Playstation Plus is a Minus

Having trouble getting an image to load correctly in Blogger, so see this link please:

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2010/6/30/

Playstation Plus is a joke. Period. I see no redeemable quality to this. This is a good example of why Sony was once known for quality and customer service, and caring about their customers, and why now, and for the last few years, they have not been known for any of those things. Why should I pay $50 a year to get hour long demo's? To get discounts (probably not much of one) on games? To get themes for my PS3? The fact that games I get supposedly for free quit working if I am not a Plus member is stupid. Do they require a server check to see my subscription status? Or do they have a file in them that checks my end date? Most likely, they cannot be played unless I am signed in to my account. How will this work when this is done with DLC? So many problems, no real value. Cross game chat isn't there either, like Sony said it would be. I don't care much about that, but a lot do, so Sony has made a promise, and not kept it. at all. Sony makes good products, but they are in a sad state as far as customer service and common sense goes. Gripe all you want about paying for Xbox Live Gold, and gripe that you still play online for free on the PSN. As far as I am concerned, I'm still getting value for Gold, and not value for Plus, but in the end that's OK, because I get my value for free. Untill Sony breaks their promise and screws us over on that as well, which I see them doing soon. Imagine not having access to DLC or games unless you are Plus. IGN is doing a year long study to see if Plus is worth it, that will be interesting.

My Thoughts on E3 2010 so far

As far the the Big 3's press events, & what they unveiled, I was most impressed by Nintendo's as a whole, the 3DS looks cool, & Nintendo is finally going to offer some good games, I've never had anything to do with Kid Icarus, but the game looks cool. I am shocked at the fact that they are actually going to let M rated games have a decent focus, so far at least, Metal Gear, Saints Row, Resident Evil, all on the 3DS. They've gone mad I tell ya! They announced Donkey Kong, a new Kirby & more. Epic Mickey looks awesome. This year they did something they haven't been able to, they have made me really want a Wii. I have wanted it before for a few games, but now, they are actually coming out with enough games to make it worth buying in my opinion. I just hope the motion controls are Motion + on most of them, Some of the flying stuff in Icarus looks impossible without it. I mean Lair impossible. I will always believe that the Wii should have never been released with its current motion control scheme, they should have waited until Motion +. I hope Microsoft & Sony have paid attention to that blunder on Nintendo's part, people bought the Wii in droves because it was the new big thing, not because of its quality, which when you look at it, was really poor. The 3DS colors shown on Nintendo's E3 website are great, I hope Nintendo is finally starting to realize that the western world, IE the USA, likes colors as well. The fact that they drown Japan in every color in the rainbow & then wait 3 years to give us black or blue is stupid. I know that they may have a different understanding of our culture, but for goodness sake Nintendo, read a forum, ask someone, hell, look at the first line up of iMac's!

Microsoft had some really cool announcements. Being the first for CoD maps is huge, regardless of the whole Infinity Ward vs Treyarc debacle, & regardless of the huge Infinity Ward becoming Respawn embarrassment. People are still going to buy it because it is a Call Of Duty game. Besides, I think Treyarc will make a good game, they are solely focused on CoD now, so I don't see why they wouldn't. This exclusive deal is going to upset a lot of people, who will not want to wait, but so be it. The maps will still come to the PS3, which isn't as bad as if they weren't. Don't get me wrong,  I am not a fan of exclusives when they are game expansions, I think that is a slap in the face of gamers, no matter if they have both systems or not. Assassins Creed Brotherhood getting an extra level in the single player campaign on the PS3 is ridiculous. If the game is coming to both platforms, then so should the expansions & content. It is wrong that PS3 got to play as the Joker, & that Europe got maps that we didn't for Batman Arkam Asylum.

I am not into sports, but the ESPN deal is a great thing, I can see that really taking off, especially since it is free with Gold. I was highly impressed with Kinect, & think that if done well, it could really revolutionize gaming at some point, if they can get more mainstream games for it though. Halo Reach looked fantastic, Gears of War 3 looked really intense, & the Fable 3 video makes me want to really play Fable 2, it has me hungry for more Fable.

The Sleek 360? Awesome. The fact that they realized that people will need a better way to transfer data over than just USB sticks, & therefore are releasing the transfer cable to the masses? Great. Wi-Fi. I don't use it, but thats a great addition. All the improvements? Cool. Now then, please, somebody explain to me why they still allow the damn thing to be stood on its side? It looks like they've repositioned the vents so they are not on bottom, which is great, but the drive is still drawer based, so discs are going to be scratched. I've said it before, & will continue to say it, whoever's idea this was, be them in marketing or development, needs to be beaten. Standing a 360 console on its side IS A TERRIBLE IDEA! DISCS WILL GET SCRATCHED!

The fact they there is still going to be an Arcade SKU makes little sense to me. I understand that they are there for people who's 360's crap out on them to just be able to buy a new system. & pop their HD on (in the case of the fat 360's) or in & save $100 bucks, I get that. But look at it like this, when someone's sleek dies on them, they can just buy a new sleek, swap HD's & have an extra one, or, in case the new sleeks HD is a larger size, transfer with the transfer cable which could be included. 2 SKU's just confuse people. $299 is OK for the price. Yes $199 is good to get people in the door, but then they realize that they need a HD & find that it would have been better to just spend the $299. The 360 still needs to come with component cords, an HDMI cable would be nice, but I'm not that delusional.

Would be great if the system was cheaper, but I don't expect that, like I say, $299 is a good deal. Would I have liked some more features? Yes I would, & this may upset some, but Microsoft needs to swallow their pride & license the Blu-Ray tech from Sony. The 360 could still play DVD's, (therefore still be a 360 as it could still play 360 discs, as Blu-Ray reads DVD's), but then have room to grow on newer games with the increased storage of Blu-Ray discs. Plus, playing Blu-Ray movies would be great. Look Microsoft, not everyone has blazing fast connections to allow streaming of all media, I firmly believe that physical media is not going away. the US infrastructure will not allow it, we are not wired like Korea. Streaming is fine, buying videos off the marketplace is OK, but putting all your eggs in that basket is like putting all your eggs in HD-DVD's! Oh wait, you know about that better than anyone right? Maybe they will swallow their pride & grow a pair for the next Console, but if they had done this, they could have extended the 360's life quite a bit. Maybe Sony won't license the Blu-Ray tech, I don't know, it would allow Microsoft to say that they can play Blu-Ray too, but they would still be paying Sony something for that ability, so I still see it as a win-win, for Sony, Microsoft, & the customers. Just because the drive would be Blue-Ray would not mean that PS3 games could play on the 360, so if hats what some are thinking, they are wrong.

Sony didn't really blow me away, Killzone 3 is nice, I love that there is going to be an Infamous 2, & I do love that they might make more PS2 HD remixes, doing so with Sly Cooper is great. I love the Sly Cooper franchise, & have all 3 games. Gran Turismo was given another release date. I will believe it when I see it. At this point I think they need to scrap the whole thing & just admit that they couldn't so it, call Prolog good, & start work on 6. I am sure that if GT5 comes out when promised, they will announce GT6 in the box, or shortly after. They have said that they've had to redo 5 a few times already anyway. Playstation Plus, which I will still refer to as PSN + as that is shorter, could be a bad thing, especially when access to game demo's is a feature, demo's should never be something that is charged for. Ever. I actually don't mind paying $50 a year for the service, I do for Gold, & considering how little I play online, you think I would mind. I still need more info about PSN + before hand though, I don't play the PS3 as much, I've already played through the few games I have for it. They are finally adding cross game chat, which is great for those that have friends & want to chat while playing different games, but I think there needs to be a lot more to it than that. People say that now there is no plus side for Gold, I disagree, Gold's interface for staying in touch with friends, & inviting them to play or chat is so much better than the PSN's as far as I am concerned, it's streamlined much better. Weird when you consider that I like the user interface for the PSN better than the Dashboard for most stuff, mainly browsing videos & other media. I do wish Sony would have lowered the price on the headset & keyboard though.

Sony, I know this may come as a shock, but I don't care about 3D gaming except for Nintendo's way of doing it. A lot of people are with me on this. Its not enough that you want us to spend upwards of 5 grand on a new TV, but then we have to spend another couple of hundred for the privilege of wearing glasses? 3D could be cool, but it's not worth that expense or hassle. Sony Move is cheaper than I expected, & it looks cool. Socom 4 using it really has me excited. I have always been interested in Socom, but never tried it as the focus seemed solely on multiplayer, that isn't the case this time around though.

The main problem with Kinect & Move (for me at least) is that there needs to be space to move around with them. A lot of space. Where my systems are located, I can't use either technology really well, or in some cases, at all, & I can't really move them anywhere else. If I get a Wii, I have another place to move it with more room, but moving the 360/PS3 there is out of the question.

It is a shame too because I really liked Dance Central, I have very little rhythm, & I would rather die than have anyone see me attempt to even try to learn some of the dancing moves, but Rock Band for dancing is really cool.

When did it become a common practice to do gaming in the living room anyway?

That is another problem with the motion based games to me, & the Wii in general, they don't take into account that there are people out there who have few friends to play games with. I'm OK with a shared experience, but gaming is a single player experience at it's core, don't leave that part in the wind. I am one of those people, I play by myself the majority of the time, don't leave me & the others like me in the shadows of obscurity please.

Overall the Big 3 did all right I think, it looks like it could be an interesting year for gaming, I wonder what the rest of E3 has in store?

Caprica: The tobacco industries favorite show!

Caprica would be a lot better & more enjoyable if it wasn't an hour long ad for the tobacco industry. I can't watch an episode without getting sick. They seem to put more visual focus on the smoking than they do on whats happening in the story half the time. I get that it's supposed to show the negative aspects of humans, a representation of their sins. I get that it is supposed to tie in with the struggle of rather they should worship multiple God's or just One, but they can show how humans suck in better ways.


The holo-band addictions is a great example, as is the prejudice between the various colonies. Those show the failings of humans, and are a lot more interesting and powerful images. Yet instead of focusing on that, they make it a point to show every cigarette that Amanda Greystone smokes. It's ridiculous. I could handle it if the Caprica culture were all raging drunks, but the fact that they are all chain-smokers, and sometimes worse, (they're like chimneys!) constantly takes me out of the story.


Hopefully next season will be better, I can't be the only one that is annoyed by this, and I can't be the only person who sees no benefit of constantly showcasing that vice!

Have some jokes!

Hello Nurse!

A male patient is lying in bed in the hospital, wearing an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose, still heavily sedated from a difficult four hour, surgical procedure.

A young, student nurse appears to give him a partial sponge bath.

Nurse", he mumbles, from behind the mask. "Are my testicles black?"

Embarrassed, the young nurse replies, "I don't know, Sir. I'm only here to wash your upper body and feet."

He struggles to ask again, "Nurse, are my testicles black?" Concerned that he may elevate his vitals from worry about his testicles, she overcomes her embarrassment and sheepishly pulls back the covers. She raises his gown, holds his penis in one hand and his testicles in the other, lifting and moving them around.

Then, she takes a close look and says, "There's nothing wrong with them, Sir!!"

The man pulls off his oxygen mask, smiles at her and says very slowly, "Thank you very much. That was wonderful, but, listen very, very closely...

A r e - m y - t e s t - r e s u l t s - b a c k?

-----------------

THE POKER PLAYER

Two couples were playing poker one evening. John accidentally dropped some
cards on the floor.

When he bent down under the table to pick them up, he noticed Bill's wife
Sue wasn't wearing any underwear under her dress! Shocked by this, John
upon trying to sit back up again, hit his head on the table and emerged
red-faced

Later, John went to the kitchen to get some refreshments. Bill's wife
followed and asked, "Did you see anything that you liked under there?"

Surprised by her boldness, John courageously admitted that, well indeed he
did. She said, "Well, you can have it but it will cost you $500."

After taking a minute or two to assess the financial and moral costs of
this offer, John confirms that he is interested.

She tells him that since her husband Bill works Friday afternoons andJohn
doesn't, John should be at her house around 2 p.m. Friday afternoon.

When Friday rolled around, John showed up at Bill's house at 2 p.m. sharp
and after paying Sue the agreed sum of $500 they went to the bedroom and
closed their transaction, as agreed.

John quickly dressed and left.

As usual, Bill came home from work at 6 p.m. and upon entering the house,
asked his wife abruptly. "Did John come by the house this afternoon?"

With a lump in her throat Sue answered "Why yes, he did stop by for a few
minutes this afternoon."

Her heart nearly skipped a beat when her husband curtly asked, "And did he
give you $500?"

In terror she assumed that somehow he had found out and after mastering
her best poker face, replied, "Well, yes, in fact he did give me $500."

Bill, with a satisfied look on his face, surprised his wife by saying,

Good, I was hoping he did. He came by the office this morning and borrowed

$500 from me. He promised me he'd stop by our house this afternoon on his
way home and pay me back."

Now THAT, my friends, is a poker player!

----------------

The Lone Ranger was ambushed and captured by an enemy Indian war party.

The Indian Chief proclaims, "So, you are the great Lone Ranger. In honor
of the Harvest Festival, you will be executed in three days.
But, before I kill you, I will grant you three requests.

What is your first request?"

The Lone Ranger responds, "I'd like to speak to my horse."

The Chief nods and Silver is brought before the Lone Ranger, who
whispers in Silver's ear, and the horse gallops away.

Later that evening, Silver returns with a beautiful blonde woman on his
back.

As the Indian Chief watches, the blonde enters the Lone Ranger's Tent
and spends the night.

The next morning the Indian Chief admits he's impressed. "You have very
fine and loyal horse, but I will still kill you in two days. What is
your second request?"

The Lone Ranger again asks to speak to his horse. Silver is brought to
him, and he again whispers in the horse's ear.

As before, Silver takes off across the plains and disappears over the
horizon. Later that evening, to the Chief's surprise, Silver again
returns, this time with a brunette, even more attractive than the
blonde.

She enters the Lone Ranger's tent and spends the night.

The following morning the Indian Chief is again impressed. "You are
indeed a man of many talents, but I still kill you tomorrow. "What is
your last request?"

The Lone Ranger responds,"I'd like to speak to my horse....ALONE."

The Chief is curious, but he agrees, and Silver is brought to the Lone
Ranger's tent.

Once they're alone, the Lone Ranger grabs Silver by both ears, looks him
square in the eye and says, "Listen very carefully, you dickhead, for
the last time.......... . BRING POSSE!!!!

------------

A woman got on a bus holding a baby. The bus driver said: "That's the
ugliest baby I've ever seen." In a huff, the woman slammed her fare into the
fare box and took an aisle seat near the rear of the bus. The man seated
next to her sensed that she was agitated and asked her what was wrong.
"The bus driver insulted me," she fumed.
The man sympathized and said "Why, he's a public servant and shouldn't say
things to insult passengers."
"You're right," she said. "I think I'll go back up there and give him a
piece of my mind."
"That's a good idea," the man said. "Here, let me hold your monkey."

Questions on my mind.

I've been wondering this for several days now, and while I can understand their reasoning, I still think that surely they thought of this themselves.

Why does Planned Parenthood give out condoms? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of planning to become a parent? They might as well promote abstinence as a way to become a parent.

Also, aren't the condoms they give out free? What type of quality are these? Boxes of condoms that I have seen, though never had any need for purchase, have always been around six bucks, how can this organization give out such expensive pieces of rubber? Are these generic low quality that sometimes get the job done? I have never seen a "Sponsored by Trojan" sign around a Planned Parenthood building.

With that type of quality, maybe they would like a donation, I can cut the fingers off of all the latex gloves they want, it would give me something to do when I'm just sitting around.