The Console Wars Have Begun

The next generation of consoles are coming and already the response to the features, specifications, exclusive games, and price have drawn both praise and condemning responses. This past E3 showed what each system was offering this coming holiday season including games, accessories, and the consoles themselves. PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Wii U are now going all in to win over the people, but two of these consoles have already stumbled out of the gate. Both the Wii U and Xbox One have both failed to meet not only their own expectations, but the public too has voiced their distaste for the systems. I will admit I am biased towards Sony's PlayStation, but how both Nintendo and Microsoft have handled the next generation consoles is pitiful. Unless the Playstation 4 has a major set back than I don't see The Xbox One of the Wii U taking over Playstions 4's huge lead.

Nintendo's Wii U is so far the only next generation console on the market, which gives it a lead over PS4 and Xbox One, but not by much. The Wii U offered some new and interesting methods of gaming, such as the controller being a tv screen, and it more for casual gamers or people who are fans of Nintendo's games. In E3 Nintendo displayed many games that include many of their most popular characters and series, including the new Super Smash Brothers. But this seems a little too late for the Wii U, the console has been on the market for 7 months and it sales have been nothing but minimal at best. The near nonexistence of system exclusives since its release has been possibly the biggest weak spot of the Wii U, which many if the games featured in E3 should have released with the Wii U. Nintnedo's lack of exclusives since releasing the Wii U has hurt the company tremendously and with PS4 and Xbox One nearing their release, the future looks bleak for Nintendo.

The Xbox One has been possibly the most negatively revered console in years to the point where bricks and rocks seem more fun. With inability to play used games, An internet connection every 24 hours, and privacy concerns, the Xbox One has already angered many people in the gaming community. Not to mention the Microsoft Executive who told anyone who doesn't or cannot make the requirements for Xbox One should buy a Xbox 360. I will admit I'm not a marketing expert but if your trying the get people the latest product, don't tell them to buy the soon to be obsolete model. I will give Microsoft some credit for going back on many of the requirements the need for a internet connection once you buy the console to set it up still isolates many people who live without internet. Microsoft is doing its best to regain its fan base since its announcement, and they are listening to all the criticism to make their console better. With all the poor marketing, initial requirements, privacy concerns and the price of $499 per unit it seems the Xbox One is already dead in the water.

The PlayStation 4, has been so far the only console that is really aimed at the gaming community. Sony learned a lot from their handling of PS3, being released a year later and more expensive than the Xbox 360, and have promised a lot and delivered. As I said I'm a Sony person so there is some bias here, but the reality is Sony hasn't made any of mistakes that Nintendo and Microsoft have made with their systems. With that Sony didn’t just sit back and watch, they noticed the faults and took advantage and have received outstanding reviews from many media outlets. The PS4 is proving time and time again that its the system of future and its showing in the numbers of pre-orders and sony's own sales have exceeded their own projections. Though interestingly enough when I pre-ordered my PS4 at my local Gamestop the Xbox One slots were already filled and I was the fourth to last for PS4. Sony has come a long way from the its mishandling of the PS3 Launch and the lessons it learned have served them well in the PS4.

CCR Revisited

In one of the best artist collaborations in a long time, John Fogerty has done it again with his new album “Wrote a Song for Everyone”. Best known for his days with Creedence Clearwater Revival or CCR as well as his solo career, John Fogerty has brought together a variety of artists to help in rerecording songs from his days with CCR. Some of these artists include Kid Rock, My Morning Jacket, Bob Seger, and the Foo Fighters all with John Fogerty providing vocals and guitar. The songs themselves are fantastic and offer a new vibe to these classics, like the Foo Fighters rendition of Fortunate Son, which took it from a grass roots rock to a more hard rock sound. Albums like these are few and far between, mostly because this album is for anyone and everyone young and old.

If there was one band that would be considered the most underrated, It would be Creedence Clearwater Revival. They were from an era of music that produced such artists as The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, and The Rolling Stones, which filled the airwaves. Though many of their hits like Fortunate Son, Bad Moon Rising, and Born on the Bayou are played regularly on classic rock stations. I grew up listening to the many songs Creedence Clearwater Revial have made and hearing them in a different tone with the contributing artists own flair is incredible. Each artist in the album brings their own unique sound to the table which will definitely appeal to people who haven't heard CCR or John Fogerty before.

The album itself contains songs from John Fogerty's days in Creedence Clearwater Revival and a few new ones. The numerous artists that have been included range from the Hard Rocking Foo Fighters, the country sound of Keith Urban, and the old time rock and roll of Bob Seger. Though to no surprise, Fortunate Son featuring the Foo Fighters is the first song, which as I said is a great take on the old classic. Born on the Bayou with Kid Rock and Who'll Stop the Rain with Bob Seger sound just like the originals right down the roots rock gritty guitar and vocals. On top of the old stuff the new songs Mystic Highway and Wrote a Song for Everyone featuring Tom Morello are amazing in their own way. The numerous other artists included make this album a unique work of art that will be a favorite of mine for years to come.

Master Mind F#$@ed

What do you get when you mix an ex British Security Agent, a school filled with the children of ten richest people in America and a hacker rebel skater……. You get Masterminds……. What were expecting Paul Blart Mall Cop Two?  No in 1997 two years after what had appeared to be the final Die Hard Movie.  A movie hit the screen with the tag line “The criminal mastermind of the century.  Just met his match.”  To say nothing else to not go into the levels of depravity and one liners, you can say this movie is cheesy, a Die Hard light, or Die Hard Rip off.  And you would be right on all accounts.  But either way lets dig into this shit hole of a movie and see if we can’t find a nugget of gold.

The movie starts out with our main character Ozzie.  Ozzie is your typical everyday….. wait what the fuck is that a dial up internet cloaker program?  Ugh already this movie even for it’s’ time the technology is outdated.  A V.23 modem in 97 was out of date as V.23 ran at 1.2K during a time when 56K was wide spread and in use.  Lets also look at the fact he is hacking into a MOVIE STUDIO by playing a gaming which is by far the weakest excuse for security even with a one minute time limit to quote “find the exit”.  Even if this was a viable security protocol WHICH IT ISN’T why in the name of god’s green earth would you make your security that easy to crack into?  You find out in the morning scene that Ozzie has hacked into the Studio to get a pre-release copy of Scream 2……..  Wait so you mean to tell me Dimension Film Studio was hacked into and brought down by a 1.2k modem and a joy stick…….. WOW Movie….. Wow.  

That aside, lets continue on shall we.  Ozzie after being caught by his father who just so happens to also be a computer wiz and extremely wealthy……. Okay one quick point you work as an executive for a multibillion dollar company and best friends with your boss who owns the company and you can’t afford to have the latest Technology in your home………….. words they fail me at this point…. Words fail me.

Ozzie is punished by his step mother Helen who tasks Ozzie with bringing his step sister to school Shady Glen.  Shady Glen a private school for the overly privileged children of wealthy families, and the place of origin for Ozzie’s misbegotten rebellious phase.  In which we meet Raif (Patrick Stewart) the new Security consultant to Shady Glen.  After one last prank to the security guard at the gate it is revealed that Raif Bentley has plotted to and has taken over the school and inadvertently trapped Ozzie in the school also.  

The plan is simple siege the school, hold the children of the ten wealthiest people in America ransom and get away via tunnels once you have the cash and leave the cops to think you are leaving by demanded helicopter…..  At least the plan in Air Heads made more sense.  Back to the story, wait the children of the 10 wealthiest people in America go to the same school.  Movie you are making this so hard for me to show your shining moments.  

So Bentley and his band of miscreants siege Shady Glen and proceed to hold all the children until such a time when a negotiator is called in.  Demands are made and the ransom on the ten children continues on until the money is delievered.  Problem, during this time Bentley and his crew are being messed with by our Rebelious Anti-Hero Ozzie and his multitool walky talky….  I would seriously love to get the specs on this thing cause it did a lot of shit.  Had an impressive range, had built in wires to take control of the the loud speakers, and I am pretty sure it controlled the TV as well I could be wrong.  Through out these shenanigans ozzie finds himself in the security control room.  Which instead of doing something smart like disarming the school and breaking the terminal  he proceeds to get a few bits of info and lock the door.  Really genius boy?  You can wire a security system to auto wipe your hard drive, modify a walky talky into an all purpose tool.  Reroute a security camera feed to view porn.  But all you can think to do  is a get a list of names and lock a door when you have full access to the school’s security brain.  John McLane you are not sir.  

Despite all the plot holes and obvious facepalm moments and out of wack story telling on the director’s part.  Masterminds is brainless fun.  If you do not pick at it to much and shut off what you know to be true it is bearable.  The shining moments come from the two leads Patrick Stewart while not particularly taking the role seriously makes a convincing villain over acted at times but hey what can you do it was a paycheck right Patrick wink wink nudge nudge.

Overall I give this move six out of ten.  Masterminds tries to take itself seriously but it fails so hard.  I mean can you honestly tell me that you don’t watch a train wreck as it happens.  This is a guilty pleasure for me and I do find myself watching it from time to time when I am feeling like I need to watch something to make me laugh.   

Metal of a Different Variety

            After a nearly two month hiatus from concerts, I saw three energetic and badass bands that have recently gained much deserving mainstream success and radio play. Eye Empire, All That Remains, and Volbeat all put on an outstanding performance that really spoke to me. The bands themselves come from various different variations and genres of rock and metal that really complement each other while giving the audience a diverse experience. I would recommend anyone who enjoys hard rock or heavy metal to see any of these bands if they get the chance. These bands deserve all the radio airtime and attention that any band is getting right now for not only putting on a great show, but for being a great people as well.

            Eye Empire is a band that I personally only heard recently and occasionally on the radio, and I thought they were decent. After the show, this all changed, I am now a fan of them with not only their great music but their dedication to their fans, specifically military members who deserve our thanks as well. Eye Empire is really something else, they a combination of a hard rock sound with a little industrial and heavy metal mixed into their songs that give it that extra kick. In most concerts, the first band to play isn’t usually one that the audience goes to see or gets involved in, but there are exceptions and Eye Empire is one of them. These guys have only been around for a couple of years, but they have a lot of potential and I am hoping for more material to come out really soon.

            The next band to play was All That Remains, who also have gotten really popular with their recent single Stand Up, Stand Up. My friend who also attended the concert with me had used that particular song in her fashion show recently, and she even made a sign hoping they would see her. When they began playing she held up the sign and the lead singer Philip Labonte noticed and said “That’s F***ing Awesome”. He even pointed it out to the other members of the band who smiled and laughed as well. When their set ended the bassist had given my friend a water bottle and in it was a guitar pick, which is something you hardly ever see anymore.

            Other than the my friend being acknowledged by the band, All That Remains was incredible with how they sounded just like their albums. If you haven’t listened to them before, Do it, they have a variety of sings that are all over the rock and metal spectrum. Songs like Stand Up, Stand Up are more for hard rock and metal listeners, while Two Weeks and This Calling are more for Metalcore and Melodic Death Metal Fans. I have only recently started listening to them, but they certainly won me over on how well they play. All That Remains is a band I would see again and again, their take on metal is honestly one in a million.

            The Headliner, Volbeat, was next and I was interested to hear them because songs like Heaven Nor Hell and Hangman’s Body Count are just great. Like the other bands that were playing Volbeat was a rock band but they added their own flair into their songs. Even though these guys are from Denmark, you can hear that true American rock and roll sound from guys like Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash into their songs. Just look at their logo it’s a skull with wings and hair like Elvis’s and when they started playing ring of fire it was just amazing. Out of respect to the recent passing of Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman, Volbeat began playing an excerpt from Raining Blood. All the bands that played were incredible and diverse in their genres of music, which made the whole experience beyond what I could imagine.

Da Vinci's Demons: A New Look Into The Man Who Defined The Renaissance

            Leonardo Da Vinci, known throughout the world as one of the greatest minds in human history, along with being the most revered person during the renaissance. His genius and intellect spread to numerous interests including painting, sculpting, architecture, mathematics, Engineer, inventor, and geologist. He has been portrayed in various other forms of media including Assassins Creed II and its sequel, Assassins Creed Brotherhood, where he made equipment for the games main character. In the Starz TV series, Da Vinci’s Demons, elevates Leonardo Da Vinci from supporting character to full-fledged action hero, who uses his superior thinking to overcome any obstacle.

            The series portrays Leonardo Da Vinci, Played by Tom Riley, when he lived in the city of Florence and was busy working as a painter as well as an inventor. The show mainly focuses on not only Da Vinci’s life but the political and social happenings surrounding the renaissance. The episode features such powerful figures of the renaissance such as Pope Sixtus IV who seems to be concerned with Leonardo. This is due to Leonardo being contracted by the Medici family to rival the Vatican’s growing power in Italy. During this time Italy was divided with numerous kingdoms and city-states fighting for power including Florence, Venice, and the Vatican.

            The scenery of the sets and the city itself are stunning with great CG affects that make Florence come to life. In my honest opinion, the show resembles the video game Assassins Creed II with so many famous landmarks that can be seen throughout the show. The programs portrayal of Da Vinci’s thought process itself is incredible as it just doesn’t reveal the genius but also sometimes the madness that people like Da Vinci inspire from. There are many people that describe him as a heretic or as deviant, but that what makes him so unlike any other person at the time. Though the greatest quality was not letting this stop him from expanding his knowledge to point where he far beyond his time and it’s still hard to fathom what he was capable of.

            As a character Leonardo, is quite similar in many aspects but different in other compared to other forms of media. Such as in Assassins Creed II and Brotherhood, where Leonardo is often doing numerous tasks at once while helping the Main Character. Now that he has become the Main Protagonist, he uses his understanding of the current situation to be able to take action. His willingness to fight a battle, regardless of the circumstances, is impressive and shows that one must use his mind to overcome any obstacle set forth. Leonardo himself, I feel, is a combination of numerous qualities that can be seen regularly in television shows, movies, and video games.  This includes Doctors Who’s, Jack Harkness’s willingness to fight and sexual appetite, Tony Stark’s superior intelligence, inventive skill and flash, even The Doctors ability to analyze any scenario. Da Vinci’s Demons is quite the conspiracy laden program that draws viewers deeper into the plot and also offers the action, sex, and drunken debauchery that we all enjoy to watch.

Kickstarting The Generation Nerd into gear

Seeing all the Kick Start projects cropping up around the internet.  I am thinking of doing something similar for this site.

What Kick Start is.

It is a site that allows you to set up an account completely dedicated to taking donations to get you to a set limit so you can effectively run your project.  It is all donation based and money gained is used to better the project and nothing else.  People who start Kick Starts usually give a list of things of what the money will go to if they reach their desired limits and benefits they can feasibly dole out to their supporters.

Before I fully consider this Kick Start Idea.  I want to finish putting together a team of  contributors and future Podcast hosts for the site. 

Let me know what you think in the comment section and remember to geek out.

New Who and The Count Down to the 50th

March 30th 2013 marked the return of Doctor Who to BBC.  The Bells of Saint John was an amazing episode.  The kick of to the second half of Series Seven was amazing.  The Doctor has had his down time he has mourned the lose of the ponds but like any other addict..... he has replaced his addiction to Amy with the new girl Clara Oswald the twice dead girl.  Interesting fact about the character of Clara.  Clara's birthday is the same day as the anniversary date. And her second death date to her second birthdate makes her exactly as old as Doctor Who was when it was initially cancelled (1989 -1963 = 26).  Could Steven Moffet be trolling us again.  Moffet does tend to get off on trolling his viewers just to let you know :) .

March's Count Down to the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who brought us the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) His start and the following episode.  Three was a more action based Doctor than his predecessors he was as Steve Moffet describes him A James Bondized Doctor. Meaning he was very tech heavy and not past getting his hands dirty in a fight showing off martial skills not present in the prior doctors.  Three for those of you who do not know, was trapped on earth by the Time Lords following a Trial on Gallifrey where the Doctor was forced to Regenerate to pay for his crime of breaking the first law (Not meddling in the affairs of other races as it could rewrite their histories.).  Three was partnered with U.N.I.T an earth based group tasked with defending the earth.  Much like Torchwood but more military based in order and structure.

This month in April.  Be prepared for Tom Baker as the 4th Doctor and one of his specials :)

Edit as news is becoming more and more clear for the 50th anniversary

David Tennant has been confirmed as a guest star for the 50th Anniversary, him and 9 and 10's companion Rose has also been confirmed.  Rumors still circulate that nine will be there as will eight.  I am so hoping eight comes along for the ride

From the Doctor Who Facebook Page Tennant and Smith After wrapping up the script reading for the 50th Anniversary