So unless you are not a big video gamer or live under a rock, you have probably heard the word on the street this week about EA. EA is trying to buy out Take 2, and since Take 2 rejected, EA is now moving into hostile take over phase. After readings numerous forums and new article posts, I saw a trend form, where many people yelled and complained about EA ruining game franchises and the sports games. Its very hard to tell if they ruin franchises since it is difficult to look back on companies they aquired over the years, nor do I have the time atm (supose to be working!), but one thing i noticed, was the sports. Yes and this is an important arguement to touch on since only just earlir this month, EA announced they extended their deal with the NFL to allow only EA to publish NFL licensed games.

EA CEO Riccitiello said of the deal: "I wouldn't change a line of code; nor would I in GTA or Max Payne. What we'd do is sell more of it--very cost-efficiently."

Further more: EA was not slow to point out the problems it perceived in Take-Two's management structure, and cast doubt on its long-term viability as a publisher due to "financial, legal, and operational issues," making the point that in the current gaming market only the biggest fish would survive. Pointing out repeatedly that Take-Two lacked the resources to maximise the potential of its intellectual property, Riccitiello said that EA would provide the best possible home for Take-Two's studios, suggesting his firm would do "a better job for them than anyone else."

So EA says they are going to make the same games, make them better and make them more cost effective. Lets look at that first. Who remembers the NFL games of 2005? We had ESPN's NFL 2K5 and NFL Madden 05 released during this time. Overall 2K5 won sports game of the year achievements from many Companies (magazines, web sites, ect), trumping Madden 05, oh and the major point, the game retailed (launch day too) for $20 US dollars, where as Madden 05, the normal 49.99 US dollars at the time. Not only did EPSN NFL 2K5 win more awards, but it also beat Madden in ratings too with many reviews (GS score for example: Madden - 9.0 to ESPN NFL 2k5 -9.1). The year before GS also gave ESPN NFL Football (this was the 04 release) a 9.3 and a Madden 04 - 9.1.

Also, I took the 5 major sports game: Soccer, Baseball, Football, and Hockey and did an overall average in game ratings (from GS) against the 2 publishers, Take 2 and EA. Now keep in mind, EA does not make any Baseball games, except in recent years The Bigs (released 07), whereas Take 2 can no loger do the NFL and does not support FIFA soccer. But what i did was take each companies NHL games and NBA games, bot in the years of 07 ad 08, for Take 2. I put in the scores for MLB 2K7 and also the scores for their last 2 NFL games (NFL 2k5 and ESPN NFL Football). So Take 2 had a total of 7 scores to add up. EA which has the NFL has 08, 07, 05, 04 and NFL Tour added for the average score, has the same years of NBA and NHL (08 and 07), FIFA Soccer and Manager 08, and the only Baseball game EA has was also added for the score (The Bigs).

So Take 2 had 7 total titles put in the average where EA had 12 titles put in for average. The scores game out with EA taking the Average at 7.8 overall and Take 2 having an average of 8.3. So in conclusion is EA lying to us about saying they make a better quality game when its under their umbrella? Well in the sports world yes, because one thing to keep in mind, yes Madden did have high scores, just barely under Take 2s NFL, but look what happeneed when EA became the only one to make NFL Games. Look ta the scores compared to the last 2 years when they had competiion:

Madden 04 - 9.1 / Madden 05 - 9.0 - Now the NFL License only in EA Hands.....

Madden 06 - 8.2 / Madden 07 - 7.9 / Madden 08 - 8.5 / NFL Tour - 5.0

Now are those really numbers that show an improvement on things when only EA can release it? I think not, heres hoping to see Take 2 stay Take 2!

This weekend, disturbing headlines popped up during the weekend media waves, with blasphemy such as "Toshiba dropping HD-DVD". Now when I saw these I had to read. Myself, I have been on the HD-DVD side of the format war, but not a heavy supporter and I have reasons to be revealed soon. Seeing this does hurt, do to the fact that other that storage capacity, I see no reason to go with Blu-Ray. Visuals in HD are going to be the same as is the sound. So if I can buy a movie on the HD-DVD format for a few bucks cheaper, thats what I would prefer to do. Extra content and other bonuses never justify paying an extrqa 5 dollars, so why pay mroe money for a Blu_Ray format. Well After a few quick kick to the balls for Toshiba this year, Sony may have finally won. This year we saw Blu-Rays market share grow, Wal-Mart announce they will only sell Blu-Ray. On top of that Warner Brothers said it will release its movies only on the Blu-Ray format, joining other studios such as Sony Pictures (DUH!), Walt Disney Co and New's Corp's 20th Century Fox, leaving only Paramount and Universal Pictures as the only studios in the HD-DVD camp. Lets not forget that Sony did what they wouldn't do with Betamax (and many speculate why Betamax lost to VHS), but Blu-Ray supports PORN! As much as you laugh, the porn industry as dirty as it is, is highly profitable and causeed a huge Whip-Lash to the Betamax format when Sony refused to support porn in the 80s. So congrats Sony, you have won the battle....did i say battle, yes and that is what it is exactly.

For a little while now, our buddy Bill Gates said the future is digital downloads, and hes right. We can look at the continued success as such programs as iTunes, Steam, and more. Digital Downloading, is the way to go. Xbox live continues to show this with things like Rock Band and Guitar Hero digital downloards peaking millions upon millions of downloads. More people are renting movies online and doing it that way (Xbox Live, Netflicks). It is getting to the point where CD/DVD/HD-DVD/Blu-Ray are already obselete! Why should stick movies and music on numerous discs...when i can carry a USB 1 TB Hard Drive that will hold all the music and movies in 1 item, rather than a binder full of Discs? Even more examples that the world is going digital downloads is iPod Touch and iPhone. With these devices offering people the ability to buy music and video anywhere with a Wi-Fi or cell signal, the signs that we no longer need discs, tapes, ect, is becoming reality. Soon enough we will have our debit and credit cards built into our cell phones, eliminating the need for a wallet anymore, and hey that saves on 20-50 bucks in leather!

Blu-Ray has won the battle, but the war is far from over, and even for Toshiba. Toshiba might just be backing off for now, but they have something up their sleeves. Toshiba may have been listening to Bill Gates after all:

"Toshiba is expected to focus its resources on its other businesses, including computer chip production, such as flash-memory, which are used in digital cameras and cellphones.

The Nikkei, Japan's top business newspaper, reported in its Monday's editions that Toshiba plans to invest as much as $16.7 billion in two plants in Japan for its flash memory business for fiscal 2008, starting April 1. Toshiba said no decision has been made." -USA Today 02/18/2008

Though Toshiba might back out of HD-DVD, anyone see their new market in Hard Drives in Flash Drives, maybe for holding High Def movies and music? Keep your eyes open, the War is far from over!

Quoted Source:http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2008-02-17-toshiba-hddvd_N.htm?csp=34

Alright, I have not bought a single NFL game since Sega Sports ESPN NFL 2k5. I have had good reasons too, for years EA rode these Madden games, which for years people said were awesome. Then 2004 and 2005 versions of NFL games came out, and Sega Sports make some AWESOME games with the 2K series. After the ESPN 2k5 which sold for 20 dollars brand new and blew EA's Madden out of the water that year. EA signs a deal with the NFL to have exclusive rights to future NFL games. Like many other people, I have waited. Now the bad news comes through and EA and the NFL extended the deal through 2013. Well guess what EA< you didn't make the right choice, because I still WILL NOT BUY YOUR CRAPPY GAME! You have not changed things except for graphics, rosters, and added teh class of Draftees and kept everything else pretty much the same. Oh you are still charging us 50-60 dollars for your mediocre crap. I hope that everyone who is TRUELY angry with EA and the NFLyou WILL NOT go out and buy Madden OX or any of them, until there is yet again, competition in the NFL place. Stop supporting EA, show them you are not happy with Madden and DO NOT BUY IT! Not even a used copy, be strong and go out and buy an old copy of NFL 2kX and have some fun with a quality game. Don't feed the pig!

So I have finally given in and grabbed a copy of Rock Band. Originally I thought alright things of the game, but nothing spectacular from the few times I tried it before at a friend's place. Rock Band is a god game, but people need to stop comparing it with Guitar Hero, because in many ways...these 2 games go different directions. Lets start off with the music.

Ok so simple enough Rock Band and Guitar Hero are quality vs quantity when it comes down to music. Plain and simple, the standard line-up and even bonus songs are much better designed and much better songs on Guitar Hero 3. The choice and variety selection really circle around the idea of people who shred on the Guitar. The songs done by Slash (GnR, Velvet Revolver), Rage Against the Machine, Santana, Muse, Eric Johnson, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Charlie Daniels Band, ect. I could go on about all the great Guitarist in Guitar Hero, so my poin made...the quality of music is just there, the songs are outstanding! Rock Band does have some good music, don't get me wrong, and even have some bands i love, that GH3 does not have (Faith No More, NIN, Rush, Stone Temple Pilots), but for me, who is only playing Bass or Guitar, Rock Band song list just can't compare in quality, but man do they have quanity and leads me to downloadable content.

Rock Band just has it right, people want to download more music, and the list for downloads Rock Band offers....GH3 just can't compete. Despite the Velvet Revolver Pack and Classic Rock Pack, GH3 has nothing else to offer worth buying (though a couple of the free song are a lot of fun...IE Halo theme and We Three Kings), in my opinion. Rock Band makes you spend more money, but thats ok! For what they offer, its worth your MS points if you want more music and the options are GREAT! I never though i would say this, but GH3 need to make you spend more money on more songs! To sum it up, Metallica Pack, The Police Pack, The David Bowie pack, and the Black Sabbath Pack are all worth the 500+ points you will spend. They are just a lot of fun to play and gives you more to do both single player and mulitplayer (granted the people you play with also have them). THose are just some of the packs, there are also Oasis, Queens of the Stone Age, a Punk Pack, and a Thrash packs availble too. Not only do they offer the packs, but you can also get singles of songs in those packs, and of some songs not in download packs. Some great singles incluse Stone Temple Pilots, Rush, Sweet, Iron Maiden, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Knack, Foreigner, Smashing Pumkins and more! Plus if you find the lists of songs (easily found on Wikipedia.org), you will also notice there are more music packs and singles on the way, so you can play the game again with new songs, even months after its release!

The last major point of the 2 i want to make is the huge difference in difficulty of GH3 and Rock Band. GH3 cranked things up a notch and overall made all the difficulties harder than in past GH game series. Rock Band, on the other hand feels as difficult as GH2 and all other prior. Now my opinion is, the harder difficulty at times, with some songs makes it feel more realistic, as if you were a legendary guitar player yourself, where Rock Band its easier and makes things a little more fun when you are playing causually. If your here to have a challenge and unlock your inner rocker potential...then GH3 is the way to go.

Both Games are great games and a lot of fun. Rock Band deffinetly sucks in a few more people with the additional instruments to play along with your friends, where GH3 unlocks your inner shredder in you. Its like in Spinal Tap, Rock band is the amp that goes to 10, where GH3 "this amp goes to 11". Both are great games and people will have fun with both. The Velvet Revolver pack exclusive to GH3 is nice, but having Metallica, Black Sabbath, and The Police as music pack...is even nicer.

Bottom Line:

Guitar Hero 3 - A

Rock Band - B+

Yesturday, this article came down the Pipeline at CNN.com:

http://money.cnn.com/2007/10/24/news/economy/cbo_testimony/index.htm?section=money_latest

This is just about the hidden cost and about how much the War on Terror is costing the people of America. The fact is, because of our current administration, we are broke. So how do you fund a war when you are broke, the same way you buy a house when you don't have the money to pay for it up front, you take out a loan. In the case of America we don't really have an international bank to go to and ask for a loan, so we get it from foreign countries. The point in case here is when you take out a loan, what do you agree to do....pay interest. The Bush administration is going to continue this war, and because of it by 2015, we will rack up a total cost of 2.4 TRILLION dollars, to "liberate" these countries of Terrorists. But as we can all see by still reading the paper, or catching the new, that our campaign in Iraq and Afghanistan have been, well more or less unsuccessful. The Taliban is stronger than ever in the recent year, and their terror network may even be stronger than it was before any of the US lead campaigns in Afghanistan or Iraq. But for all this failure to complete our missions (even though Bush declared victory in Iraq years ago), we yes the people of the ages 15-30 will spend the next few decades paying for Bush's mess, and because of his unjustified war we are also left to pay a 2.4 trillion dollar war bill, which that whole interest thing.....700 million (0.7 trillion) of the 2.4 trillion, is Interest we have to pay back to other countries for borrowing money to fund this war.

So should we, the younger generation pay this bill? Heck no, just like a college student with a co-sign on his credit card, George W. Bush and his Daddy George Sr, should be left to flip the bill. As should all the members part of Bush's Administration. Dick Chaney in particular should be flipping a large part of this bill, because isn't odd how a year after we "liberated" Afghanistan, Chaney's former company, Halliburton, ended up getting a very large contract to put a natural gas pipeline in Afghanistan, funny how that works! So now Halliburton is making money off the war the tax payers had to pay for and will continue to have to pay for. Now getting them to pay up, Cheney and the Bush families....well good luck...they may just run to their friends in Saudi Arabia if we tried to make them flip the bill for their war. So how do we solve this dept?

Well we invade our loan officers! That's right I said it, all those countries that gave us money, well just like the mob, they have us a very charitable donation for protection services! That's right, I said it. See you have to think of it this way, we are providing a service to these countries by attacking Afghanistan and Iraq, we are keeping the terrorist there and not in their countries. Its like they have their own Team America (F*** yeah!). Now sure just like the mob we may not have done anything really, there may have been no Ahkmed walking down Hong Kong ready to light up like a firework during the 4th of July and taking out 200 Chinese people, but there could have been! So consider that money you loaned us for the war, a charitable investment to keeping Ahkmed and his friends from setting off fireworks on your street and happy town, as for the interest...call it a tax write off. What it boils down to, our generation (since many of us do not support the Iraq/Afghan war, or EVER DID) should not be flipping the bill for Bush's war...so if you are a country who gave us money for the war...you need not call America...call the Bush's, the Chaney's, or consider it a charitable donation towards freedom!