After having a Samsung Juke for the last year, I was finally eligible for my upgrade last week.  For reference, the Juke was an excellent that only had one shortcoming for me, and that was the fact that the spinning wheel on the front stopped working properly.  Other than that, I didn't need any form of internet/apps/etc. for the last year. 
 
As I went to the Verizon store, I was originally just going to pick up a Samsung Rogue or an enV3 Touch.  However, I was quickly drawn to the Blackberry Storm.  I liked the touch screen on it, but it meant upgrading to a data plan as well.  I decided that it would be worth the integration of Gmail capabilities, as that is all we use here at work to keep in communication with each other.  Nonetheless, they have stopped carrying the Storm 1 and have now moved to the Storm 2.  That's a $130 price difference, for anyone who is out of the know.  For $20 more, there was the Droid. 
 
Now, I've never had a smart phone.  I've always been one who believes that a cell phone is just that - a PHONE.  I didn't need a space heater, a toaster, and a goddamn microwave in it.  By that, I mean I didn't need all these crazy features like a 3G network, e-mail, GPS, internet, the works.  Nonetheless, now that I have a Droid, I realize that I still don't NEED the features, but they are nice to have there in those small moments of boredom. 
 
Let's talk about the phone!  It fits in the palm of my hand, but after so long with the Samsung Juke (which is super thin), it's odd holding this thing.  In comparison to the iPhone, it's about the same size.  It features a crystal clear 3.7" touch screen that runs at 240 dpi (higher than the iPhone), but the width is a bit smaller than the iPhone (when held vertically), which can make viewing websites through your browser a bit of a pain at times either vertically or horizontally.  It also slides to reveal a QWERTY keyboard that also have a four-sided "directional pad" and center button for internet browsing functions (even though you can still just touch the screen as well).  The touch screen is incredibly responsive, even with a small amount of extra "weight" to the touch functionality.  This helps prevent those moments of accidental tapping leading to bringing everything under the sun up, but don't mistake this for saying "the screen isn't sensitive".  It's still very sensitive indeed.  The only thing that is really lacking would be that there is no multitouch functionality (pinching and stretching with your fingers like the iPhone 3GS offers). 
 
The phone does have a bit of REAL weight to it, as it's slightly heavier than both a Matrix Pro or even a Blackberry Tour.  As far as heat from prolonged usage, the battery gets warm but it's more of that "mmm...warm blanket out of the dryer" warm than that "holy shit, this thing is going to set me on fire" warm.  Unfortunately, the back panel that covers my battery and myself have been fighting it out for who is the boss lately, as it is INCREDIBLY easy to take off.  Since the back of the phone has a thin rubber coating (which has great grip to it), this means that keeping the Droid in your jeans pocket can lead to a potential loss of your phone's back cover. 
 
As far as apps are concerned, the Android Market is already filled with tons of free and paid apps to cover almost every need.  For those worried about their iTunes library, Double Twist offers a great option to sync up any non-DRM iTunes data from your library.  What about social site apps?  Swift offers a great free app to handle your Twitter needs, Facebook app comes on the phone already (and offers almost all the functionality of the actual site, though there are still bugs being worked out), and MySpace Mobile...well...it's MySpace and very limited.  Everything from Pandora to Shazam to Last.fm is also available for free, and there are also a ton of free games on there as well.  You'll also find a myriad of soundboards available on the Market so you can customize your ringtones to spout quotes from Duke Nukem or Will Ferrell or even Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker.  There are also some really great apps that allow for deeper file management than what the phone already offers, so if you are looking for total control, you even have that at your fingertips.   Unfortunately, I feel like the Market in its current iteration is a little difficult to navigate, as there is little organization involved.  Hopefully, this will be fixed soon.  Otherwise, loading speeds for the apps have been pretty quick, less than an average of 2 seconds for all the apps that I've pulled up so far.  I have had very few force closes on the apps I've played around with, although there are apparently a ton of free apps that have massive force close issues.  Luckily, the Market does have a comment section and rating system, so you can find out if an app is worth downloading or not.
 
Call quality on the phone has been very high as well so far, and even the speakerphone option works well.  I don't have a Bluetooth headset, however, so I have not been able to test the functionality of that.  When it comes to typing in text, you have a very responsive on-screen keyboard as well as your slide QWERTY keyboard.  This is the part where I start to have issues.  Both work incredibly well, especially the QWERTY keyboard with also happens to be backlit for dark environments.  Droid also has a 5 megapixel camera for both stills and video, and while there is no on-phone video editing (at the moment at least), both function incredibly well. 
 
All in all, I'm thoroughly impressed with the Droid after sitting alongside my buddy and his iPhone for about an hour or two.  Is it as jam-packed as the iPhone?  Not at the moment, no.  Android is definitely a superior OS in comparison to what Apple is offering with the iPhone, but the iPhone is the veteran on the block with a massive upper-hand in terms of app availability (one thing that will surely become something to shrug about in the course of next year). 
 
If you are on Verizon or T-Mobile and have been wanting that iPhone equivalent to finally show up, I can say without a doubt that the Droid is definitely a contender.  However, I am just as skeptical about the longevity of Motorola's phone as well...solely based on the brand name.  I've heard great things about the HTC alternative, but the feature set for that is lessened from what is offered on the Droid. 
 
Verdict:  I feel comfortable with my purchase.  You will, too. 
 
P.S. - No purpose in coming in here and posting up your bullshit trolling, so save it for somewhere else.  If you have legitimate complaints and/or just want to discuss the differences between iPhone and Droid...then by all means, do so in a polite manner...please.

After four months of diligent work, I've finally hit the 40,000 gamerscore milestone!  SWEET! 
 
My original plans as displayed in my blog for 30,000 back in July was to break 40K with the Testikill achievement from the DLC on Stranglehold.  However, I wised up and decided to not waste $15 on shitty DLC.  I still wanted to milestone my 40K with something special, as I did with the Shadowrun Fever achievement back at 30K. 
 
So I purchased Darkest of Days, which is an absolutely horrific game that had a Quick Look up here on Giant Bomb.  Jeff mentioned that there was an achievement for punching a horse in the face and killing it.  I wanted to milestone 40K with that.  I seriously just couldn't keep playing that game for too long (glad I only paid $20 for it, but even THAT seems like a bit too much).  Instead, I milestoned by 40K with a worthwhile achievement like The Price of War. 
 
I would do like last time and display some of the games that made me through my past 10,000 points, but I don't bog you down with it since you can just look at my achievement progress for yourself if you feel so inclined. 
 
INSTEAD...let's talk about games!!! 
 
We got a couple copies of Left 4 Dead 2 here at work yesterday.  I wasn't really super psyched about this game like I was last year with the release of the first game, but it was mainly because there were other games to be hyped about.  After playing the demo, I wasn't anticipating it, as there seemed to be a ton of hardcore lag as well for no reason.  The same can be said of the retail game - absolutely fantastic game that has inexcusable lag issues.  The general flow of L4D2 feels much better than the first game throughout all the modes, as the level design has been pushed forever in a dramatic way.  The graphics are at least two-fold better than its predecessor, the dismemberment of the zombies is far more fulfilling for those looking to chop some fools up, but the biggest improvement is that there are plenty of modes to offer a ton of gameplay time.  While there are still plenty of assholes to be found online, the many different modes can prove to be incredibly challenging when you have two really good and focused teams pit against one another. 
 
The main new mode is Scavenge, which plays like Versus except you must collect gas cans and dump the fuel into a power generator.  Why you would have a power generator going in the middle of somewhere to attract zombies is beyond me, but whatever.  I bit the hook, it pulled me in, and it's an incredibly competitive mode that will prove whether or not you have the mettle to play the game.  Meanwhile, the Realism mode adds an extra layer of depth to the already amazing Campaign mode.  In Realism, there are no indicators to tell you when someone is being attacked by Special Infected, you cannot see their aura glowing through walls, and you aren't given any helpful hands as to where new weapons and health kits are located.  It makes the game marginally more difficult, but on the little bit of time I played today on the first level of an Expert campaign, it proved to be a massive challenge when you realize just how must you depend on those indicators to pop up for you. 
 
The big issue, however, is that Valve's dedicated server setup is laggy as fuck!!!  I'm to understand that switching over to local will fix this issue...but really, should we have to?  If anything, this and Modern Warfare 2 make me almost feel like there is some sort of agenda being played out to get rid of dedicated servers completely!  However, I won't turn this into one of those debates and will simply say that the lag can render the game nigh unplayable most of the time. 
 
Other than that...everything else is solid, man.  Great game and great fun all around.  Best Buy will have the game on sale for $35 on Black Friday, and there's NO reason to not pick it up at that time!  $35 is a goddamn STEAL! 
 
Before we picked up those copies, I played through Modern Warfare 2 on Veteran and did a few more Spec Ops maps.  MW2 on Veteran is pretty tame, as there is no more grenade spamming.  Instead, enemies will just camp around the corners...as if you haven't had enough of that already in the multiplayer!  It seriously felt like I was walking right into one of Jigsaw's Shotgun Traps every time I walked through a doorway.  My biggest helpful suggestion to those of you planning to go through it is this:  flashbangs.  Meanwhile, I've come to realize that Spec Ops might be some of the coolest shit ever!  It's a fun little mode that offers a serious challenge on some levels.  Unfortunately, I can't ever seem to get a game going unless it's with someone else in the store, as I have yet been able to hook up through the online with anyone that isn't sitting right fucking next to me.  So annoying, and it makes me realize just how inferior Infinity Ward's online setup....grrr....I'm seriously trying to refrain from bitching about Infinity Ward.  It's just getting more and more difficult. 
 
I'll leave it there however.  With such a big holiday season, what have you guys been jamming on? 
 
Until next time...piece.

Seriously, it's not.  I will make my thoughts on the game short and brief, then move on. 
 
Modern Warfare 2 feels like an expansion pack for CoD4.  That's not to say it's bad, but it's not the second coming of Christ.  It's just a good game, plain and simple.  Was it overhyped?  Fucking duh.  Did it deserve at least some hype?  Yeah, it's Call of Duty.  Am I happy about the PC version?  Nope.  Do people care?  Nope.  Nonetheless, I'm playing on 360.  I'm up to rank 40 and I don't see any end in sight at the moment.  Hopefully, it doesn't consume me like CoD4 did. 
 
Moving on from the popular (and overtalked topic) of Modern Warfare 2: 
 
2009 is almost over, which means we're going to start seeing some GOTY talk coming up.  This is always an exciting time of year for me in gaming, as I get to see what other people thought were killer games that deserve the highest of all praise possible.  Unfortunately, one of the issues I've always had is that many people forget about everything that came out before September.  While last year didn't necessarily see that same thing happen (at least, not at Giant Bomb), I feel like that statement might change for this year.  With games like Modern Warfare 2, Borderlands, New Super Mario Bros, etc. being released this month alone...as well as returns from Assassin's Creed and other big franchises, it seems like the playing field for the first half of the year has long been forgotten.
 
Seriously, can you remember any memorable games from early in the year?  I can, but can you?  Here's a small list: 

• Street Fighter IV - It's a terrific game, but given that it's a fighting game, does that mean it will really be considered a contender for GOTY material?
• Prototype - Fantastic game with some stiff difficulty and massive carnage, but the "competition" (namely Infamous) seemed to get more attention and better reviews
• Red Faction Guerrilla - Badass game with some of the best multiplayer of the year, but it's not MW2 or ODST, so will people consider it?
• The Maw/'Splosion Man - I'm sure these might get SOME form of recognition, but with Shadow Complex being the "cool" game, will Twisted Pixel get ignored?
• Killzone 2 - Lot of people loved the game, but how much do you hear people talking about it NOW?
• Dawn of War 2 - This game offered a unique take on the RTS genre, but will people remember it?
• Punch-Out! - Remember when the only thing people could talk about was Punch-Out!?  That didn't last very long.  Does it mean it's not GOTY material?

 
Until next time, piece.

 WALL OF TEXT

 
I'm not looking for a flame war (although I'm aware of how inviting this truly is).  I've been taking some time with my blogs to try and hit actual issues from a logical perspective rather than just talking about what I've been doing over the course of a week.  During this blog, I want to look at a massive issue - the war between PC and console gamers. 
 
The big question:  why is there a war in the first place?  Well, some will blame "PC fanboys" and "PC elitism"...and you'd be partially correct.  Others will blame "console fanboys" and "console ignorance"...and that's also partially correct.  I think the issue really comes down to ignorance on both sides, and neither is superior to the other.  Both are drastically different platforms, and due to recent events like Infinity Ward and id Software announcing a lack of dedicated servers in their newest IPs, it would seem that this war is getting pretty heated. 
 
I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure that piracy happens on both PC and consoles.  Yes, it's more prevalent on PC, but every time an argument starts up where PC users are angered about the loss of a typical PC feature, console users are quick to poke and prod with the "THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR PIRATING" argument.  Well, not everyone is a pirate, and even then, that comment makes it look as though PC is the sole platform for piracy...and it's just not true.  Unfortunately, due to the ignorance (not stupidity or any demeaning terms like that, just ignorance) of many console gamers, they don't realize this and instead try to paint a target on the forehead of the PC gamers.  Therefore, the next time a console guy wants to claim this argument, maybe you should take a closer look at the world of piracy rather than just commenting with a "fanboy" response.
 
PC gamers are no better, however, as they'll quickly use the "WELL YOU CAN'T USE A MOUSE AND KEYBOARD LAWLZ" argument.  Really?  Are we still going to use that argument after so many games have come out on the consoles to prove that they are fully competent of having good controls?  They may not be as super sensitive as the PC's control setup, and they may need aim assist to pull a little extra magic work into it, but games like Left 4 Dead and Halo on the console have shown us that sensitivity settings are steadily increasing.  So, the next time a PC gamer wants to wreck on a console gamer with this argument, think about just how dumb of an argument you are using.  Mouse-and-key DOES offer more sensitivity, but nowadays, it simply comes down to these words:  control preference. 
 
Dedicated servers and modding are two things that are featured in many PC games, and there are plenty of reasons for it.  The two biggest reasons?  Community and longevity.  Thanks to dedicated servers that are typically run by clans or groups, you can find a community of gamers that offer something the console rarely does:  friendly competition.  Sure, there are plenty of folks on PC that are trash-talking cumstains just like you would find on consoles (and vice versa, there are respectable players on console just like there are on PC).  Nonetheless, you typically can find at least two or three servers that offer some good conversation along with some good gaming.  Modding offers total conversions of games as well as new maps and features that can greatly increase the longevity of a game's life, as well as even offer an additional ease of gameplay.  A prime example of modding can be seen in something as simple as the interface of World of Warcraft.  Thanks to many mods like Recount, Auctioneer, QuestHelper, and Omen, WoW players are capable of having far more numbers to help their gaming experience be more focused and concise.  Moreover, Blizzard has taken a lot at many popular mods and found ways of implementing their own official interface reworkings to replace those third-party mods.  As far as the typical "modding" that people think of, you can look at things such as Garry's Mod or Battlefield: Desert Combat (which led to much of Trauma Studios being brought on at DICE to make Battlefield 2, and the rest going toward Kaos Studios to make Frontlines and the upcoming Homefront). 
 
Without dedicated servers and modding, this leads directly to a loss of community as well as longevity in a game, but it will also lead to positive things like more control for companies to prevent piracy as well as offering official add-ons for their games.  Nonetheless, many feel that these are "privileges" and even "rights" for PC users.  Guys...shut the fuck up with that argument.  It's pointless and stupid.  You are not owed anything.  HOWEVER, the PC is an open-ended platform for a reason, and developers trying to stifle features like this can cause a major blockage in terms of creative content to further game development creativity, as well as recognition of talent outside of the developers and publishers involved in the creation of a game. 
 
When tackling this argument, though, it's simple:  console gamers don't understand how important these features are to an open-ended platform like the PC, and PC gamers don't understand how vital it is to EDUCATE console gamers about these features rather than just blindly rage at them every time they are called a bad name.  Stop letting your goddamn pride speak and instead use your brain.  Don't insult.  Instead, help to push back the cloud of ignorance.  Not everyone is a computer whiz.  Now, sure, companies like IW and id Software are coming out of the gate and saying that ideas like dedicated servers are "archaic"...but does that mean they are dead?  No, it just means that publishers and developers alike are more concerned with making their games more difficult to pirate rather than trying to enhance the gaming experience for everyone involved.  Some developers have even taken steps to offer some tools to console gamers in order to show just how awesome PC gaming can be, i.e. the map editor found in Far Cry 2. 
 
The last thing that I bring up in this blog is popularity.  Yes, consoles are more popular.  Then again, at $200-$400 in their prime selling period, it's hard for them to NOT sell more than a PC.  Which one is superior?  That's a subjective ideal, as it's based solely on the play style of the individual gamer.  Some people don't need 60fps or higher while they play their games to be entertained, and PC gamers shouldn't try to speak down to those people because of it.  Meanwhile, console gamers shouldn't need to talk down to PC gamers because they prefer to play their games on the Monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey.  Either way you go, you'll get a way of enjoying an interactive experience, and THAT is the important thing.  Consoles can outsell PCs 100:1, but it doesn't mean either is lesser compared to the other in terms of anything other than performance.  However, so long as the game is being enjoyed, then what's it matter if it is at 30fps or 60fps?  If you feel the need to be that critical, then maybe you should spend some of that time trying to be a professional critic rather than trolling some internet forums. 
 
All in all, the platform war between PC and consoles is tiresome, guys.  I've personally seen far too many ignorant posts from both PC and console gamers in recent weeks that just don't need to be there.  A little more education, a little more teaching, and a little more restraint should be practiced rather than just outright flaming someone because they have a certain preference or they may not understand. 
 
I will say that console gamers might want to try a better demeanor when addressing issues that PC gamers have rather than throwing up uneducated answers like "HAHA PC gamers are getting shafted yet again" or "PC elitist fanboy tears taste good".  Meanwhile, PC gamers should really lay off their typical diet of "mouse-and-keys are better than controllers" and "congratulations on getting duped into buying our patches". 
 
Video games are an ever-expanding market, and there will always be change.  There's a lot of it for the PC that I personally don't agree with (and you all know what that concerns).  Meanwhile, there's a lot of change for the console that I don't agree with as well. 
 
A final question that I pose:  have any of you ever looked at your console and thought "when did my console become more about multimedia and less about games" and then looked at your PC and thought "when did my PC become less about multimedia and more about games"?  It's interesting to me how the progression of PCs and consoles continue to try and make one so much like the other...and then we see all this pointless arguing.  =  / 
 
Then again, maybe it'll be hard for people to take me serious when I have WSAD tattooed on my fingers.  Hopefully not.

Until next time, piece.

There are people that are pissed off about Modern Warfare 2.  Did you know?  If you didn't, wake the fuck up, man! 
 
The internet has been abuzz with what seems like daily bummers flowing out from Infinity Ward, Activision, and other sources in relation to Modern Warfare 2, the game that apparently bears a beard, long hair, sandals, and a couple holes in its hands and feet.  I was personally psyched about it as well.  However, that has changed.  But why?  Is it because of the game? 
 
No.  I haven't touched the game yet.  If IW's track record for making an FPS is any indication, I'm sure Modern Warfare 2 will be a completely capable first-person shooter, more capable than most.  I just don't like the feature sets.  With each announcement, it feels like another nail being driven into a coffin for something that I really don't want to let go of.  Let's go over a list of things and see what's going on in Camp Modern WTFuck 2:

•   No dedicated servers - One of the staples of PC games is the ability to have dedicated servers for game, which allow for two important things that have kept PC gaming alive for many years:  connection speeds and community.  Infinity Ward's response to these issues are that private matches are still available, and that matchmaking capabilities will improve your gameplay experience because you'll be teamed against people of your own skill level.  But will I really?  Red Faction Guerrilla has a matchmaking setup, and even with my team at blue bars (which basically means they are new), I'd still get a group of four silvers showing up in the matchmaking to stomp ass.  Halo 3 isn't that great for matchmaking either, but it is surely better than RFG.  Nonetheless, matchmaking doesn't depend on skill level - it depends on who is available for a match in that playlist at the time you are joining.  Any idea that TrueSkill or any other matchmaking setup actually creates a decently fair match is a misnomer.
• No mod community - Due to the installation of IWNet, Infinity Ward's new back-end server setup, community modding is essentially null and void.  This serves one major purpose:  IW and Activision can now charge for map packs across all platforms including PC.  My question here is why a company that started their development career on the PC would decide to cut the ability to offer mod abilities for the community, especially when a mod community can keep a game alive for many many MANY years after its time has drawn nigh.  People still play Call of Duty 2 in DROVES, and it's mainly because of the mods available for it.  I'm sure there is a way to allow the community to offer mods while also being able to charge for your DLC map packs and such.  Unfortunately, it seems there is no resolution in the end, and PC gamers will have to suffer.
• No PunkBuster - While PunkBuster may seem archaic to some, it's a proven way of keeping cheaters away from servers.  It does have its workarounds and its glitches...and it can even prevent a legit player from playing on a server from time to time...but in the end, PunkBuster has been put to the test through MANY games and it continues to pass.  Now, with the heavy usage of Steam in MW2, the game will now feature VAC.  Granted, with no mod community, there is less fear to deal with possibly getting kicked or banned...as most incorrect VAC cases were caused by simple mods.  However, VAC cases of kicking or banning are rarely overturned, even in many legit circumstances.
• Steam - This is a "love it or hate it" type of ordeal.  Personally, I work at a gaming center where we hold licenses for Steam, and even then, the functionality of it on a network using many other programs is quite difficult at times.  How difficult?  The only two games were run that use Steam are Dawn of War II and Borderlands!!!  If you are a personal home user, then maybe it's a different experience from what I see on a daily basis.  Even on my home computer, though, it can drive me nuts trying to get pre-loads and full loads and file transfers and install recognitions and everything else to work properly!

 
Each day up to November 10th, I feel like we're going to be given more and more disappointing news.  I remember being so incredibly hyped for this game at one point that I was virtually bursting at the seams.  Now, however... 
 
If Modern Warfare 2 were a person, I would tell them to get rid of a lot of the piercings and some tattoos and show off what it's really about:  the gameplay.  Unfortunately, they are overshadowing that gameplay with incredibly DUMB decisions in the game's different feature sets. 
 
What's next?  You can only customize a kit three times, and then after that, you have to call Activision so they can manually reset your ability to customize kits? 
 
So no...I'm not pissed about the gameplay.  Everything I've seen...as well as many others...looks goddamn excellent.  Unfortunately, I just can't support a company that is willing to add these unnecessary features to the game in order to INHIBIT a player's capabilities of enjoying the game.  Then again...it's Activision.  They want to take the fun out of video games.