Far Cry 2, '07 & '08

Far Cry 2 Release Date Narrowed Down
-an article from softpedia.com by Andrei Dumitrescu (March 2008)

"And the teasing never stops. Some game publishers are really fine tunning the art of dropping a date here, a new feature there, a new character name over there, while only serving their deep desire to make gamers so excited about an upcoming game that they begin counting the days until release. And then, the hours. And then, the minutes. And then... I'm sure you know how it feels.

Ubisoft is one company that's getting dangerously close to perfecting the "make a gamer psychotic" routine. Their Far Cry 2 game, one of the most expected games of the year, was subject to numerous rumors that alluded to it being pushed to the spring of 2009. Only now, after the rumors made their way across the globe, has Ubisoft stepped in to announce that the company is "confident" that Far Cry 2 will ship in the Autumn of 2008, simultaneously on the PC, the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3.

The game is the direct successor to the first Far Cry game, which was developed by Crytek and published by Ubisoft. The two had a falling out over the next game and so Crytek parted ways and went on to make graphical wonder and system hog Crysis while Ubisoft created an internal studio to develop Far Cry 2.

The game takes place in Africa and offers the player a wide open world which he can explore to his liking. The graphics as seen so far are really breathtaking and trees seem to regrow foliage after it's been shot off. Also, the game will lack a story in its traditional sense. The only limitation to what you can do is your own morals and the way you approach the game.Ubisoft also said it planned on putting together a demo for the game, to encourage gamers to see for themselves if all the features are in place and the game really looks as good as advertised. There's no release date for the demo at the moment."

source:
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Far-Cry-2-Release-Date-Narrowed-Down-81807.shtml

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Far Cry 2 Screens & Interview
Posted by Steve on Thursday, August 23rd, 2007 at 9:06 pm

"Coming out of the wealth of new gaming info from the 2007 Leipzeig Gaming Convention are new in-game screenshots from Far Cry 2, developed by Ubisoft Montreal.
I had my doubts about this game due to the Far Cry IP being pawned off by Crytek. Also supporting my doubt was knowledge of Ubisoft Montreal’s choice to design a completely new engine for Far Cry 2. The developer of Splinter Cell and Prince of Persia games tackling a wide open lush environment 3D shooter? That’s quite a jump in game complexity. But wait, there’s more. Ubi is also dumping the Far Cry storyline and characters. Yep, no more Jack Carver (RiP). Oh yeah, I almost forgot… no tropical island paradise either. Ubi wants to take us on safari instead. Bloody hell! What are they smoking?
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist’s broker to see that Ubisoft just wanted to buy the Far Cry IP for the name. I guess we’ve gotten to the point where originality is so hard to sell that we have to try to trick people into buying it? Marketing for the win… (/rant)

Regardless, the new screenshots available have somewhat negated most of my doubts. For now, Far Cry 2 doesn’t look to be a Crysis-killer; however, if these screens are any indication, I’d bet this game can hold its own in the graphics department. Ok, Ubi, you’ve got a good looking game. Now, the real question is can you make something other than just another pretty game? To back that up, CVG scored a pretty good interview with Far Cry 2’s producer and creative director. The interview covers most of the things I’ve already mentioned; however, there are some note-worthy Far Cry 2 features worth mentioning:

• African setting (safari baby!)
• new custom engine
• 50 sq/km open world
• 650 meter distance views
• new LivePosture animation system
• dynamic environments (destructable vegetation and reactive elements)
• dynamic weather system (time of day, rain, storm, procedural clouds)
• real fire propagation (every flammable element can burn)
• more than 30 weapons (with weapon wear)
• 14 vehicles with 40 variants (glider is back!)
• completely unscripted AI
• drama-management engine to drive a non-linear story (think GTA)
• joinable factions (think S.T.A.L.K.E.R.)
  more features coming…

Ok, now I’m even more interested. I must admit, Far Cry 2 is sporting some realistic looking fire there (which probably looks ten times better in motion). I can just see it now. Light up a cigarette. Toss it into some random straw house. Walk away and watch a whole village burn to the ground. Oooh, pretty fire. Oh how you glow with delight.

Ubi, if you can pull this off, the inner-pyro in me wants to say “You had me at burn”."

source:

http://news.filefront.com/new-far-cry-2-screens-interview/

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From Me

steve lotto

I am excited.

There are only few games I play anymore and only like once every 2 weeks, so I'm actually kinda proud of it, but when a game gets my eye like Far Cry 2 and Crysis, I can't really resist, especially when I have The Machine to play it on. I enjoy a beautiful game. A game that makes me think of how it must have been to create it. A game that is no longer just a game, but an experience. Something you can get lost in. Something worthy of an Academy Award.

• Halo 3
• Crysis
• Far Cry 2

Those are really the only ones that really struck a chord with me. (I'll also add in Call of Duty 4, but take out Halo 3 because it didn't quite do it for me besides the story.)

So, it's basically just Crysis. Hats off to it and the creators.

But, Halo 3 was an excellent story that had me anticipating it ever since I beat Halo 2 back "in the day". I loved hangin' with my bro Mark "the Sharkus" playin' H3 co-op thru the story for the first time.

As far as Crysis' storyline. It was hardcore and gripping, but the end.....oh my buttery goodness, the end. It wasn't the way to end a game. You might as well shoot me. I had honestly been anticipating this game for over a year by this point, and had even bought the X Faktor Machine to play it the way it should be played, put through all the crap with the Machine, the delays and such....and the game had a glitch where I could not get passed a certain level.....had to start over...and then at the end....it just ended. Abrupt, just like Halo 2. Now, I cannot begin to express how I felt at that moment. I had a relapse to my Halo 2 days. Fury.

All I know, is that if the developers don't want to be hunted down and shot, they better get working on the sequel real soon, or at least throw some believable rumors that it's coming.

When we'll know, nobody knows.

Japanese Film

3 flicks recently I viewed....

Kagemusha

"When a powerful warlord in medieval Japan dies, a poor thief recruited to impersonate him finds difficulty living up to his role and clashes with the spirit of the warlord during turbulent times in the kingdom." -IMDb

Kagemusha means "Shadow Warrior". This totally threw me off, since I watched this film assuming it had a ninja that flipped out on everyone. Nope. No ninja(s). No fun for anyone.

The 1980 film by acclaimed Japanese director, Akira Kurosawa, nearly put me to sleep. I have never wanted a refund for the 1.5 hours of my life spent viewing a film, until now. I quit after half of the film was over, I just couldn't take it anymore, especially since I had Sword of Doom ready to be watched. If you have nothing better to do but wash your dentures, and desire to hone your patience skills, then this movie is for you!

Apparently, IMDb gave it an 8.0 (7.9 after I voted, lol)....maybe they hung in there for the other half of the film.

According to IMDb, I gave it a 6/10, meaning, it's good & long enough to fall asleep to on a nice Saturday afternoon.

the Sword of Doom

"Ryunosuke is a sociopathic samurai without compassion or scruples. When he is scheduled for an exhibition match at his fencing school, the wife of his opponent begs Ryunosuke to throw the match, offering her own virtue in trade. Ryunosuke accepts her offer, but kills her husband in the match. Over time, Ryunosuke is pursued by the brother of the man he killed. The brother trains with the master fencer Shimada. In the meantime, however, Ryunosuke earns the enmity of the band of assassins he runs with, and it becomes a question of who shall face him in final conflict." -IMDb

The film was great. Plus, it stars Toshiro Mifune, who is friggin sweet, in my opinon.

8.0 on IMDb, and the same from me.

2hrs long.

Zatoichi (2003)

"Blind Zatoichi makes his living by gambling and giving massages. But behind his humble facade, Zatoichi is a master swordsman, gifted with lightning-fast draw and strokes of breathtaking precision. Zatoichi wanders into a town run by sinister gangs and a powerful samurai. He's destined for violent showdowns when he stumbles on two beautiful geishas avenging their parents' murder... Duels, wit and a touch of zen! Cult anti-hero Zatoichi is back in a sword-fighting adventure written, directed and starring Takeshi Kitano." -IMDb

I loved this film, and I have no idea why it scored lower than the previous mentioned films. (7.6/10) Maybe, because it is, in fact, only 5 years old....and for some reason, new films don't get the respect that they should until they get to be at least 30 years old. Sad day. Oh well, I enjoyed it, that's for sure.

Lots of CG blood. "The blood in the film has been described by many as being "too CGI". Kitano did this intentionally, wanting to "soften the shock to the audience" due to the high body count. Kitano told the CGI artist he wanted the blood to "look like flowers blossoming across the screen."'

Good film, watch it.

New Muze and Reruns

i busted out some of the 'ol 8-tracks

Our 10th ANNIVERSARY today! I love you Kyla!

Just got the new albums from Flame (Our World: Redeemed) and Pillar (For the Love of the Game). Very good albums, lots of deep bass with Flame.

Just watched Juno tonight. I had no idea what it was about going into it, but it wouldn't be a movie I'd buy or even consider renting. I only got it for my buddy, Cdub. I won't even post a review on it. just a rating: 5.4/10.

And that's it for now.

adios.

New Classic

The Air I Breathe 720p HD

"A drama based on an ancient Chinese proverb that breaks life down into four emotional cornerstones: happiness, pleasure, sorrow and love. A businessman (Whitaker) bets his life on a horse race; a gangster (Fraser) sees the future; a pop star (Gellar) falls prey to a crime boss (Garcia); a doctor (Bacon) must save the love of his life." (IMDb)

When I first started this movie last nite, I honestly felt like I was watching a Crash spinoff; All in all it reminded me so much of Crash, and it was an excellent film. I wouldn't recommend it to any friends of mine, due to it's graphic nature, but if you happen to stumble upon this film, you won't be dissappointed.

720p HD

I give it 4.5 out of 5. By the way, like always, it looks spectacular in HD.

IMDb gave it an 8.0/10.

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EQUILIBRIUM 720p HD

I saw an HD version of this low-budget film, which I haven't watched in a while, and I had to jump on it. Equilibrium takes place in a future where emotion has been eradicated by a drug, administered from the corrupt government. Rebel groups who possess "emotional content", ranging from art to music, are eradicated as well. Until, a cleric inside the killing force slips up on his drug and slowly sways toward his emotions and against the corruption.

Christian Bale (Batman Begins) stars along side Taye Diggs in this high-action/low-budget flick from 2002. In fact, the film budget was so low, that the narrating voice in the intro is actually the director, Kurt Wimmer. Although, it was nominated the American Choreography Award for Outstanding Achievement in Fight Choreography...and the PFCS Award for Overlooked Film of the Year.

I gave it a 4.0 out of 5 just because I love the action choreography, but from a film critic point of view, I'd have to give it a 3.6.

I have it in 720p HD

IMDb gave it a 7.8/10.

Mandarin

And I'm not talkin' about the oranges.

House Of Flying Daggers

Another excellent "Dynasty" film.

Transporter 2 -720p HD

The movie needed less CG reliance, but looked spectacular on HD.

In other news:

-I'm workin' on Hero 720p and The Air I Breathe 720p...woot woot.

-Happy Friggin' St. Patty's Day!

-Great day to cut relations...lemme tell ya.

Babaganoosh!

Just got the ridiculously awesome TV series Most Extreme Elimination Challenge....seasons 1-4!

boo-friggin-ya!
-MXC

The Roundup.

The Boondock Saints

"Fraternal twins set out to rid Boston of the evil men operating there while being tracked down by an FBI agent." (IMDb)

What an awesomely hilariously violently vulgar film! The only thing I kept hearing before watching this film was "Don't take it too seriously, just watch it and enjoy." And I did just that, and loved it.

I have a standard defnition version.

I gave it a 6.2 out of 5, lol.

IMDb gave it a 7.8/10

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1408

"A man who specializes in debunking paranormal occurrences checks into the fabled room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel. Soon after settling in, he confronts genuine terror." (IMDb)

More people liked it than I did, but this film really went crazy after the first 30 minutes, I was about to go psycho. HD really brings out the insanity of it, have fun.

John Cusack

Samuel L. Jackson

I have it in 720p HD.

I gave it a 4 out of 5

IMDb gave it 7.0/10

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I Am Legend

"Years after a plague kills most of humanity and transforms the rest into monsters, the sole survivor in New York City struggles valiantly to find a cure." (IMDb)

This movie friggin' rocks in HD. The outline above couldn't say it better, so I'll leave it at that, and if you haven't seen it, try to watch it in HD first!

The only things I didn't like were the fact that the CG were too obvious and multiple and the theatrical ending didn't do the upcoming sequel any justice...yes, you heard correct, a sequel is on its way...but in order to understand that, you must watch the Alternate Ending! Don't miss it!

Will Smith owns the scene.

I have it in 720p HD.

I gave it a 4.7 out of 5.

IMDb gave it a 7.2/10

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Kill Bill Volume 2

"The murderous Bride continues her vengeance quest against her ex-boss, Bill, and his two remaining associates; his younger brother Budd, and Bill's latest flame Elle." (IMDb)

Awesome choreography, gorgeous gore, a climactic score, and ridiculous cinematography. A great sequel to an awesome film.

Uma lights up the scene once again on her rampage path to "kill Bill" in this final volume of Quentin Tarantino's Japanese-inspired film.

I have it in standard definition.

I gave it a 4.7 out of 5.

IMDb gave it an 8.1/10

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And others not worthy of a review:

-Boarding Gate
-Tom & Jerry Collection Part 1

Four Years of Spying on Americans

FBI admits to breaking own spying rules
Posted on 09.03.2008 at 14:04 in Tech News by Martin from RSLOG.net

The FBI has admitted that it repeatedly broke its own rules in spying on internet communications. FBI director Robert Mueller said that for the fourth straight year his agency collected information on people’s emails and web activity which was beyond its legal remit. However, Mueller claimed that this was partly the fault of telecoms companies which had provided the FBI with “too much information”. “We are committed to ensuring that we not only get this right, but maintain the vital trust of the American people,” he said.

The problems stemmed from the FBI’s use of information request letters which was made much simpler after the passage of the Patriot Act. “Everybody wants to stop terrorists. But Americans believe in our privacy rights and we want those protected,” said Senate Judiciary chairman Patrick Leahy. “There has to be a better chain of command for this. You cannot just have an FBI agent who decides he’d like to obtain Americans’ records, bank records or anything else and do it just because they want to.” Leahy added that the FBI had now reformed its practices since March 2007 and would stay within the law.

Ninja Gaiden

ninja fun

G.O.W.

I just got Gears of War for the Machine, and it is friggin' sick. High definition, 5.1 Surround and max specs, on my 22in screen, it looks friggin' awesome and runs a steady 30FPS. I get to use y wireless Xbox 360 controller with it, now that's tight!

I'm tired of breaking hearts, by the way.

Speaking of hearts, I wanna play cards.

Perfect Conclusion.

Some more memories I won't ever forget last nite. I watched Terminator 2 (bought for $5.50 @Wal-Mart) tonite, haven't seen it in years, darn good movie. The night before, I had a buddy over and we watched Letters From Iwo Jima.

Off to some good Chinese food tomorrow(day). Also, I these Bokken (practice katanas) came by UPS. Boo-friggin'-ya! (also got the Rambo R5) :) Darn fine week it's been... I got done with work early tonite. hehee, ;) So, I had time to play.

Did some research on firearms today. And I have concluded that by the end of the year I want to own a Smith & Wesson SW40SF Sigma pistol ($300). And overall, sometime in my life, I wish to own a S&W 1911 (SW1911) [Seen below]. Beautiful guns they are. Prices range from 700 - 1000 dollars. Not cheap...but then again, this is a "in my life" wish.

I Week To Remember.

I won't ever forget this week in my life. Those of you who know me, talk to me, I might give you a clue as to what's been goin' down. hehee

Aye.

Well, my best and most favorite girl on the East Coast, Erin, got engaged a couple nights ago. Well, it looks like I don't have to worry about her being taken care of anymore. I'm gonna miss her...well, I miss her already.

IN OTHER NEWS:

-My replacement 360 went berzerk and RROD'ed this morning after glitching again in RS Vegas. But, it's back on now....for now, anyway. Friggin' Microsoft.

-Toshiba has finally pulled out of the HD war. HD-DVD has officially lost the war to Blu-Ray. Toshiba has discontinued the production of any new development in the HD-DVD player line. Good. Sony wins...as usual.

I need help.

Help fending off women....like maybe a bod-guard, or a crowbar.

Upcoming Films

Batman - The Dark Knight
Evangelion Live Action
Gears of War
Halo Movie
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Metal Gear Solid
Prince of Persia
Spider-man 4
Superman: Man of Steel
Warcraft

Why in the heck there's gonna be an Evangelion & Warcraft movie, I have no-friggin-idea. As for the rest, it makes perfect sense. :) HALO HALO HALO!!

And we thought Halo the movie was Kaput...

Guess again!

From July 2007

This was from another blog, MSBLOG.com, and this dude went to a warehouse in New Zealand (where Peter Jackson's SFX workshop is)...and look what's hiding there.




A fully-functional (except the machingun, I suppose) Warthog! This is the real-friggin-deal! Real 4 wheel steering, armour, etc. Now we just need a Master Chief to go with it!

Wow, I am about to pee myself.

Halo Movie here we come!

Vista SP1 is Here!

Yeah, so I got the RTM, (Release to Manufacturer) and I attempted to install it, but it failed halfway thru, and well, I was to say the least pissed. I was interested to know what SP1 had in store, but looks like I'll just have to wait till March to get a copy. :(

That's ridiculous! I have the RTM right-friggin-here! Whatever.

In other Microsoft news, Bill Gates' hatemail inbox is full due to all of the angry Xbox 360 customers that had defective consoles. Boohoo, get over it, send it back, and deal with it. Or just buy a PS3.

By the way, Crysis is still the most fridiculously awesome shooter ever to grace mankind. Just wanted to update you on the leaderboards. (Crysis leads in 1st - 5th places)

CryEngine coming to PS3, 360

Console versions of the technology behind visual stunner Crysis will debut at this year's Game Developers Conference.
By Brendan Sinclair, Tor Thorsen, GameSpot
Posted Jan 29, 2008 1:07 pm PT

Back in April of 2006, rumors surfaced that Crytek was bringing its much-anticipated PC shooter Crysis to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. More recently, there was speculation that an extended "Crysis 1.5" would be coming exclusively to the PS3.

Although the aforementioned rumors remain unconfirmed, today the German developer announced that console versions of CryEngine 2, the technology behind Crysis' processor-punishing visuals, are in development. The console editions of the middleware will be unveiled at private appointments behind closed doors at the upcoming Game Developers Conference, which runs from February 18-22 in San Francisco.

"This year's engine will be shown for the first time running on multiple hardware platforms such as the PS3 and Xbox 360 to a select audience," the company said in a statement.

While general attendees may not be able to get a peek at the console editions of the engine, Crytek will be showing off the fully optimized engine's performance on a budget PC that could be put together for about $600. In addition, Crytek's Cevat Yerli, Sten Hübler, and Bernd Diemer will host a conference session titled "Crysis in the Making," which will provide insight into how the PC shooter came together.

Downs & Ups

Yep, so it's been announced (last year) that the upcoming FPS, Haze has been pulled from Xbox 360 & PC release, leaving only a PS3-exclusive version. :(I wasn't happy...at all.

But, to make me feel better:

-Anyone who knows anything about great FPS games knows that Haze is obviously a Crysis knockoff...and nobody likes knockoffs, so Playstation can keep their fakes. :P

-Besides, FarCry 2 is on it's way, I believe in May...and that shall not dissapoint, considering that it should implement the new CryEngine2 first used in Crysis and should have everything Crysis had plus upgrades. (So I assume, it would make sense) lol.

Some nice screens from Far Cry 2 below. Good skies, textures, foliage, assuming DX10.

Computer Puke

I just made my laptop vomit, by backing up everything I needed then formatting the poor thing. I am such a horrible parent.

I can't help it! It was on that new stuff, and I made it give it up.