Damn you, Netflix. Damn you to hell!

Netflix has been in the news regularly for over a year and until recently that news was good. The DVD and streaming video service has habitually grown it's user base as well as capabilities and has been a service I enjoyed using. I've been a subscriber for over two years and have rarely had bad things to say about it. I've enjoyed receiving DVDs by mail as well as the capabilities of watching movies and TV shows using my Internet connection and PC or Xbox 360. Until lately I always thought I was getting a good deal in terms of what got versus what I paid for it. I was able to have one DVD at home and watch unlimited streaming video for just under ten dollars. Quite the bargain. Recently that has changed. Starting next month I, like everyone else, will have to pay more to keep the same service. A dollar or two I wouldn't mind, but it will be effectively doubling my costs, just under twenty dollars. Before I make up my mind, I would like to examine pros and cons of the service and think about my personal alternatives to Netflix.

First, let's examine the DVD by mail system. It is highly efficient with very little effort on my part to use other than returning the DVDs to the outgoing mailbox. As easy as that is, I still find myself not returning the DVDs in a regular fashion. It isn't because the DVDs I receive aren't good, but rather I never think to put them in the DVD player when I have down time.

This leads right into the greatest strength of the streaming video. I always think to watch a streaming movie when I have down time. It is convenient to turn on the Xbox, launch the Netflix app, and almost instantaneously start watching a movie. There is an ok selection of movies and shows I want to watch. I've caught up on years worth of Doctor Who and Torchwood episodes I never would have watched otherwise and as such found a two series I truly enjoy. The greatest weakness of the streaming videos is the DVD's greatest strength, the back catalogue. Selections aren't great streaming and title's availability seems to fluctuate often due to licensing agreements. The DVD catalogue is great, but is highly inconvenient. What is a person to do?

If I were to keep the DVD catalogue, I could use Hulu to watch some series, but with ads and often shows I am not interested in. If I were to keep the streaming only, I could use a Redbox location to rent DVDs for a night I knew I would watch them, but I would pay daily if I didn't return them. Additionally, I would be subject to the DVDs' availability at the kiosk I was using, because I know I wouldn't reserve the movies online for pickup. Also, Redbox mainly has new releases, most of which I don't want to see.

In conclusion, there is not a good answer to my dilemma. I wish to get the same service I have presently at a lower cost than what Netflix will soon start to charge me. I know other people who have made the decision to go with only one service, but no one who has gone with both and I understand why. Why should you pay more for the same you had before with nothing truly new in return? Scott posted on Twitter that Netflix has left door open for competition to come in and compete, but I don't see anyone coming in the near future. Maybe Netflix will realize their price increase was too great and I'll consider having both services again, but until then I will be using just the one. The question is but which.

4.2 Thus Far

At the risk of making this into my monthly Warcraft update, there are a few things about patch 4.2 that I would like to note. I also don't really feel like doing to much typing, so let's just view the basic Pros and Cons.

Pros:

1. The new Firelands raid is a neat outdoor environment with fun trash and cool new boss fights.

2. The new quest hub allows for an easy path to get nice new gear for the new raid along with a great intro story line for the raid.

3. New tier looks better than the old tier.

4. T-11 raid nerfs allow for inexperienced raiders a chance to get involved into raiding with Cataclysm.

5. BoE valor bracers are great.

6. Need rolls on BoE's causes the item to become BoP decreases the 'ninja' factor with groups.

Cons:

1. No new 5 man dungeons make the valor grind a bit boring for those that don't have raid groups that clear the new raid just yet.

2. The new daily quests become a chore after a few days, and only give 365 level gear when they should give 378 to be relevant to raid gear.

3. The BoE nerf on the trash drop rate in Firelands was so large that those that were able to benefit from the high drops have been able to take an unfair advantage in both gear and the AH economy.

4. PvP hasn't really had the shot in the arm it needs to be more than casually entertaining for a lot of people.

Without a doubt, the major focus from this patch is the new raid. Based on the amount of fun I've had on that alone, I give the new patch a 9/10.

(This post will be updated as needed)

If a picture is a thousand words, I just wrote 5000

Rather than actually do some work and write something up for the blog, I thought I'd share some of the photos (plus one of me) I recently took on a conference trip to Newport, RI.  

The Belated Portal 2 Review

Portal 2 is an amazing game produced by Valve. The game setting takes place in the same facility as the first Portal. But the game is slightly different, as you aren’t plagued by GLaDOS. At the start, the facility is going through a mechanical meltdown so to speak. The ginormous facility is falling apart, and Wheatley saves you. Wheatley is a mechanical drone so to speak. He maintains the facility and keeps everything in order. In short, he saves you by putting you through tests that will lead you to the outside of the facility. In doing so, you find the portal gun, as well as relearn the mechanics of the game. (As you play through, be sure to look out for hidden areas.) Unfortunately I’m not here to spoil the suspenseful moments, so let’s jump to the new features.

Valve introduced a few new tricks they had in their sleeves. They introduced the astonishing concept of “gel”. This gel has different properties according to its color. The orange, is propulsion gel. It allows you to move at tremendous speeds compared to your normal walking speed. Blue gel is repulsion gel. If you jump or bounce off a surface with this coating it, it acts as a trampoline. The same rules apply as the original “speedy thing go in, speedy thing come out.” The farther you drop onto the blue gel, the higher you go back up. The third gel is white. And it makes it so that wherever this gel is, you can place a portal. It respectively coincides with the lighter panels allowing portal placement.

The storyline of this game is just as hilarious, and absorbing as the first. I literally feel as if I could play through this game 10 times and be just as refreshed as I was the first time. The plot in this game was smoother flowing to me compared to the predecessor. In this game I felt as if it slowly led to a finale, rather than just making an insanely bad-shit-crazy last test. The little nuances of the game could just make you laugh. Such as the comical phrases you would here from the “crap” turrets. Anywhere Valve could appropriately place a witty joke, it was there, and it came with a good follow up. This game has a storyline that is just stellar, and the game itself is a fresh breeze from the craze of FPS games like Call of Duty.

Some of the things I didn’t like were that I feel as if the single player campaign could have lasted longer. But I suppose that is what the addition of multiplayer is for. I prefer this game over the first all in all, although you should have the first under your belt before you play this one. Everything evens out in a way, and who knows, there may be some add on packs to come. (HOPEFULLY)

One sentence can wrap it up, but it would be a terrible review. The one sentence is, please purchase Portal 2 because you will love it. All I can say is that it was a crazily well-made game, and extremely well balanced. It deserves even more hype than it got. Now let us join in prayer, and pray for a third portal game. /end review.

New Patch

First, here are the current patch notes... http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/2723732

Second, I was going to make a post about upcoming games (still might) and one on the May 21st Rapture bungle (probably won't). However, I decided that since the new patch is just weeks or so away, that this post should come first.

Before I get into upcoming 4.2, let me take a moment to comment some on 4.1. The revamped heroic 85 versions of old raids Zul'Gurub and Zul'Aman ended up providing a lot of fun including some new challenges not common with 5 man dungeons. Also, class balancing seems about right from this patch, and dps players were relieved with the return of potent AoE attacks. Finally, the dungeon call to arms system seems to have worked in lowering the queue times of the heroic dungeons released prior to 4.1, but the new dungeons still suffer from the 25-30 minute dps queue times. Overall, the patch gets 9 hot dogs out of 10 hot dogs.

Now to 4.2. This new patch will introduce a new raid and a new questing zone revolving around the story of Ragnaros and the Firelands. My initial feeling is that the idea seems really cool, and that something new is always good since Blizzard rarely fails on this game. However, I know that many long time players are starting to get annoyed with the repackaging of old content into new content such as the return of Nefarian, Onyxia, Zul'Gurub, Zul'Aman, and now return of Ragnaros. I know for me, I enjoyed most of the new content, but the question has to be asked if Blizzard is out of original ideas for this franchise. Stay tuned on that...

Now for the actual content:

New raid and questing hub! Ok, that comes out a lot more excited than I personally am for this new 10 or 25 man encounter since my current guild (and I stress current) is still stuck on Cho'gall, and haven't so much as pushed Atramedes or Chimaeron. However, for those with fully competent raiding guilds or groups, a new raid is almost always a good thing. As far as the questing hub, I haven't seen much of a preview or noticed what kind of gear or rep will be given from these quests, so whether this is good or not remains to be seen.

Lastly, some comments on the notes:

• There are various class changes that I won't comment on simply because there are a few classes with which I could care less.
• The turning of a BoE into a BoP if rolled on with a need roll is a much overdue mechanic that will help reduce the ninja factor some.
• Guild experience will be easy to gain for some of you in lower level guilds.
• All current raids are being nerfed along with t11 gear being now purchased with justice points making way for new t12 gear from the new raid. This puts the pressure on slacking guilds to get this content done before the new release.

There you have it.

X-Men First Class - A Review

Without a doubt, X-Men First Class is the best superhero movie of the year thus far.  I realize that with the competition in theaters this isn’t an incredible feat, but beyond being the best superhero movie, it may be the movie most worthy of your time and money to see.  Yes, it is a movie with people with powers that allow them to do astonishing things, but at its core it is an origins story of very interesting and flawed people that is very compelling.

The first origin we are introduced to is that of Erik Lehnsherr.  Young Erik was a Jew during World War II in Poland and we are introduced to the character at the time he and his family are being processed in a Nazi concentration camp.  Here young Erik begins to show his powers.  I won’t give away spoilers, but the events that take place in the camp not only define his life, but shape the course of the movie’s universe. 

We are also introduced to a young Charles Xavier, whom is also beginning to use his powers for the first time.  In stark contrast to Erik’s youth, Charles is one of wanting for nothing, except affection and a feeling of belonging perhaps.  It is obvious that Charles’ charmed life instills a sense of naivety and idealism that defines his actions as much as the horrors of Erik’s life define his.

I won’t outline the entire film other than to say it does a wonderful job setting up these two forces of nature and showing us how their paths, while once intertwined, are now very much divergent.  The story isn’t gimmicky as was X-Men Origins Wolverine’s was.  It was done as if it were a period piece with deep respect for the seriousness of the matters at hand, namely the aversion of World War III during the Cuban Missile Crisis.  It should be noted that Bryan Singer, whom directed the first two X-Men films in the franchise, was a producer of this film.  I personally thought the stories and issues of the first two films were what made the first films good, not the acting and the effects.  In X-Men First Class, it was definitely the story that makes the movie great.

The choices of mutants for what will be the X-Men and The Brotherhood of Mutants were interesting, it not altogether satisfying.  It felt as though the creative team tried too hard not to use too many of the same characters from the existing films.  If First Class is looked at as a prequel, the mutant selection makes sense, if not in the comic universe but the movies.  I would like to think of First Class as a new take on the universe, completely rebooting the franchise.  But the first films just came out within the last decade you say?  To that I say so what.   X-Men Last Stand and Wolverine killed any desire I had for that universe to continue to exist.  The one we see in First Class is markedly different for the better.  It feels more grown up and genuine.   

I can’t wait for the next X-Men movie to be released as long as it is in this same alternate universe with the same cast.  This movie has made me so excited for the series I would pay $15 right now to see it in theaters.  Until it comes out, I’ll have to wait with First Class reminding me just how cool the X-Men really can be.

Final grade = A 

Comic Book Movies of 2011: So Far, Not So Good

We are in full swing in the summer movie schedule and this year is no exception to having a plethora of comic book films.  No one should be surprised by this.  Comic movies have become all the rage in the Hollywood blockbuster hit lists.  Sure, there have been plenty of movies about pulp heroes over the past few decades, but things are really ramping up.  Rather than have this be an exhaustive and comprehensive list of this year’s movies compared to the ones of yore, we’ll just hit the highlights.

Priest

Priest is a movie that, on the surface, sounds like it should be interesting and worth seeing.  You have a dystopian society lead by a corrupt church with super soldiers, referred to as priests, fighting against vampires.  At very least the vampire angle should work toward this movie’s favor since we as a society have a fascination with the blood suckers (see the Twilight series and all the other vamp movies within the past five years).  The movie is based on a successful comic book series that has a fairly strong following, from what I am told.  I’ve personally read the stuff and I can say that I never will based on how bad the movie was.  The movie was released in standard 2D as well as 3D and I saw it in the former.  There is simply no way that the 3D experience was worth the upcharge theatres love charging.  I remember laughing many times at ridiculous scenes that the director clearly wanted another emotion conveyed.  I’m not saying I expected the film to be amazing in terms of story, but I like a little bit of substance to go along with the eye candy that was the violence and dessert scenery. 

I understand that the movie was based on a Korean comic.  I get that it had a large amount of violence for print media.  Honestly though, how does this not translate to a decent movie?  When you base a movie off of comics, you have the first draft of the story boards already drawn for you as well as the first draft of the script.  Even if you decide to change wildly from the source material as in the case of the Batman movies, you have something to go on.  With Priest, they banked on having 3D effects being the motivating force to see the film.  And it really showed.

The Green Hornet

First off, The Green Hornet is the worst movie I’ve ever seen in my life.  I physically made myself sit through it.  That said, I still didn’t pay that much attention, being distracted by a moving blade of grass that was more interesting than the film.  It is hard to blame the film being bad on one biggest issue unlike the Hulk movie starring Eric Bana (if that movie had a different director I think it could have been infinitely better).  The dialogue, acting, and camera angles, while at times were entertaining, mostly felt like they were there just to kill time in the most boring way possible.  There really isn’t much a difference between this film and other Seth Rogen films except that Rogen gave himself more dialogue and the moments of zaniness were way out of line with the feel of the film.  Only good thing in the film was when Rogen’s character made fun of Cameron Diaz’s being so old.  I know it was one character talking to another on film, but clearly Rogen meant every word he said about Diaz.  That was the only time I felt mildly interested in the film.  I’d love to continue ranting about how bad the film was, but I honestly don’t remember much about it anymore and I think I am blessed by my forgetfulness.

Thor

Thor is a movie that would not have been possible four years ago.  I don’t say that because of the technology, but rather because of the climate the movie industry is in.  Marvel started something they could not have possibly predicted with the success Iron Man.  Iron Man was definitely not one of the best known super heroes, but he wasn’t the worst.  He was somewhere between Spiderman and Daredevil in the nations mind.  With the overwhelming success of the Iron Man franchise, Marvel decided now is the time to have an Avengers movie.  For those of you who don’t know who the Avengers are, don’t worry because most people have no clue.  Just remember the Avengers are team of superheroes and you’ll be fine.  In order to have a team, you have to have characters to be part of the team.  This is where Thor steps in.  Along with Iron Man, Captain America (whom will have his own film later this summer), and presumably the Hulk, Thor will set out to defend mankind.  Before that, we will need to have some kind of an introduction to the character, what powers he has, and understand how a god from another realm has anything to do with Earth.

The movie actually covered all the bases and was entertaining, too.  I doubt that it will win any awards, but I can say that paying to see it in Real 3D or 2D would be worth it, especially at off peak pricing.  IMAX 3D would be a waste as the viewer gets nothing that special.  The visuals were good, the acting was good, and even the story was good.  Overall, I’d say it is my comic movie choice of the year thus far.

With X-Men: First Class, Green Lantern, and Captain America, to name a few, being released this summer, it is safe to say that Hollywood has caught the super hero bug.  I’ll do a few more pieces this summer about these movies and some of my favorites like The Dark Knight and Red (yes, a comic book movie).  Here’s to hoping the summer goes onward and mostly upward.  As the man said, Excelsior! 

Dragon Age 2

I recently finished Dragon Age 2. Here are some pros, cons, and other thoughts...

Pros:

• The storyline is incredibly personal to your character, and your party. No, you're not saving the world in this one, but character growth and development is greater than any RPG I've played -- Mass Effect 2 included.
• The combat is more exciting. Bioware implemented a more action oriented style of fighting that makes combat feel more exciting while keeping most of the combat tactics from the first game. The ability to quickly bring up the combat wheel to issue commands to party members is still there while not completely destroying the flow. Combat is improved from the first game, and this is honestly the point I seem to be totally disagreeing with most reviews I have seen; maybe RPG nuts don't know how to cope with an enemy ambush.
• Party forming allows for much more flexibility than before. In Origins, and most RPGs of this sort, you are forced to make a party consisting of a tank, healer, rogue, and one damager of your choice; while in dragon age 2, many characters have great survival talents that allow for you to make a party consisting of any 3 allies you would like. This has been the most understated value (if not completely omitted) in most of the reviews I have read.
• The rogue class was awesome... I look forward to trying the other classes.
• Imported stories from Origins help make your individual experience unique.

Cons:

• Specializations for each class are good, but not as great as they possibly could have been.
• "Boss" fights don't have a great deal of imagination, but they didn't really in the first game. (Actually, when I think of it, not many Bioware games have great "boss" fights)
• In Dragon Age: Origins, you traveled a great deal of Ferelden, allowing you to enjoy a great deal of unique environments. In Dragon Age 2, you are pretty much stuck in Kirkwall the whole time. For me, this was the biggest con of the game.
• A few eyesores with the graphics still remain. It honestly makes you wonder how this is the same company that produced the Mass Effect games.
• Unlike the first game, you don't have a choice of an origin. You will always be a human from Lothering.

There are many more that I could add to each list.

In the initial analysis, this game is an enormous departure from the first game. It feels almost nothing like a true sequel. The combat, storytelling, and exploration have been completely revamped for better or worse. The game isn't what you expect, and that can easily be disappointing.

Yet, in the final analysis, the game has to be understood for what it is: a very fun action-oriented RPG that isn't perfect. I had a lot of fun playing the game, and I would recommend it to anyone that isn't some sort of loyalist to traditional RPGs.

Rating: 9/10

(Proof reading is for pussies)

Good and Bad

Hello, loyal readers! Here are some brain droppings on things I like and things I don't.

GOOD: WoW PvP - Sure, it's not raiding, but the 20 sec queues beat 30 minute dps queues for heroic dungeons. The combat is typically unbalanced, but once I got used to not always winning, it became much more enjoyable.

BAD: WoW PvP "ragers"- This is typical with all online multiplayers. Ragers like to attack people using rude, offensive, and cowardly language that would get their asses planted if they didn't live behind the protection of the internet.

GOOD: Dragon Age 2 - A completely revamped version of the Dragon Age franchise that generates an exciting, interesting, and new style of RPG to the genre. The game isn't perfect, and tradition RPGers will cry since the game has been directed more towards people who enjoy combat and personal story lines instead of a gear manic and generic hero RPG.

GOOD: Tosh.0 - Basically, it's just entertaining youtube commentary, but somehow manages to be so much more.

BAD: Pawn and Auction television shows- I don't give fuck about your junk that you try to sell. I'm also sick of the tongue 'n cheek names for the shows. Pawnstars? Hardcore Pawn? Are we trading in old hookers?

GOOD: Mass Effect 2 DLC- I haven't even downloaded it yet, but I know it's good. Just trust me.

GOOD: Butler Bulldogs- For two straight years, they have managed to make college basketball interesting.

BAD: Butler Bulldogs...- And teams like them that continually fuck up my bracket.

BAD: Snow- It's almost April... enough with this shit.

That's it for now... ENJOY!

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

I just finished playing through the story mode of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. Here are a few thoughts...

1. The game is really fun
2. The game isn't too different from Assassin's Creed 2
3. Ezio's storyline is far more interesting than Altair's, and the first game feels kinda like the bastard child of the bunch.
4. Multiplayer might be fun, but I'm honestly not interested.
5. The main storyline continues to get weirder, and sadly, may be what ultimately undermines the series' longevity.
6. The Assassin Recruits are a neat wrinkle to the game, but not much more.
7. Combat is really fun and extremely easy to learn.
8. Doesn't really feel like a new game as much as it is a continuation from the last one. In fact, it starts almost exactly where the previous one ended.
9. To some degree, this franchise feels like the new GTA.
10. I look forward to the next installment in the franchise.

So basically, I liked the game, and I would recommend it to just about anyone.

Rating: 9/10

Petyon vs. Lebron

Hello, loyal JustBS.org readers (hi, Stephen). It's been a while since I posted something, so this may be a little rough.

A few days ago something unremarkable happened... the Colts lost a playoff game.

The New York Jets came into Lucas Oil Stadium, and ended the woeful season that was for the Indianapolis Colts.

It was a hard game to watch as a Colts' fan. Colts running backs continuously were tackled behind the line of scrimmage, defenders were unable to make any sort of stop in the air or on the ground, and Reggie Wayne was shut down yet again (1 catch for 1 yard if I remember right). The coaching was particularly atrocious with Jim Caldwell making some of the more confusing decisions I have ever seen, and quite frankly should be let go. Special teams, as I'll get to it, was ultimately the killer for the Colts' season.

The Jets on the other hand weren't exactly great. They couldn't cover the tight ends or the slot, and their quarterback, Mark "the dirty" Sanchez, was seemingly unable to complete a pass to his receivers without them having to leave orbit just to put their finger tips on the ball. However, they could run the ball with ridiculous ease, and that's how they were able to stay in the game.

Yet, through all this, the Colts were kicking off the ball with a 16-14 lead with less than a minute to go. Antonio Cromartie, who was returning kicks only because Brad Smith was injured, burned the Colts' special teams for a run back right around midfield. I knew the game was over then. Add a few simple completions by Sanchez with Indianapolis playing the "cover no one" defense, and the Jets were in field goal range. After a confusing Caldwell timeout (which NBC cameras caught Peyton Manning on the sideline throwing his hands up in the air in disgust), the Jets pushed a little further allowing for a game ending field goal. The Colts are post-season failures yet again.

This brings me back to the title. Throughout the years I have been watching Colts football, I have always believed that Peyton Manning was the best quarterback I have ever seen much like Lebron James is arguably the most talented basketball star. Much like Manning, Lebron spent most of his career on awful teams that were only great because he was on them. Just think of this, if Peyton Manning left the Colts, they would be putrid much like Lebron's former Cavaliers team is now. Even if Manning were traded for another good quarterback, say Aaron Rodgers of the Packers, the Colts would be much worse while the Packers would be Super Bowl favorites. Manning is the only reason why this team is good, and it's so obvious that he has to know it.

Manning, like Lebron, just finished the last year of his contract.

Now before you get into the franchise tag argument, try to remember what happened with Eli Manning on draft day, and you will understand that Peyton won't play in Indy unless he wants to.

So, here's the scenario...

Manning, fed up with the miserable excuse for a team by which he is continually surrounded (like Lebron), decides he, at very least, wants to "test the waters" of free agency. He signs with the Baltimore Ravens (a team that could actually play defense). He takes his new team to 15-1 record annihilating the Patriots in an AFC championship game, and he ends it with a Super Bowl victory. Would you blame him?

Could all this happen? no, probably not, but the fact that there's a chance is disturbing enough to me.

(Posting without proofreading!)

Predictions for 2011

Since everyone else in the world gets to predict what will be happening in the coming year, I'm going to take a crack at it as well.  Here goes:

1. Cthulhu will be discovered to be real.  However, it will be in the form of a kitten and will be humanly destroyed by an animal shelter.
2. M. Night Shyamalan will direct another movie.  And just like 95% of the other ones, it will suck.
3. Flying cars will still not be a reality.
4. Lindsay Lohan will be in rehab, released, and then arrested again.  I will still not care, Google News.
5. The Nintendo Wii will be awesome after the release of a game people actually want to play for more than 4 hours.
6. California won't break off from the North American continent.  Instead, Texas will.
7. The Wizard, my dog, will actually turn out to be a wizard and turn me into a newt in my sleep.
8. Hobbes, my other dog, will hump The Wizard until he turns me back.  Note, both are male dogs and fixed.
9. Updating Windows will stop being such a bitch.
10. The economic downturn will hit the World of Warcraft causing wide spread unemployment in Azeroth and massive inflation.

Pretty good predictions, if I don't say so myelf.