to take forever" or "this will never happen" to look at them in the vein of "oh so it will only take four months? Great, I can start tomorrow and in four months, I'll have lost all that weight.". (Hopefully that made some sense, I spent forever editing the grammar there and it still doesn't feel right). This outlook is something I feel is what I'll need to get through the next few months of school and work without feeling overwhelmed.
I think that's enough from me at the moment. To those beginning classes this week alongside me, I wish you luck for the future.

P.S. I've really been digging this cover of "Waiting For You" from Silent Hill 4 and felt like sharing it with the rest of you.

Thoughts On Star Wars: The Old Republic

I'm not an MMO guy. I've tried several of them, from WoW to Star Trek Online, City of Heroes, and so on. None have managed to catch my attention longer than the beta or even the free thirty days you get in the box. MMO's are the epitome of repetitive gameplay, that's the nature of the beast and I'm okay with that. They just weren't for me. Before now I never had a reason to see past that monotonous gameplay. The Old Republic changes that with its story-driven quests. And when I say story-driven, I mean it. Most times that phrase is simply a buzz word used to distract interested buyers from the fact that they don't really know what their doing in the writing department.

The Old Republic truly is story-driven. Each class follows its own story that's unique to their class and most of the other quests shape themselves around your character class. It makes for a very personal experience that's unlike any other MMO I've tried to play before. The game isn't perfect that's for sure, but it's certainly kept me wanting more.

I started out playing the Bounty Hunter class. This is one I've followed through all the way to level twenty thus far. At the moment I'm currently rolling three different characters. The Bounty Hunter, a Smuggler, and a Trooper. If there's one thing they all have in common, it's that their not Jedi. That's what TOR does best, being the Jedi/Sith isn't the only interesting part of the game.

The game is most fun when you have the ability to impose your own "personality" to your character. It doesn't work all the time as you have to work within the constraints of the game's dialogue options, but it's fun to role-play a bit. For example, my Bounty Hunter loves money, but doesn't play into people's stupidity. So if someone pays him a lot, but screws up along the way, he'll take your money and then kill you (or just kill you, whichever is easier). Such things normally lead to Dark Side points, but I'm perfectly fine with that.

My other characters are a Smuggler who is a sociopath, only in it for the money and the fun of killing everyone, and a Trooper who stands as a patriot to the Republic. I haven't played too much as either of these yet, but I'm looking forward to seeing where they go and how their playstyles differ from my Bounty Hunter.

If anyone would like to join me, or my current guild (Curious Turtles). You can find me here:

Valsh (Imperial Bounty Hunter): Black Vulkars
Mischa (Republic Smuggler): Black Vulkars
Tamatashi: (Republic Trooper): Infinite Empires

I'm also planning on building an Imperial Sith character on Anchorhead if anyone's on there.

More to come as I continue playing through the game.