The Nintendo Wii is Still Relevant

Sigh. The Nintendo Wii.

A few short years ago Nintendo couldn’t keep these things in stock. My own wife literally hunted for one for months for my birthday, and that was a year after its release. It was a tiny, beautiful little white console that lacked even a semblance of the power that the Xbox 360 and PS3 offered.

Heck, it wasn’t even much more powerful than the previous Nintendo console, the Gamecube.

Yet, what gave the Wii its undeniable charm wasn’t high end graphics or raw power, but instead a slew of quirky Nintendo details and the very unique and desirable motion controls.

The Nintendo Wii

Over the years, the Wii has sputtered; the Xbox has surpassed it in sales and developers have appeared to move away from the console. And yet, the beautiful white box is probably my favorite console of the five I have at home (Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo 3DS and the Sony PSP are the others if you’re interested).

Many considered the newest “Legend of Zelda” game, Skyward Sword, to be the Wii’s last hurrah.

And what a wonderful sendoff it would be.

Skyward Sword is everything that makes Nintendo, the Wii and video games great. But this post isn’t about Zelda.

Skyward Sword was a fantastic adventure.

This has been a big week for Video Games. The recent release of the Playstation Vita – a beautiful machine worthy of all the drool you can muster – has dominated the headlines while the inevitable Vita vs the 3DS articles have hogged up more bits on the web than the latest Penthouse video.

Okay, not quite.

(And, while we’re talking about it, can I just point out what a waste of time 3DS vs Vita comparisons are? It’s the same as comparing the Wii and the PS3. We get it, the Vita is powerful and has beautiful graphics. Move on already.)

On top of that, the closed beta for Guild Wars 2 was this week, and it is rightly a big deal in the media.

However, the big news this week was hardly talked about at all. Barely even mentioned. What news was this?

Ahem. Nintendo is bringing the game “The Last Story” to the United States.

Yeah, doesn’t sound like much does it?

See, Nintendo bringing The Last Story to the US is a big deal. A very big deal. For one, there were several games that US gamers were originally not going to get for the Wii. One of those was announced last year and is called “Xenoblade Chronicles”. It will be arriving in April for North America.

Gamers who own a Wii rejoiced everywhere in North America. This is a game we had  been clamoring to get for years. Beautiful graphics, great story it was a shame this game wasn’t coming to us.

This is the box art for Xenoblade Chronicles. The only text is along the spine!

Wii gamers wanted this game so bad that when it was release in Europe many of us hacked and modded their systems at the risk to bricking them just to play this one game.

And the ones who did, and paid to the premium to import the game from the UK – to a one agree that this one game was worth all the risk and hassle.

But the real game everyone wanted, was The Last Story. Importing from the UK wasn’t an option, because the game wasn’t available there either.

See, The Last Story is made by Mistwalker, a development studio in Japan that is headed by the guy who made the Final Fantasy games. You know, the good ones. Not that crap they have now.

As an added bonus, Mistwalker also created what is probably one of my all time favorite games ever, Lost Odyssey, for the 360.

So a new Mistwalker game is a thing to celebrate, and this game has been on most of our radars for a long, long time. Nintendo, however, has been adamant that it was not going to leave Japan. With no other games on the horizon for the Wii, those of us who love Nintendo’s small but wonderful console were left, well, sad. The announcement of Xenoblade Chronicles was a beautiful thing, but The Last Story was what we really wanted, needed.

But no more. The Last Story was announced by Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo America, today (feb 22), on the Nintendo Direct webcast. To sweeten the deal, Nintendo announced that the localization was going to be done by XSEED, the studio that also localized the Ys series and Trails in the Sky games for the Sony PSP, which were wonderful games and masterfully done.

So, the Wii still matters.

And there was much geek rejoicing!

Ships! That float! (And Fly!) Yes!

Things I want…

Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness (PSP)

I have a problem. I like to buy things. Things I don’t even need often; I read about an item, hear someone talk about it, or just see it, and sometimes I’ll start obsessing over it. I start googling it and reading what other people say about it. I start looking for it on Ebay, or Amazon, or a million other places.

I try to fight against the urge; I’ll remind myself I don’t need it, don’t have time for it right now, maybe later, or that I don’t have the money for it at this point. Sometimes I win. Sometimes I start to convince myself of reasons why it’s okay to buy it. It’s cheap, I just want to collect it, it comes with this thing or that thing, I saved 20 bucks today so I can justify spending $9.99… it doesn’t matter.

It can be a book, a game, a car, a vacuum, whatever.

Ultimately, there’s something wrong with me. I realize this isn’t normal, but I’m not sure how to fix it. Yet anyway.

So for the time being, I’m going to add entries to this blog called “Things that I want”.

I will talk about whatever the item is in detail, and list out why I want it. Then I will list why I don’t need it or shouldn’t get it. So like a pros and cons list but that exercises my mind.

Hopefully, this will allow me to push whatever it is out of my mind. It’s not that I can’t get it if it’s something I really want, but maybe I put it on a “wish list” or can decide to get it later.

I guess we’ll see if it works!

The first item is a game for the PSP called Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness.

Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness

How it came up: I had a discussion about the PSP with a friend today, about how I liked the system and thought it was really well done. After the discussion I was reading the PSP forum over at gamespot.com, and found myself in the “recommendations” thread. I thought “cool” and browsed through it, seeing if I agreed or disagreed with the OP (original poster). In the “Strategy” category, I saw a screen of this game and wanted to learn more.

Why I want it: Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness is a strategy/rpg which is a genre that I really am intrigued by. These games offer a mixing of strategy, which I like because it’s a thinking man’s game, and fantasy which appeals to my interests strongly. RPGs tend to have good stories and characters that cause strong emotional ties by the end of the game. Like reading a book, it’s a really good escape and makes me feel like I’m a part of the story and people inhabiting it. Blending in the strategy aspect into that makes for a lot of fun and personal experiences.

What others think (Quality Control): Most reviews of this game are very positive. Across the board most gamers and media agree this is a good game that is well worth the time. Gamespot notes that the strong points of the game are a strong replay value, excellent voice acting and memorable characters, funny and charming. Gamespot goes on to praise the game’s outstanding gameplay and visual design.

It definitally sounds like something I want but I should just buy a game because some website says to, should I?

HELL NO!

What I think: The game looks beautiful, and sounds like a game I’d love to play. But do I really need it?

Why I don’t need it: For starters, I have quite a few games already in my collection that I need to finish before I buy another game. This one’s not going anywhere; it’s not like it’s some rare gem that I’ve been trying to get my hands on forever and just now found a copy of and it’s a really good price and if I don’t get it now I may never be able to for a reasonable price. (See Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride.)

In this genre alone (Strategy/RPG) I have Tactics Ogre and Jean d’arc, two very highly rated and excellent games that I have yet to even scratch the surface of, both for the PSP. So essentially, I’d just be buying yet another game that is in no way different from what I already have waiting to be played. Do I really need to spend $22.99 (Amazon, my preferred drug dealer) on a game that’s very similar to two I already have just waiting to be played?

I think the choice here is clear. 

Conclusion (or verdict): Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness looks like a great game, and it’s something I’d really like to play. However, spending the money on it while I have other similar games to play is simply a waste. The purchase would serve nothing but to fuel my own selfish desire. If I had finished TO and Jean d’arc and wanted to trade them in for Disgaea, that may be different, but a purchase now is in no ones best interest, not even my own. That’s $20 bucks I could spend on my daughter, or use to take my wife to a comedy show. For those reasons, Disgaea needs to go on the wishlist for indefinite future.

How I Would “Like” to Book Face

This is my response to everyone’s rally to “hate” the new Facebook layout.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I particularly like it or anything. To be honest I didn’t really notice anything had changed until I saw everyone’s outcry.

Instead, I’m going to express what I want Facebook to do for me, as a user.

The biggest thing that Facebook changes that causes the largest panic is the news feed. I agree with most people, I hate the news feed. I typically loathe the spam-like messages I get from different companies I have “liked”… wait a minute.

Yeah, I realized that Facebook wasn’t what I wanted it to be, because I hadn’t made it what I want it to be.

What I had made it, was my spam inbox with pictures (but no nude ones, which is a problem). Then I made a second realization: the changes that Facebook keeps implementing, are there so that I can make it what I want it to be.

So what do I want it to be?

I just want a place – one central place – to chat with friends and share stories and pictures. Just a place where everyone I know, who are scattered about across the globe, have one place to connect.

So I got busy; I “unliked” all the things that were just spam; really, I like Thundercats, but I don’t want to read about them every day. I used the new subscription settings to hide all the stupid Facebook game updates, and limit what I was shown from friends that I don’t talk to that much anyway (I don’t want to see that some guy I knew for 1 month 10 years ago is now friends with someone I don’t know. Sorry, I just don’t) and expand on what is shown to me from people I care the most about – like my wife.

And that has always been my problem with Booking Face. I was always mad that I could miss a post from my wife, but I know that some guy I really am only associates with just checked in and got an rectal exam.

And I’m not going to say that now it works how I always wanted it to. But it does work better than it did.

That being said, this is how I really honestly wish Facebook ordered things in the news feed:

1. Updates from my Family.

These should always be on top. Always, always, always, always. I should never miss something from my family. This should just be a rule. Below that: Close Friends.

2. Close Friends

Facebook now lets you distinguish between “friends, close friends, associates, family, family types, and more”. Use that. If I put someone in a close friends or family type group, put them right below family. Exception: game updates. I don’t care about my wife’s farm, period.

3. Next layer down, just regular friends. You know who these people. People that you know, and care about, but they’re not in your day to day circle. This is where that person goes.

4. Associates. We all have them on facebook. That guy that liked our post and wanted to be friends but that we’ve never really met, know anything about, or have anything else in common with. They go here.

5. Informational updates. What’s an informational update? It’s anything that goes like this “Bob just {insert information here}” also include anything from a “Company” and not a “Person”. Exception: You or a family member are tagged in a post or picture.

6. Everything else. All the rest of the junk that comes with Booking online Face goes here. ESPECIALLY anything with the word “repost”. This crap is spam, it’s a waste and it should always be on the very, very bottom.

Anyway, that’s what I think I would like to see from Facebook. I give them my personal info, I should get something back considering how much they make selling ads and my information.

What do you think? Am I wrong?

This is What Kills Your MPG.

Red Lights: The Enemy

We’re all on a quest for fuel economy. With rising fuel costs in the United States, turmoil in the Middle East and fierce competition from China and other eastern powers, it’s only government regulation that seems to keep us going at all.

Peak Oil looms – the point where oil consumption surpasses oil production – and new reports of drying up oil fields in Saudi Arabia only lend to increasing costs and panic. Supply and Demand will raise oil prices beyond anything imaginable, and greedy oil companies will only be happy to take more of your money. (Hey, I never claimed to be unbiased.)

The sad truth is that we take our consumption of oil for granted. Sure, practically everything we use is derived from oil. Plastics, electricity, hell our entire food delivery system is dependent on the stuff. But one place that we know we can stabilize our oil consumption is with our cars.

In the United States, we’re drivers. We drive everywhere. It’s not because we’re lazy per se, we just really like cars, dang it! But a lot of our cars get really crappy gas milage. So what can you do to increase your fuel economy? Simple.

Stop stopping.

Yeah I know, that sound counter intuitive. But think of it this way, kinetic energy is what keeps your car going. Well, yes, it’s actually the engine that keeps the car going, but the reason why you can maintain a constant rate of speed without burning up a whole lot of fuel is because of kinetic energy. When you hit the brakes, you convert that energy into heat, which is useless. Plus, you have to then accelerate, which burns a lot more fuel energy than it takes to simply maintain a constant speed.

So what can you do?

Well, first, understand what burns fuel in your vehicle. Any time you accelerate you burn fuel at a very high rate. Aggressive driving is bad for your MPG, not only do you accelerate fast and hard – a sure way to guzzle up fuel in any vehicle – but you also have to brake a lot which is counter productive. Instead keep a steady constant speed. Use kinetic energy to your advantage.

Know what is happening in front of you. Looking at traffic ahead, instead of just at the guy you’re behind, will help you judge when to let of the gas so you can avoid hitting the brakes when you shouldn’t have to. Of course, if traffic is stopping then you’ll have to as well, but you shouldn’t have to be hitting the breaks just to slow down gradually.

What about technological advances in Hybrid or Electric cars?

I’m glad you asked. The hybrid car is a good way to save fuel. Gas-Electric Hybrids can cut your oil consumption considerably, because they offload a lot of the work from the combustion engine onto electric batteries. Some of these will even take the heat you produce while breaking and convert it back into electric energy to recharge the batteries.

Electric cars are another alternative. They aren’t new at all, GM made an electric car in 1996 called the “EV1”, though for reasons that are still debated they destroyed them all.

Today, electric car technology is making a comeback, and it’s pretty damn exciting. However, some electric cars are too pricey to ever make it into the mainstream (A Tesla Model S is projected around $50k).

But all that is changing. Introducing the Nissan Leaf.

Go Green. Or Blue.

The Nissan Leaf is Nissan’s solution to the Prius. Except it’s fully electric. Plug and play, literally.

Fully electric means two things: One, you’re saving a lot of gas, obviously. Two  you’re putting off *zero* emissions. That’s right, no fumes or waste goes into the air. The Leaf runs off an 80 kW AC synchronous motor with a 24kWh lithium-ion battery. What does that mean? It means it can go up to 90 miles an hour with a range of 100 miles before it needs to be recharged.

This is no golf cart.

The New Vroom?

And it’s a pretty nifty little ride, too. ABS, regenerative brakes, a palm shifter (so futuristic!), push button start, Bluetooth, and more come together to make this a cool little eco friendly car. Plus, you can get it for about $26k after tax credits, which is significant.

The Leaf can be charged off of a regular outlet, but a 240 (like the one your dryer runs off of) will do it much quicker. Still, pull over for the night and plug it into the motel outlet and you’re good to go.

But nothing’s awesome like a little competition.

Yeah, it's a Chevy.

Meet the Chevy Volt. It literally kills the Leaf in looks alone. It doesn’t look like an electric car, it looks like a sporty sedan, which is a huge factor in the race to build a viable electric car.

But the volt isn’t all electric.

Instead, the volt it’s a hybrid, but not like you’re thinking. Unlike the Prius, you plug the volt in.

Or Not. Up to you.

The Volt has a gas engine that helps generate electricity. Using the generator the Volt can go up to 375 miles before you need to plug it in or fill up the gas tank. Don’t feel like plugging it in? That’s cool, it gets 40 MPG running on the Gas Engine just like any other car. Using the generator? 93 MPG. Beautiful.

And it comes with all the goodies, just like any top of the line car. All this for an amazing $32k after tax credits.

Technology is coming a long way with helping us kick our foreign oil addiction. Sure, we still use oil to produce electricity, but electricity is much more efficient (not to mention clean) than gasoline. It’s such a win/win for efficiency and the environment, that even the Navy is getting in on the action.

And the market is growing too. Just looking at the Volt makes you excited about car technology in a way that hasn’t happened in years. And we’re just starting to see the rise of these new models and technologies.

And man, the future looks good…

SSL joy

Not really a joy.  I have to rekey our exchange server’s cert tomorrow.  Happy happy joy joy.  I have to make a new crm because the ssl authority only does 256 bit now, which I should have done anyway.

Give me a break it was two years ago!

Need to upgrade from windows sharepoint services to sharepoint foundation server 2010. Yikes!  It’s a microsoft product so upgrading should work… right?

Also… posting this from my phone.  Niiiiccceee….

Later all.

Windows Live Messenger 2011

Windows Live Messenger 2011.

Facebook and Twitter integration?!

This should be interesting… =)

Ready for a good time? Then don’t use OpenFire…

I mean that too. Openfire, as best I can tell, is completely worthless.

Well, okay not completely. I guess if you got a lot of hard drive space just sitting around doing nothing, and you need something on it, well openfire is your program.

For those of you not in the know (or as I like to call you: “The Lucky Ones”), Openfire is:



Source: http://www.igniterealtime.org/projects/openfire/

So after downloading, installing, fiddling with the LDap settings for two hours, and (finally) finishing the installation, I launch the program.

Now, I should tell you, I was installing this to use as an IM server for my enterprise network. I set up LDAP to connect to my Microsoft Active Directory, which, by the way, took forever because while the program would connect to LDAP with no problems it would not search the directory for users. I eventually figured that part out and carried on.

So here I am, logging in for the first time after the install finished. I’m sitting at a screen that tells me I have two options: close Openfire or Log In to Openfire. I click login. I enter my username and password and…

… and I can not log in.

I start and stop the service, I reboot. I search the forums and I finally find this thread:

This goes on and on for pages. Basically, because of this bug, if you DON’T already know that you need to restart the server after install, you can never log into the install. Ever. You have to reinstall.

…

Uninstall… I choose YOU!

You’d think they would, you know, put that in the readme or something.

Anyway, avoid this like plague. Maybe version 4 will be better but for now sorry Wil Wheaton, I love you but this open source program is open garbage.

(No Linux users were harmed in the making of this post. TwiTards however, were.)