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 Don’t miss the JuneBug Festival of Music happening all weekend at the Contented Cow!
Thursday’s happenings begin at 11 a.m. with Golf-a-Palooza at the Willingers Golf Club. ChARTdonnay will take place at the ArtOnWater Gallery from 5-8 p.m. Young People’s Theater is performing at 5:30 p.m. at Artech. The Rueb ‘N’ Stein is hosting Tom Franek from 6-8:30 p.m. The Northfield Community Band is doing a free concert at 7 p.m. on Bridge Square. There is an Art Opening Reception at the Northfield Arts Guild from 7-9 p.m. You can hear Teague Alexy at the Tavern Lounge.
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It’s Carleton Alumni weekend so we have a lot of visitors and a full menu of happenings to enjoy!
Start your weekend on Thursday with Taste of Northfield, 5-11 p.m. The Northfield Community Band kicks off the music at 6 p.m. on Bridge Square. ChARTdonnay Thursday is happening from 5-8 p.m. at ArtOnWater gallery. Singer/pianist Tom Franek is at the Rueb ‘N’ Stein from 6-8:30 p.m., and Mark Mraz at The Tavern Lounge. Study Hall with Peter and Terry will be at The Contented Cow from 7:30-10 p.m.
On Friday Tom Franek is playing at Hogan Brothers from 7-9 p.m. Katie Harris and Baker London are playing The Contented Cow, and Jeff Ray is playing The Tavern Lounge.
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 Start your weekend out tonight, Friday, at the official opening of “Shots” at ArtOnWater, 5-8 p.m. Kim Bloom plays guitar at the HideAway 7-9. The Over and Back Band is celebrating their first CD release with a special 7 p.m. concert at the Northfield Middle School Auditorium ($15 in advance, $20 at the door), John Wills and Trace Remington are back-to-back at the Cow and Norwegian Cowboy will be playing the Tavern Lounge.
Saturday hosts a repeat performance of Over and Back at the Middle School again at 7 p.m., Kim Bloom returns to the HideAway 7-9, NAG hosts a Forcefield Community Cabaret at 7:30 at the NAG Theater, Blue Moon rocks the Cow later that evening and Kevin Stanke will play the Tavern.
For a complete menu of happenings for the rest of June – including Taste of Northfield June 19 and JuneBug Music Festival June 26-28, pick up a print copy of the Entertainment Guide at hot spots around town or in the gray publication boxes downtown, downloadable here or page-flipping interactive at www.northfieldguide.com.
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Hats off to the media clowns — to the folks at CBS and ESPN — for making this NCAA tournament such an enjoyable experience. Thank you Bobby Knight for picking Pittsburgh to win it all.
tThank you Hubert Davis for one day picking Western Kentucky to upset UCLA in the round of 16, the next day saying that “Western Kentucky will give UCLA a tough game but the Bruins will go to the Final Four” and 24 hours later declaring that “UCLA will have a very tough time with Western Kentucky and then will lose to Xavier in the Elite 8.” Bases seem to be covered. Davis must be one of those guys that fills out 12 brackets and then brags excessively when he picks one improbable upset. I hate those guys. And by the way, Davis was 0-for-3.
Thank you Andy Katz for suggesting that Butler didn’t deserve a seven seed because of their membership in the Horizon League. In case you didn’t know, every Division I coach participates in a conference lottery prior to each season. Butler, unfortunately, got stuck in the Horizon League this year. And heaven forbid, they played a great non-conference schedule to accommodate.
Thanks Bobby, Hubert and Andy for giving me hope that I might be able to succeed in this field one day. And thanks Dick Vitale for moving your hands so much when you talk I swear you might hit the cameraman.
But we listen to these guys religiously. You listen to them so much that they fill out your bracket. How many times had you seen UCLA play prior to the Elite 8? Hardly at all, I’d imagine. So you turned to Digger Phelps, Jay Bilas and the like for so-called expert analysis about a team that plays late (10:10 p.m. Eastern Standard Time) and a team that is a member of a conference that doesn’t contract with ESPN (based out of Bristol, Conn.). Of course, these guys know more than the average fan, but to pretend that they have seen every game of every team is ridiculous — yet we treat them as such. And to allow them the prestige of filling out your bracket is perhaps a prestige that they don’t deserve. Digger is in bed well before 10. I promise.
The media circus surrounding the Road to the Final Four is growing at a faster rate than consumers can manage — and new media only allows for an unlimited amount of coverage. From podcasts, to streaming live video of practice from San Antonio to constant coverage from said experts to live blogging … there’s as much content as ever, to the point that it is repetitive as ever. How many times can you articulately say that Memphis’ backcourt is pretty good?
And thank YOU, Los Angeles Times, for reporting this story in today’s Los Angeles Times. Thanks for forgetting that we fans have feelings too, that we fans build (quick and diluted) relationships with these athletes, that we fans might rather not have to swallow a story about a source “that preferred anonymity” about a player we learned to “Love” and trust. It’s like the middle school relationship where the girl tells her 9 million friends not to tell ANYONE about the guy she has a crush on, yet that “friend” goes and tells 9 million other people. Thanks for this. Thanks for reporting inaccuracies, as said by Ben Howland today at his press conference.
From MORE THAN THE GAME on 9 Apr 2008
What better time to get back going than on Opening Day.
This year, the Opening Day spectacle is better than ever: Johan Santana and his first win in a Mets uniform, Joe Torre doing the same in Dodger Blue, international play, no Roger Clemens, no guy by the name of Mitchell, no Bryan McNamee.
This day is about hope. This day is about waking up and dreaming, even if you’re a Royals fan. This day is about possibility.
Yet, as great as this Day is, how am I supposed to be engrossed in it, put my all into it, look up how Vladimir Guerrero has historically fared against Pet Neshek, just in case they’d happen to face each other in the bottom of the eighth of the first of 162 games. There are 161 games after this one.
And how am I supposed to transition from the climatic, exciting, dramatic NCAA tournament to a game with Gus “I Need A Sedative Even In a Blowout” Johnson calling a game (”and the slipper stillllllll fitsssss!!!”) to Bert Blyleven, who could feed a Third World country if he was given $1 for every time he said “at the Major League level” or “innings of work.” It just doesn’t compare. And couldn’t they allow some sort of recovery period? I’m just coming off of Davidson-Kansas here.
We like different sports for different reasons. I like college basketball for its excitement and variety. There are enough games where it is possible to recall fantastic finishes, incredible highlights — but adding those to our always-evolving Sports Fan Timeline. When I watch a college basketball game, especially one in March, I won’t be on the couch, I’ll be off it, clapping, cheering, leaping.
Baseball is different. Unless you live in a place like Minnesota before the year 2009, your games are in the outdoors, many after dark. The ballpark is illuminated, that little glowing ball has eyes, and people sit around for two-hours-plus. For fifteen minutes, you might stand, if your team happens to be winning in the top half of the ninth. Baseball is routine, day in, night out for 162 games. There’s some comfort in this.
From MORE THAN THE GAME on 1 Apr 2008
the wait is finally over - grey's anatomy is scheduled to return april 24!
to say that i'm excited is an understatement. i'm already looking for spoilers about the upcoming episodes to see if there's any indication that meredith and derek will finally be together. as the hopeless romantic, how can i not want them to? i rewatched some season two episodes last weekend and the bomb one still makes me cry. they're meant for each other, just like pacey and joey. don't deny it. i know that a lot of people are frustrated with the show but i have faith. i'd recommend watching the reruns coming up for a little refresher of what happened before the strike. on ew.com i read that there will be five more episodes this season and rose will be back for all of them and ava will return for three. will alex man up and have a real relationship? one can only hope...
From Grey's Days on 9 Mar 2008
 If you have a good idea and talk with the Student Organizations Committee (headed by Shoshana Blank ) then you can form your own St. Olaf club. Sweet.
From Did you Know on 12 Feb 2008
On Friday, it was unclear who had the bigger abdominal strain: Kevin Garnett, who suffered the injury in the first Boston-Minnesota matchup, or KG supporters, who suffered the stomach pain after hearing that Garnett would not be suiting up in green and white.
Garnett showed up when it mattered during a standing ovation lasting a good minute-and-a-half, although the former Wolves MVP didn’t give media members the time of day, nor did he sit on the Celtics bench. KG bowed, hit his chest a couple of times, and waved before departing into the frigid Minnesota night. Many, I’m sure, had goosebumps, including me, but the whole escapade reminded me of the passive-aggressive sports culture that Minnesota fans so voluntarily participate in.
When the trade rumors began, a common theme emerged: Inevitably, it must get done. Garnett was 31, and a player no longer regarded as one of the NBA’s 10 best players. Start over. Fresh legs. Hope. That was the theme.
No one suggested that Garnett showed up to work counting the days until Kevin McHale made his inevitable deal, one that looks decent on paper but not nearly as good on Randy Wittman’s chalkboard. The point is, fans were frustrated that Garnett failed to put up MVP-like numbers. Fans hated the idea of him leaving, too, because well, he was the Big Ticket in a town with very few big tickets.
Again, we’ve been hit by a bus on the two-way street of Minnesota sports. Traveling one way, we have the thousands of fans at Target Center and the thousands of others who wanted to be at Target Center reveling in the Kevin Garnett era. Traveling the other way, the same fans sing the praise of Al Jefferson, who certainly has the potential and talent that Garnett did in his 2004 MVP year. And by golly, how about the Jefferson-Garnett comparison? While any attempt at this justification in this regard is the sign of another downfall of this bandwagon culture, all you have to do is realize that Jefferson didn’t make it to midcourt in Friday’s buzzer-beater loss to Garnett’s current team.
Garnett came home, no question. Minnesota and its fans put Kevin Garnett on the map, and for that, the 6-11 forward out of Faragut Academy High School was thankful.
But the real issue, I suppose, is that Garnett put Minnesota on the map.
From MORE THAN THE GAME on 12 Feb 2008
It's 10:22 A.M. The snow is gently falling through the pine boughs as the wind whistles assertively against what appears to be a grey sheet. I lay under the pine, one among many. Dead needles allow their presence to be known down my legs and on my hands. I do not move; I have not moved for over an hour. I hear them, yet do not see them--their cackle challenging the wind in the pines and the woosh of the turbine. Far off are other cackles; occasionally a cow makes its demands publicly. They must know of my being here. Cognizant beings they are; always slipping from one tuft of long grass to the next, barely visible. Their sign surrounds me--scratches, guano, resting beds. I am here to photograph them. If only I could photograph their sounds or in the least map their movements. All I am left with is the wind, pines, and the rays of sunlight courageous enough to find the brown needled floor. I stay an hour more--situation similar. Maybe tomorrow I say.. PazJ From The Outdoor Life on 23 Jan 2008
 The past few weeks I have been enjoying my interim independent study class for what it is and not so much as for what it was supposed to be. The official title of my owner built course is Animal Photojournalism. What this entails, I soon found out, is photographing anything with a heartbeat on campus. The idea seemed easy enough. What I did not realize was that the actual quest was going to be much more interesting than the goal. The people I was to meet and the places I would find myself were unimaginable to me when I began. On the very first day that I left Ytterboe with photographic intent I realized just how different things were going to be. Moments after walking out the door I heard a rustling and scratching in the nearby dumpster. Figuring a squirrel was digging in the trash, I quickly set up my camera for a shot. I waited and waited.......and waited; but nothing came out of the dumpster. So, with camera ready, I slowly crept forward, inch by crunchy inch (when you are sneaking up on something every sound has the significance of a cannon shot--or so it seems). I finally arrived at the dumpster only to find that the squirrel in question was stuck in the dumpster!! There was no trash (because of Christmas break--thus no students--thus no trash) for the squirrel to use to jump out on after it had jumped in. It was stuck, not only with itself, but with another dead squirrel that evidently had the same poor luck. The squirrel, to stay alive, had become a cannibal and had eaten parts of the dead squirrel to remain alive. I knew at this point that I had uncovered a great squirrel scandal here on the squeaky clean St. Olaf Campus. These squirrels, because of their self-imposed dependence on humans for food, were victims of oversight by many. Though over populated, these squirrels deserve some form of civil justice and so, with great delight, I put a long stick in the dumpster for the little furry creature to escape. After I had put the stick in the dumpster, Phil, the master of custodial arts for the third floor of Ytterboe, had seen what I had done and came out to chat with me. He said that this happens often and that many times the squirrels not only get stuck in the dumpsters, but that their heads often get fatally stuck in the small drainage hole. This especially happens when the dumpsters are empty of trash. If you are walking by a dumpster feel free to poke your nose over the edge and see if any furry friend is in dire need of assistance. It will make your day, trust me. peace J
From The Outdoor Life on 22 Jan 2008
 This past week was very busy for a self-proclaimed, overcaffeinated environmentalist such as myself. Much time was spent bushwacking through the frozen St. Olaf natural lands in search of animals to take pictures of, as well as the new--to me--Focus The Nation event here on campus. Between those two, I was hopping from biosphere to sociosphere, all the while working up a sweat trying to formulate ways to encourage others to find a connection between the two. The more I listened to speakers during the event and the more I spoke to others about the event, the more I realized that there is a disconnection between not only students to the outdoors, but also students amongst students. After one session of speakers I was discussing the event with a small group of sophomore students and I implored their thoughts pertaining to how well they thought Focus The Nation was reaching students with its message. They gave the usual "I think this is great that we are doing this on campus.....etc, etc." Except for one girl. She had remained silent, so I asked what she thought. She replied, "Well, this is good and everything, but I feel as though it is the same people going to all these events. It is the same people who are worried about the environment in the first place who are here now. What we need to do is reach out and pull people in from other interest groups." This really struck home for me, because I had internally voiced these same thoughts. How do you reach people who have no interest in the state of not only their nation, but the world? How do you make them feel the same significance that you do on an issue? The main thought that I conveyed (or atleast I hope I conveyed) to this fine young lady was that what is important is that we seek those around us and engage them in disarming discussions. Ask them questions about what is important to them first and then go back and state that this is important to you. One main thing that needs to come before results is discussion. This needs to occur in government and just as importantly, at the grassroots level. Be inclusive with your thoughts to those around you. See what happens...... peace J
From The Outdoor Life on 21 Jan 2008
 Manitou Heights (the hill on which St. Olaf was built) was going to be purchased and used as a Catholic burial ground.... However, someone stepped in and we are left with the great college on the hill that we have today.
From Did you Know on 10 Dec 2007
fear means that you have something to lose.
meredith finally told derek how she sortof feels tonight. she told him that she doesn't want him to date other people. she knows that she loves him she just has to let her heart talk for once instead of her head. she's hoping that this will work out. that they will be together. finally. there's just one small problem, derek kissed the nurse in the room with all the sinks. they've been flirting with their eyes for weeks. he's the hot brain surgeon, who wouldn't want to kiss him? but what will he do? isn't that always the question? i feel like he'll date rose for a while, give it a shot. but let's be honest here, we all know that eventually he will be with meredith. but i appreciate your courage meredith and i wish i had some of my own...
george and izzie. closure. they had bad timing, not bad chemistry. great, let's move on.
ava came back for round two with alex. he was right, she didn't come to talk. she likes coming back to be this person she's not, this mystery woman with no identity. when she's with alex she doesn't have a husband or a daughter. she could be so good for him though, he just has to let her. and side note, he so shouldn't have let her into the gallery. stupid stupid stupid.
grey's anatomy won't be on a for a while because of the writers strike so this is a great time to get caught up. they'll be back soon ( i hope). the show isn't over, it's just going on vacation.
ps i miss addison, don't tell anyone
From Grey's Days on 7 Dec 2007
 Did you know that St. Olaf Alumnus Russel A. Anderson is currently the Chief Justice for the Minnesota Supreme Court? And did you know that alumnus Ernest Orlando Lawrence is a leading physicist and Nobel laureate?
From Did you Know on 30 Nov 2007
 Few doubt the skill of Betty Crocker as a chef, but even less know of her skill as an Alchemist. Some of her ideas blow my mind! For example her idea of using eggs, loganberry, and lead to make gold got us closer than ever. We attained silver. Sadly she died before she could continue her experiments. Many of her eary experiments were less successful, in an alchemical sense that is. She made many new and excellent pies. She created more than 12 by age 32  An early corn pie from a failed experiment. That's all folks, I hope you all check out your local library for more info on my favorite alchemist!!! And as always Rocky Loves Rainchild, John Andrew Manke esq.
you know how sometimes your friends do really stupid things and you're thinking to yourself, "why don't they get a clue?! don't they know that they're being ridiculous?!"
that's how i'm feeling about meredith.
she's got derek just waiting for her. he's confessed his love multiple times and still she can't seem to get her act together and make the relationship work. she's carrying around all this unnecessary baggage, key word being unnecessary. he told her that he wants to marry her, have children with her, grow old with her. i have trouble finding someone to go see a movie in viking theater with me, so unfair. meredith asked him to pick her, choose her, love her way back in first season. okay meredith, you got what you wanted - why aren't you happy?
she better figure things out fast because she's pissing me off and derek's going to start dating and then she'll be sorry. although i think it'll be hard for him to explain to his new girlfriend that he's still having sex with his ex girlfriend that he's waiting to marry.
izzie and george. still hard for me to understand. it's almost too friends for me in the joey rachel sort of way. i just don't like it, does anyone really? i don't know how it's going to evolve and i'm not sure i'm that intrigued; we'll see...
alex karev please stop acting like a horny teenager. grow up and be with ava. she's so good for you and you know you love her. i have no idea what lexie was thinking when she decided that she wanted to sleep with alex. i mean he told her that he doesn't do relationships and that he won't call. the grey girls are not making good choices... meredith seemed pretty shocked/angry when she saw them in the hall together. i'm assuming its because she doesn't like her annoying half sister invading her space and stealing her friends. that's just me though...
new episode this thursday, looking forward to it.
From Grey's Days on 8 Nov 2007
Are we Men? The answer depends on its own questions:
1.
Q: Do we have feelings?
A: No
2.
Q: Do we have thoughts?
A: We win. We do not think...so, no.
3.
Q: Do we merely win?
A: We slaughter...so, no.
4.
Q: Do we win if the other team is not bleeding?
A: We T.R.I.B.E.smen take victory very seriously. We do not believe in the measly commonly held definition, which only requires scoring more points. For us, victory is determined by the number of points divided by the number of bloody limbs/achilles tendons we carry home with us from the game. The lower the better. Think golf. Think limbo. Think the other team suddenly without legs riding under tables on skateboards because they are now much shorter...so, no.
5.
Q: Are we feral?
A: We flame.
6.
Q: Is Juan H. God?
A: Juan H. is the father of God. He birthed him. Like a seahorse...so, no.
7.
Q: Do you believe in beauty?
A: We believe in ourselves...so, yes.
Are we Men? We create men. We are the T.R.I.B.E. towards which all men strive.
This week, the T.R.I.B.E. is having a contest. Whoever can sculpt the most convincing likeness of Mark Werner out of a rice krispy treat will get to watch us eat the rice krispy treat. Slowly.
Until next time,
The Postmaster General
From Intramural Diary on 5 Nov 2007
I'm sorry that it has been a while since my last blog post, I had a very eventful summer in Mongolia (more in the next blog entry). This entry will be used to discuss the addition of fruit into alchemy. This has been a foreign idea to me for some time, even though fruit could possibly be an ingredient in the elixer of life. It is a well known fact that Lithuanian alchemists experimented heavily with loganberries.  Sadly for the Lithuanians loganberries proved to be a complete failure in the alchemy department (any incoming freshmen interested in an alchemy degree should call x3498). The berry idea is, however, an interesting one. Instead of loganberries, strawberries would be the logical choice for the elixer of life. It is a well documented fact within the scientific community that strawberries are imbued with magical powers, including hair re-growth, shape shifting properties, and it can even be used as a preventative measure against impotence. I intend to explore the strawberry's magical characteristics over the coming semester. Strawberries traditionally react well with badger teeth, but I hope to try a few more unorthodox ingredients, or even zany if you will. Sadly for you if any of these works I will wish to publish in the international alchemy publication "The Alexandrian Review of the Arcane Arts" and so naturally I cannot divulge any of my secrets...yet.  -John Andrew Manke esq.
There are two kinds of college
students: jocks and nerds. As a jock, it is my duty to give
nerds a hard time. hey you bros. Booyakasha.We are BACK. We are BACK. And One Presents: The Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. is BACK. If you are a freshman, you are probably still a virgin. That will end when the game is over.
We play basketball. Say it with me: B-A-S-K-E-T-B-A-L-L. You probably think you are familiar with the game.
Unless you have had the handprint of the Postmaster General branded on your back in the lane, you are hopelessly naive.
Unless the Sinister Prime has wasted a free throw to punish your junk, you are wide-eyed and unaware.
Is your name Stephon? Our name is Stephanie. We are your namesake. You have kissed us. You have felt our bodies. You have felt our souls. You have held back your tears because they are tears of joy. WE ARE NECESSARY; you are contingent.
Intramurals. There is one purpose. We get the numbers of female referees. We were posterizing you before there were walls. If you are freshmen: we've been strapped with gats since you were cuddlin a cabbage patch.
Not waving. Drowning. Splash. Have a day, Marcus Landry.
Sincerely,
The Postmaster General and the Sinister Prime
From Intramural Diary on 1 Sep 2007
Dear patient readers,
I'm very sorry for the extended hiatus that I took, but even the United States of America took a hiatus that is today known as the Great Depression. Anywho here is my newest blog.
Lately I have been considering double majoring in alchemy and astrology. There is considerable overlap between the two subjects and many great alchemists have found that astrology has aided their alchemical studies. Astrologers have figured out that the sun is made of pure gold and that it rules over all gold throughout the solar system. Astrologers have also found that the Moon is made of silver which proves that the entire Apollo Program was a hoax to cover up the truth of alchemy. John F. Kennedy and his successor Lindon B. Johnson both felt it was necessary to create propaganda about the US landing on the moon to force the USSR to prevent the USSR to use any alchemical properties to resurrect some form of super Lenin. This cause is legitimate because I can only assume that a super Lenin would be more powerful and diabolical than the first. Sadly these actions set the field of alchemy back years to a time before the Chaldean Empire when Babylonian astrologers first divined the characteristics of the Sun, the Planets and the Moon. Perhaps it is time for the US to stop the lies and admit that Neil Armstrong never walked on the moon. That way astrologers and alchemists can once again work together to divine the secrets of God and immortality.
-John Manke I esq.
I finished God of War II over spring break, and here's what I think:
First of all, overall, the game is absolutely superb and lives up to the illustrious precedents of it's predecessor. Combat is tight, well balanced, and fun...Kratos is a huge badass capable of absolutely destroying just about everybody you come in contact with if you're good enough, but there's plenty of challenge is getting everything just right. I just played on the normal difficulty, but the harder levels and the Challenge of the Titans mode unlocked after you beat the game supply more than enough replay value.
The story is also just as compelling as the first one, even if Kratos' character is a little less interesting than the conflicted, guilt-ridden anti-hero of the first game...now he's just angry all the time, but it works for him.
Most importantly, the developers addressed the biggest complaint of the first game (only 3 boss battles) and pepper the game with numerous, challenging, awesome boss fights. The use of the context-sensitive, cutscene button press kills are still some of the most satisfying combat mechanic found in any action game. The entire first half an hour or so of the game is basically an expanded boss battle, and goes down as one of the greatest game openings of all time.
Graphically, it's amazing, especially on component cables...at times it looks as good as some next-gen games (though not in the cut-scenes), and the artistic design is once again well done, using a mish-mash of different parts of Greek mythology.
On the bad side, the story was good but not great, Kratos' character wasn't nearly as compelling as last time, and while it's nice that there are other weapons to use, I never really felt the need to or wanted to. There are a couple frustrating parts...the medusa enemies in particular will make you want to pull your hair out...and I was surprised by a couple less-than-ideal camera angles at times. God of War uses a fixed, pre-set camera, which usually worked well to point out where you're supposed to go next and give you a good look at the battle, but sometimes I couldn't see the combat well or was confused as to what to do next because of lack of cues. Part of that might be have because I was playing on my sister's crappy, dark TV, but it was still a bummer to have to look up what to do next on Gamefaqs a couple times (that's probably more because of my own ineptitude though).
Anyway, all in all, it's absolutely great and a wonderful send off for the PS2, which will probably go down in history as one of the greatest consoles of all time. I'll mimic what most review sites are saying and give it a 9.2/10 or so.
I also picked up Lumines Plus, which is a remake of the PSP classic Lumines, a falling block puzzle game which combines music and dazzling visuals. It's a pretty good pick up at $20 if you're a puzzle fan who hasn't played the originals on PSP.
From 1,000 Needles on 5 Apr 2007
| wow, finally someone dealing with videogame themes intelligently and recognizing some of the artistic achievements of the medium...and of course, they use Shadow of the Colossus. =) Check this out: http://kotaku.com/gaming/top/feature-the-colossus-and-the-comedian-246286.phpThe upcoming movie "Reign Over Me", with Don Cheadle and Adam Sandler, features the game rather heavily it seems, and manages to thematically reflect some of the ideas presented in the film. Brilliant stuff...and now I totally have to see this movie. Hopefully we'll see more use of video games like this: to present or amplify some thematic element in other mediums, respected rather than reviled. Of course, Shadow is an exception rather than the rule, but it's still exciting and a step in the right direction. |
From 1,000 Needles on 22 Mar 2007
So the news yesterday that Devil May Cry 4 was going to move to 360 and PC along with PS3 shook some people up. It's the latest step in a new trend that the industry is seeing in this new generation of consoles: non-exclusivity of 3rd party games.
Let me explain what I mean by "3rd party". "1st party developers"...those are in-house studios owned by Nintendo or Sony of Microsoft who make games just for that one company. Microsoft Game Studios, Sony Computer Entertainment America, and, well, Nintendo are all examples. 2nd party developers are groups who only make games for one console, but aren't technically owned by the guys they make games for: Bungie (makers of Halo) is an example. Finally, 3rd party devs make games for whoever they want: most big names in the industry fall under this umbrella, including EA, Capcom, and Squaresoft.
Anyway, last generation we saw lots of 3rd party exclusive games which defined the consoles: Sony had Metal Gear Solid, GTAIII, Finaly Fantasy VII-X, the Katamari games, and yes, the Devil May Cry games, all made by 3rd parties, all exclusive to PS1 and PS2 (at least at launch). So why are we seeing people going away from this? The cost to make new games in this new generation is simply too high to risk releasing a game on just one platform unless the console company pays you a premium. Games like Assassin's Creed, GTAIV, and now Deviy May Cry were all expected to be PS3 exclusives at first...but that's not so anymore.
So what will happen in response in the 360 vs. PS3 war? With 3rd party games being less of a differentiating factor, other things will be the key differences: online support, technical superiority, and 1st party games. So far I would say 360 has better online support, Sony has (slightly) better 1st party support, and they're about even on technology.
Who doesn't need to worry about this so much? Nintendo. The Wii is a completely different experience than either of these consoles, and besides, it couldn't match the specs needed to run games like DMC4 or GTAIV anyway. Instead, it's focusing on innovation and low cost.
From 1,000 Needles on 22 Mar 2007
...but no one cares, because today there is only one thing on everyone's mind: last night's And One Presents: The Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. game, in which Chad became Mine and the entire Empire's mortal enemy.
Chad made a pejorative comment about the T.R.I.B.E.'s basketball ability. Chad must be funny, because Chad was laughing. Our laughter replaced his, however, when The Prime Sinister wasted one of his free throws to peg Chad directly in his Gonads. As he was buckled over, we all took turns saying things like: "Haha, you look silly buckled over like that," and "Chad, I'm sorry you are injured (dramatic pause in order to convince him that we are serious about our empathy) Psych! Haha, you got PWN3D."
Chad friended me today on Facebook. I agreed to be his friend, only so I can now send him the following 6 facebook messages:
1) Sometimes you look like a disabled puma.
2) Sometimes I think you don't have any toes, because you fall over so much.
3) I want to shave Barry Manilow's initials into the back of your head, so that everyone will think you listen to Barry Manilow, and were recently on MTV's Fanatic: Barry Manilow's Biggest Fan.
4) You have fat knuckles.
5) Brett: You know your girlfriend?
Chad: Yes
Brett: You see this hickey on my neck?
Chad: Yes. Why?
Brett: Oh, no reason.
6) When I smell Goat Cheese, I look for you.
From Intramural Diary on 6 Mar 2007
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