The Force Unleashed

In case you didn't know, 2007 is the thirtieth anniversary of the A New Hope (the first Star Wars movie). While I am sure there will be many events this year to celebrate this historic event, such as the 501st Legion and two floats in the Rose Bowl Parade in January, it seems we have a whole lot more to look forward to.

The Force Unleashed is a new multimedia event in the Star Wars universe. You may remember the Shadows of the Empire multimedia effort from a decade ago. It was a concept of offering all the movie accouterments you usually find, such as video games, comic books, a novel, a soundtrack, action figures, but without an actual movie! It was a big success for Lucasfilm. They hope to repeat their success with The Force Unleashed.

The centerpiece is The Force Unleashed video game for the "next-gen" console systems - Xbox 360 and PlayStation3. You will notice the obvious omission of Nintendo's Wii (as well as a PC version!). Considering how well the Wii is doing against its other two rivals, Lucasfilm obviously bet on the wrong horse when developing the game. At least there will be a portable version for the Nintendo DS (and PlayStation Portable), so Nintendo owners won't be left completely out in the cold - just stuck inside a smelly tauntaun...

There will be some groundbreaking technology built into this game - hence its focus on the next-gen consoles. The following are You Tube links that you must see:

• Demonstration of Digital Molecular Matter physics
• Demonstration of Euphoria AI interactions
• Example of gameplay

Other rumored media for this campaign include a novel, graphic novel, and action figures. There is also speculation that the storyline established here could carry forward into the Star Wars television series scheduled for 2009.

The release date of TFU video game is November 2007, so we will have a long time to wait and anticipate! To keep up to date on the progress, check out the official Web site and also the excellent unofficial sites of The Force.Net and Rebel Scum.com.

March 5th Update - The Star Wars: The Force Unleashed novel will be written by Sean Williams (writer of three New Jedi Order books). It will be one of the few sources of the official canonical story of events (the video game offers multiple endings).

Can Lost Survive Long Enough?

After a three month hiatus, Lost is back on the tube and is suffering badly. This latest article shows how low the ratings have dropped for the first two episodes of 2007. The most recent one, on Valentine's Day, was a series low of 12.8 million viewers.

I guess this is to be expected after a long delay. To draw a sports parallel, the NHL had a lockout that cancelled an entire season of hockey. With the second post-lockout season coming to a close, the league is still struggling to stay relevant. The problem they created for themselves is the same as Lost team now - people have learned to live without them.

I was a die-hard hockey fan and season ticket holder for an NHL club. However, with the lock-out, I realized I could get by just fine without hockey. There are so many things with which we Americans can occupy our time. Think about all the things we don't really need, but think we need - iPods, the Internet, video game consoles, sports teams, music, etc. If you take one of those things away, we will easily switch to something else.

This is not to say that the three month break is the only cause for the drop. The drawn out storytelling approach of answering a question with a question with a question is starting to fatigue even the most die-hard fan. I am willing to be patient and have faith that they will eventually provide answers to the sixty or so mysteries they have created. But, like I said above, many people have other competitors for their Wednesday nights.

Producers Lindeloff and Cuse have said repeatedly that they didn't want this show to drag on past the story it wanted to tell, like Twin Peaks and the X-Files did. However, based on the ratings in this hyper-competitive world, they may not have enough time now. It would be a shame if the show is cancelled before the story is finished. It is even more of a shame that cerebral shows such as this don't appeal to Americans. How is that for an indictment on the state of our schools and culture!

I don't want to see Lost become another Push, Nevada.

The Nintendo DS Revolution

Well, I've made the plunge once again into the world of video games. My last two systems were the original Nintendo Entertainment System (how is that for dating myself!) and the original Sony Playstation. Since buying the PS1, games and consoles have gotten too expensive and I've had too little time to make it worth it.

This changed when my wife was introduced to Big Brain Academy by a friend. Subsequently, she was on a mission to buy a pink DS Lite in early January. Of course with the Christmas season supply shortage still going strong, she had to resort to eBay to get her DS. I was lucky enough to find a white one at Wal-Mart.

What makes the DS so great is the reason why I hadn't been part of all the console wars over the past few years. The games are reasonably-priced, well designed, and just fun to play. It seems most video these days are geared toward hard-core gamers who buy every possible peripheral, including wireless headseats, and are somehow able to use three different controls and nine different buttons simultaneously. The DS reminds me of the old days when you had a D-pad and two buttons. Sure they threw in another four buttons, but the design is far less overwhelming!

The touch screen is really a great innovation. It allows for completely different game experience than has ever been offered before. Then you add in the free Wi-Fi ability! You can search for DS-compatible Wi-Fi spots in your area at this Nintendo site. Let's hope that plenty of game developers continue to take advantage of this technology.

I am a big fan of podcasts and have found two DS-related ones that are really good. The first, Dual Screen Radio, is a bit rambling and low on the production values but their Web site is fantastic. If you want an easy interface to keep track of the games you own and games you want to own, this is the place to use. The other show I like is the DS Life Podcast. It is more concise and just sounds better.

I'm looking for some good screen protectors. I got some that came with a DS kit (carrying case, extra stylii, headphones, etc.) but they aren't working too well. I've heard some mixed reviews about Pelican's screen protectors. This review at Four Color Rebellion looks interesting. I may try those out. Despite the name, Decal Girl has a great selection of skins for both guys and gals. They have skins for all your major electronic devices such as the iPod, Xbox, and of course the DS.

Well, that's it for now. I'm sure I will have more to say about the DS soon. But right now I need to get back to Metroid Pinball. It is a lot of fun!

Welcome to my Blog!

Welcome to my blog. I'm honestly not sure what this might become. It will probably be a collection of my thoughts since I have such a bad memory. I hope you find something that will interest you.

Please post comments. I would like to know what you think!