The Day the Blog Changed

I decided earlier today to continue using this blog as a more general posting place, somewhere that can contain my ideas and thoughts beyond creative pieces (see my other blog for that) and Facebook rants, because I'm sure you all love said rants and are demanding longer posts in greater numbers.

Or maybe not.

Either way, I'm now face to face with life and all its demands, and in an attempt to sort it all out in my head, it's probably better (and perhaps more enjoyable for you, the intended audience) to write it here. It's been a while since I've written an actual blog. The old one on livejournal kinda died for one reason or another, can't really say why (and can't be bothered remembering my password to check if I posted a reason).

I guess you can say I've become inspired. Between the end of last year and the start of 2012, I've become a part of a unique circle of friends, which I feel extremely lucky to be a part of. Ebony and Karen have become the kind of catalyst towards fun and enjoyable adventures that I've been waiting for, that little push in the back to get me out the door. Don't get me wrong, I've had my moments in the past, but nothing like this. Lord knows I needed it.

As for the inspiration? Karen's helping me get my motivation up to get my work out there. Having a blog for poetry is one thing, but getting it published properly is another. It's the first time since I started seriously considering a profession in creative writing that I've felt confidant enough to put it out there for people outside of my circle of Facebook likes to read. Hopefully this year I'll be able to make a number of inroads into that.

Ebony's been a Godsend for my social life. Early days yet, but it's going to be exciting to be able to hang out with someone who not only likes the things I like, but can make anything new that I'd normally shy away from trying into an event I want to be a part of. Last night's concert at Kings Park will hopefully be the first of many such adventures, I can't wait to see what happens for the rest of the year. I know for a fact, for example, that I'll have a chance to talk to a God in person, that God being the spectacular Stan Lee.

Ultimately, that's what the theme of this year needs to be. Adventure. I've been slowly but surely putting myself out there, travelling over east as many times as I can, but there are people and places in Perth that I haven't even tried yet, and having moved to Mandurah for a while, it's going to be an even bigger trek to get to them. But that's all part of the plan, to try new things and change up my dull life into something worthwhile.

If I can get published, maybe even more than once, and do the things I've always wanted to do with the people I have come to love, then 2012 could very much be the best year of my young life so far. Despite the number attached to my age, I'm still young, heart and soul. That will never change. But everything around me will, and I can't explain how good it feels right now.

Blog on.

What if: Indie Developers Went Hollywood...

I had a thought, large enough to use this blog again. The thought involved the recent demise of the Mega Man franchise, more importantly the lack of interest by Capcom to build the brand having cancelled two major titles in the series. My idea was, what if the big named publishers gave a major franchise to an indie developer? What results could occur?

Say, for example, if the ever talented Queensland team of Halfbrick Studios were given Mega Man? Take the clean and crisp stylings of Jetpack Joyride, Raskulls and Monster Dash and add a sprinkling of old school platforming, and I have no doubt in my mind that the Fruit Ninja creators could pull it off. I'd almost immediately suggest Sega to ask Halfbrick to work on the ever troubled Sonic franchise too, what with their love of fast paced characters and vibrant colours.

That made me think of other ideas for forgotten and troubled franchises. How about Id Software, who's troubled Rage hasn't exactly pulled off the same results as Doom and Quake before it. Perhaps if they called upon the services of Hard Reset developers Flying Wild Hog to build us a new Doom? Or better yet, how about a proper sequel to the Duke?

The 3DS could do with some added variety. Maybe someone like Cut the Rope creators ZeptoLab could remix Dr Mario or Puzzle League in 3D. And remember Sim City? I'd be more than happy to see a return to form of my favourite franchise under the guidance of Game Dev Story's Kairosoft. Here's one out of left field, a new 2D Castlevania by Playdead of Limbo fame. Maybe Lima Sky could revitalise Bubble Bobble. 

And I couldn't possible pass up the opportunity to suggest the big one. Angry Birds' Rovio using their skills as creators of devilish puzzling birds on the next Final Fantasy. Just imagine throwing chocobos at giant dragons and taking them down with one perfectly placed shot.

Okay, maybe not that last one, but you get the idea. There's so many great ideas out there that have become big names out of barely there budgets, it negates any argument that could be made that we've run out of ideas for video games, and that sequels are taking up all the sales. Indie is where it's at, and if publishers are serious about brand image, they couldn't go far wrong with bringing in an outside source to spruce things up a bit.

Besides, who wouldn't want a new Mega Man?!

Avengers Almost Assembled!

I'm back, and just in time to finally get some good old, Isaacson style (i.e. crazy) feedback on the last piece of the ultimate puzzle that is The Avengers. In other words, business as usual, here, now, thank you ... how are you?

*cringe*

So anyway, Captain America. What did I think? Probably not the strongest of the Marvel movies so far (that honour still sits with Iron Man, with Thor sitting just off the top). Don't look upon that as a 'it's crap' response though, far from it. Cap is a traditional action movie, right down to the good vs evil routine that has served so well in the past, but seemingly lost amongst the murk of teenage angst, slow motion bullet effects and *eek* vampire sparkles! This is old school, fitting since it's set during World War II, but old school none the less.

I will be honest though, I had more fun watching Evans play the tough guy role while in the weakling skin than Cap himself. The effects aren't perfect, but believable in giving him the persona of a barely there kid with dreams of making a difference, and it's these early scenes that set Cap apart from the rest of the franchise. Unlike Stark or Thor, Rogers is 'just a kid from Brooklyn', everything he does is improvised with guts and determination, not just powers and abilities. He's a real person who understands the power of emotion, hopefully that's something they continue to play up, especially with future entanglements with Tony Stark.

Speaking of, I was surprised how much they used Tony's father in this one, possibly to set up that angle of 'you knew my father?', but probably more to preserve where Robert Jnr.'s character got his unusual roots from. I do like that rounded character arc, come to think of it, instead of the older one who seemed to be more interested in building the future then suddenly becoming a loving father in a video clip.

The other roles don't seem to serve any more a purpose than to push Rogers along, which is a shame since almost every scene Tommy Lee Jones was in he stole it. I wonder if we may see more of him in other ways though, perhaps to help Cap get over his angst of leaving his own time behind.

There's a few things I didn't like, sadly, mostly to do with Bucky. The ever present sidekick he was in the comics gets little more than a passing 'like a brother' role here, effective at first but it should have been much more. What's worse, they've now killed the character off! Unless he somehow survives the events of this film, that means there won't be much in the way of the Ultimates story arc that had Rogers visiting his old buddy, who's almost 90 and married with many grandchildren, which helps to ground him before he joins the Avengers. It could have been a very moving moment to the next blockbuster, alas not to be.

I also have to agree, kinda, with some others that have said Hugo Weaving was better with the mask on. The snarls and stares seemed more effective in his real skin than the prosthetic. Perhaps they'll clean it up with some CGI next time, as in Voldermort style, to allow for some more emotion.

Finally, the end sequence may have fit better as an after credits sequence, cut a little shorter to fit the Avengers trailer. It felt forced compared to where the movie could have ended, the little boy running away with a makeshift shield. I don't know, I guess I'm a little torn on it all, probably because the editing just didn't feel right (that, and I was kinda hoping Tony Stark led the excavation, allowing for a cameo or two more than what we got. Again, much like Ultimates.)

Overall, I did enjoy it. Maybe a little over the top at times, but as a fan of what Marvel has come up with so far, it worked rather well. And as I said, this is rather typical action movie with clear goals for each character. Ironically, that's a breath of fresh air considering the over the top or drawn out dramatics of the more recent Hollywood fair (Potter, X-Men and Apes not included) that try to throw more into the mix than it can handle. Captain America is clear cut, one for the fans, and a lot of fun.

Now for a little guessing game. Since the veritable feast that is the team up movie is less than a year away, time to ponder what's really going on. Marvel have mentioned they'll be adding a few short movies to the DVD releases of Thor and Captain America, featuring everyone's favourite Agent Coulson, aiming to link up even further the events of the past few movies. It's been suggested that the events of The Incredible Hulk (underrated) are after the last few flicks, leading it directly into Avengers. Remember Stark's cameo, and wondered why it hasn't been mentioned since? That's why.

So the opening sequences could possibly be bringing Hulk in, using Iron Man for aid. That's probably the best way to go, Hulk hasn't been in the audience's radar anywhere near as much as the other characters, and with a new actor playing the role, that setup needs to happen rather early.

Thor, too, has a story of sorts to take care of early on, i.e. how does he get back to Earth?! Possible spoiler, the fate of Red Skull could hold the key to that (speaking of, he's obviously not dead so, you know, obvious Cap 2 revenge story). Plus, how long will it take for him to be aware of Loki?

Cap will probably have some 'adjustment' sequences, beyond punching a bag to death, though I really do hope there's some meat to that piece. All that leaves is Iron Man himself. Since Iron Man 3 will be the next movie out of this world in 2013, there could be a suggestion of Stark's alcohol problem either during the movie or as a teaser at the end. That, or maybe a suggestion of who the next villain may be.

The obvious choices, brining it full circle, would be Ezekiel Stane along with The Mandarin, or one of the two. As much as Mandarin is a powerful villain in the comics, it's probably best his role serves a purpose in much the same way Ra's Al Ghul did in Batman Begins, otherwise it may become a little silly (at least within the world they've created for this version of the character, never mind what the other Avenger movies have brought up). Hence why Stane would be a good move, grounded in tech but out for blood, possibly to take over Stark Industries itself in his father's name. A good mix of the recent comic series would play out well on the big screen, in which Stane tries to out-do Stark and becomes a terrorist of sorts, allowing anyone the chance to use Stark Tech, but for a price.

I guess that's in the hands of the Gods, or Marvel, whoever comes first. I'm positive Joss and co. will get the job done next year. The teaser looks good, all the parts have been set up well, and as much as there's every chance they may botch it because of the mass number of characters, I'm rather confidant that won't happen. It's my most anticipated event of 2012, for sure, but I won't go in overhyped like I was with Spider-Man 3. Let's hope THAT doesn't happen again...

Linking the X-Men

I've seen First Class twice now, and while it's my current favourite flick of the year (being the X-Men fan that I am), I'm more interested in where the series will turn next. Specifically, I'm trying to piece together a better idea of where each character fits within continuity and how they can better link the First Class era to the modern X-Men era. Ignoring Wolverine of course. Completely.

So here's a few theories. Suggestions if you will. Though I may be close, or not even close at all, I'd like to suggest that if anyone from Fox Studios needs my advice for the script I'd be happy to lend a hand ...

The beauty that surrounds the very first X-Men movie is that it doesn't give an exact time frame of when it happens. The not too distant future is all we have to go on, and that could easily be right now, compared to the date the movie was 'actually' released. The cuban missile crisis, a key element to the First Class plot, occurred in 1962. If we put the original movie into context with that, it's a 40 year gap. That means that the movie's key characters, Professor X and Magneto, are both in their seventies (or late sixties) within this canon. So that makes sense.

Then again, that leaves a lot of years to catch up on. The obvious question now is, does Magneto and Xavier team up again? It's rather clear at the end of FC that they are on opposite sides, but the original trilogy suggests that they maintain a friendship of some kind long after the events in Cuba. In their late 40's, for example, they meet a young Jean Grey. Earlier than that, supposedly, they create Cerebro 2.0.

I can think of one solution to the above problems, a higher being out to destroy all. Someone powerful enough that both sides of the mutant problem must co-exist in order to fight back. It's a story angle that was slightly used in X2, but by that time Magneto is a fully fledged bad guy, there's no turning back for him. As an earlier self, he could struggle to grasp his full capacity of who he wants to be. He wants equality for all mutants despite the threat that they now pose.

Mutants are still a secret to society at this point, only the highest government authority are aware they exist, so there's elements to play such secrets close to the chest. Magneto could begin his underground movement to convince X of the plight. What could turn his thoughts around is a mutant so powerful it threatens all, leaving him with no choice but to unite Mutantkind. That can easily lead to a truce, in turn the discovery of Jean and the creation of Cerberus to find more mutants to defend Earth against the threat.

It's mentioned in X-Men that Storm, Cyclops and Jean (and please, call her Marvel Girl) are X's first students. Clearly that isn't true now, although you could argue that they are the first students of an open, available school. It still may take some time before Xavier opens the institution, it's also possible that very few students initially appear within the compound. Others may leave without seeing things through. Therefore, Xavier could be suggesting that these three are the first X-Men to graduate from the school, becoming leaders in their own right. Banshee, Havoc and Beast all part ways at some point, so that would be a decent way to tie things up.

For a while I did consider the possibility of Havoc being Cyclops' father, but it's more likely a role reversal from the comics, where instead of being his younger brother, Havoc could be Cyclops' older brother, one that hasn't been seen by the family for some time. That would explain how Cyclops gets involved with the school, a family reunion of sorts (again, ignoring Wolverine's plot).

As for Storm, if you check out First Class again and take a closer look at the sequences involving Cerebro, a young Storm appears in cameo form for a split second. She could easily fit within the movie canon as one of the first recruits, finally allowing a chance to explain her African roots (a severely lacking subplot not explored in the original trilogy aside from a bad accent.)

As for other mutants to bring into the fold for the next movie (and Fox would be silly not to), I'd first suggest not to deviate too far from the more realistic portrayal of mutants in a human world. Unlike the Marvel Avengers movies which are working closely to recreate Asgard and possible alien threats, I'd keep the X-Men movies grounded and avoid such things as time travel. That would negate something silly (though cool) as Cable. I say silly since it's far beyond any concept the current movies have portrayed. Apocalypse, too, should be avoided.

No, what I'd like to see are characters with abilities that can exist within the realms of the current movies without becoming too far fetched, and beyond what will happen time line wise with Jean. I'd also prefer female characters with a different kind of edge to them, darker in spirit and tougher in ability. Marrow would be a perfect fit, something out of left field but in a vein not far from Wolverine in physical ability. Psylocke would also be a welcome addition, perhaps as a bad guy turned good for once.

Since Darwin made it into this movie, on the strength of who he is as a mutant and not on being a fan favourite, why not add Petra or Sway. Their abilities would be unique in movie cannon, earth manipulation and time control respectively.

Meanwhile, there's always been a suggestion that Mystique is Nightcrawlers' mother (it's common knowledge in the comics), so that too can now be confirmed movie wise if she and the red skinned teleporter Azazel get it on in the next movie, which would mean giving him a bigger role. Perhaps there's some in fighting between Mysty and Emma Frost for Magneto's affections as well, leading to the living diamond's departure.

And there's a character I'd love to see more of. Frost is a modern bad-ass in Astonishing X-Men, it would be just as piss poor as the Cyclops trilogy arc if they ignore her abilities further in another movie or two. Round her off as someone with her own agenda, maybe replace the actress with someone who can hold her own in a decent fight sequence. Or, allow her to create a splinter group as tension mounts with Magneto's new regime.

This is all speculation, honest hope of a geek who loves his mutants. I'm already aware that certain story arcs I love, such as Gambit and Rogue, will never come to pass on the big screen. But at least now, with a somewhat fresh perspective and a cast young enough to play the parts for some time (if they choose), there's plenty of stories that can be told to bridge the long gap.

I think, of all the series out there, X-Men is the only one that can retain a level of excellence over time because of its vast character lists and unique perspective on the world. Yeah, they kind buggered things up there for a while, but three movies from five ain't a bad record.

Just, please, don't go overboard. We're just now getting over Wolverine thanks to this, so don't bugger it up again!

Wii U Mii Hee Bee Gee Beez

Okay. So the Nintendo presentation and the subsequent introduction of the Wii U may not have been as big as we all hoped, but there's still much to discuss, and a lot more to be excited about.

First, though, here are the many gripes I've heard so far:

* It's all about the gimmicks again.
* No games. Nothing. How do we know what it will do?
* Nintendo want the best of both worlds, and they're not even close.
* The name sucks.
* Seriously, the name sucks.

I can understand all those gripes. There's high hopes with this console, and from the opening stanza there's a lot more questions than answers, and what answers we have so far are short, sharp and not very likeable in most cases. But there's a major problem here that many seem to be forgetting, a key fact that's been overlooked at this point ... this isn't a launch, it's barely a reveal. Nintendo's Wii U is so far away from release, this is nothing but a tech demo.

And that's why I have confidence.

So there's no big Nintendo games to look at yet ... so? There's NOTHING to look at yet. The only thing Nintendo are showing off at E3 this year is the controller and what it can do in terms of advancing the Wii's motion control in a new way. Everything else is filler, a majority of it won't see the light of day beyond this week. Even all the games announced for the console are. Why? Because no-one's designed, developed or written anything yet. But here's where it gets interesting.

Have a look at some of the names attached to the console right now. Arkham City, Darksiders, Smash Brothers, Pikmin, Tekken, Assassin's Creed, Ninja Gaiden. Are they all hardcore games? To a point, but that's not what I'm talking about. Whatever's under the hood of the WiiU, it's powerful enough to get these games on board. How well they'll look compared to a PS3 or 360 version of the game is another story, but one that will be revealed in full next E3. But here's the other key point.

If these titles are on a WiiU, the chances of other franchises crossing over to a Nintendo console are high. The big N realises now, more than ever, that strong relationships with key industry partner's is the key to ensuring the WiiU can maintain a high level of sales beyond the odd jump thanks to a 1st party release.

What's more interesting, however, was EA's cameo. Not only did they mention their sports titles, they mentioned Battlefield and the Frostbite engine. Though there wasn't a confirmation, nor a 'yes, it's going to happen', the fact that it was mentioned within the same breath as 'Nintendo' bodes hope in the graphical capabilities of the system.

As long as that talk exists, the opportunities are there. There will still be casual games, there will still be high quality Mario and Zelda titles among other Nintendo franchises.

Speaking of talk, ever since the launch, the WiiU seems to be everywhere already. Good, bad or indifferent, it's on people's minds. That, if anything, is a win for Nintendo. If the console hasn't even shown off what it can do, but it's already at the forefront of conversation ahead of Sony's handheld or Microsoft's Kinect games, imagine what might happen when we finally get to see the results?

So in answering the above gripes:

* Just like the Wii, gimmicks are only if the developers use them. This one, however, is actually more appealing than motion control. And yet, motion control also exists. So what is the WiiU? An all-rounder. It's a console with options aplenty, but again, it's up to how the games make use of these options that determine the results.
* Yes, no games. That's next year, and it'll be worth the wait.
* Nintendo are actually closer than they've ever been, and the 3DS will aid towards that. EA are the biggest publishers of content out there. Also of note, developers such as Retro 'Metroid Prime' Studios are co-working on Mario Kart, a sign that Nintendo are branching out from their humble norms to get some much needed extra points of view. Like I said, casual will always be there, but the console will hold its own against the competition graphically, and that will make a world of difference in itself.
* Yeah, the name kinda sucks. But it makes sense. Why walk away from a brand name that's so engrained in the senses of all games. The Wii took some time to get used to, just like the DS or the 3DS. The WiiU (if you pronounce it quickly enough, it sounds a little like Ryu) will stick in time.
* IN TIME! Geez.

This will work, I have a confidence that I never had with the Wii. Why? Because the last three consoles Nintendo released, I was sceptical. I wasn't sure about dual screens, about motion control, or about 3D in a handheld. And yet they worked. And so will this. But let's allow this to simmer for a while, we've got a long way to go before we fully understand what this console is capable of. Hold onto that resentment and concern until the day we see Zelda in HD. I am.

E3 - Electronic Entertainment Extraveganintendo

I'm waiting for the Nintendo conference to start. You'd think that at my age ... wait, wait, wait ... I've forgotten how old I am. Damn. Just, just wait here a second, I'll go check my birth certificate.







Huh. Older than I thought.

Anyway, it's been a while since I've been this excited over a conference, and I've seen a lot of them. But this time, there's something different in the air. Anticipation so big that if it fails, the entire gaming world will cry in unison. Or maybe just me, but it'll happen! That's how big this could be, how the entire shape of the gaming industry can change in one night, just like it did six years or so ago when Nintendo launched the Wii. It was a game changer, so much so that Microsoft's entire E3 2011 conference was motion controlled based. As of tomorrow morning, motion control could be a thing of the past.

Tell you what, I'm going to pause this post here and write up a sequel tomorrow. I'm hoping it'll be full of expletives of the excited nature. If it isn't, be prepared for an onslaught of the bad kind.

Nintendo, don't let me down.

Beyond Gaming

I've got twenty five minutes left on my laptop battery. Yes, I realise I can just plug it in, but I prefer writing to deadlines.

Huh ... you know, in my head, that opening line sounded funnier. Probably because I had more time to write it at the start and took it for granted.

I take a lot of things for granted, the world around me doesn't always work for me because of it. It's something I'm happy to fix, but it just never comes together. It's the reason why I continue to find myself alone on most occasions. Please, don't confuse me with a loner here, I have no interest in receiving 'oh you poor thing' replies. If anything, I'm just trying to make more sense of my own life.

I do consider myself happier on occasion if I'm sitting by myself doing my own thing. I don't go out often, not because I don't want to, I just don't. I do what I please. More importantly, I do what makes me happy, not to make others happy. Selfish, perhaps, but at least that way I'm not holding people up, nor sitting in the corner looking like an idiot because I'm not enjoying myself (trust me, that's happened too often).

So I play games. I play them because I want to avoid reality, which I hate with a passion. It hurts both physically and mentally, the heart can't keep up. It's expensive, it's dirty, it's demanding. Egotistical. Melodramatic. Other words longer than three letters. It gets you down more than it attempts to impress, it's a wonder our population is increasing not decreasing. Or is it?

More and more gamers are turning to online games every year, spending countless hours and just as much money on their World's of Warcraft, DC, guilds, heroes and villains. It's getting so big, it's become an institution all it's own. There's laws, traders, certain communication guidelines. Lives revolve around what time the next raid takes place, or how long it will take to dig enough pieces of eight to trade for that shield you need to take out that character just to get an even better shield to beat that other character. It's far more than just a game, it's a living. A professional addiction, if you will.

I'm not bagging MMO's. I've played them, I understand the enjoyment of them. But I worry for those who put so much time into it, that any life spent outdoors exists simply to go down the road for milk. Unless they're lactose intolerant. Maybe just water, if they don't have a tap to get it from in the first place. Or they prefer bottled water ... you know what, let's move on.

So yes, I play video games, but I know my limits. I don't play for hours on end, I do have a social life per se, but it's not the most important thing in my life. If someone came up to me and dragged me out for a drink, I wouldn't argue against it. I wouldn't crave the thought of being at home judging who should die by my giant hammer of death while pretending to like beer.

Of course, it would be nice if someone did ask me out every once in a while, instead of my poor attempts of doing it myself. But that's a different story. Safe to say, I'm not entirely lost to the world of the imagination. Although, I am a writer, so let's just put me on the edge of insanity for sanity's sake.