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DO you have what it takes to save the planet? Ready to be a hero? You may not be, but Commander Shepard is, in the swan song in Bioware’s amazing sci-fi role-playing trilogy, Mass Effect 3. We took a brief look at it last month in a preview, but now there’s no more guessing, anticipation, or camping out in front of your local store. It’s here. Is it as bad ass as you think? Luke Brown of Games Radar gives a constantly updating walk through of the game:
The Reapers have invaded and it is up to Commander Sheppard to gather the galaxy’s forces to stop them. With the massive branching storyline that encompasses the events and choices of the first two games and characters who may or may not have been vaporized by a nuclear bomb it may be intimidating going into the next game knowing the fate of the galaxy lies in your choices. Luckily, we’ve put together a handy walk through to guide you through the entire game.
Shepard is requested to meet with the Defense Committee about the Reaper threat. As the committee debates what to do about the incoming attack, the European front comes under siege. It is too late to prepare, as the Reapers have started their invasion. The communications with Europe are cut short, and the Reapers appear just outside the chamber window.
Objective 1: Rendezvous with the Normandy to escape.
Admiral Anderson and Shepard appear to be the only survivors of the blast that took out the chamber. Follow Admiral Anderson out the window, and across the outside of the structure.
As you make your way across the rooftops, you will encounter a small group of Husks. Take them out, and then proceed down the ladder with Anderson.
Once you drop down, a second small group of Husks will appear. You will have to take them out with melee attacks. After defeating them, a Reaper ship blasts the building Shepard is standing on, opening a way inside.
After entering, make your way to the door on the left. A Husk will pop out. Eliminate him, and then proceed through the door, and into the building.
A short cut scene will play, and Shepard and Anderson will find themselves in another part of the building. Pick up the ammo, and then follow Anderson out the window.
As you make your way across the destroyed building, a Reaper ship will destroy a Drednaught. The resulting explosion causes a shockwave that sends Shepard and Anderson careening down to the rubble below. There you will encounter two soldiers hiding from a group of Cannibals. Take them out.
To see more of Luke Brown’s walk through, see the whole thing at Games Radar here, and help Commander Shepard save the world.
With Christmas charging hard fast, Q101.com Blogga Comicbookjockey looks back, lovingly, on the days of yore in gaming.
I love nostalgia. There are so many things out there that can make you think of, or feel something you haven’t in years. A chilly winter’s day comes to mind for an example, or maybe a fresh rainfall. Everybody has something that reminds them of a “better time.”
For me, my “triggers” are video games, but not just any. Don’t get me wrong, I love games, and gaming, and my Xbox, and embarrassing people online playing Halo, or Modern Warfare. But my heart belongs with old school: the classics, retro games. I grew up during the days of the NES, Sega Master System, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, and the like. Systems like this were such amazing pieces of machinery when I, along with a lot of you, was kids. My first system was the NES. My mom used to drag me to a laundromat by our apartment when I was 5 that had the a-typical claw machine, a few Atari game cabinets, and Super Mario Bros. I was so obsessed with that game, I would drop quarters, and play for the entire two or three hour time span we were there. I was undeterred that for months I was unable to get past world 6-2 (curse you, pits!). Yes, I remember it: standing in front of that cabinet was a defining moment of my life, even if it has, in reality, just started. And when I found discovered that there was a home game system I could play Super Mario Bros. on? I blew my stack!
I sold my mom and dad on getting it for me for Christmas, by telling them $200 for the system would be cheaper than giving me 3 dollars in quarters once a week when we went to do laundry (Yea, I know the math. The point is I wanted it.) That was the beginning. A few years later, along came Super Mario Bros. 3, which, of course, is still to this day one of the best selling games of all time. It blew kids and game experts of the time out of the water. There was a magazine called Nintendo Power that every kid with an NES had a subscription to it seemed. We thought nothing of running up our parents’ phone bills, calling the hotline for tips and tricks in those heady days. It was a great time to be a kid, and to be into video games. And, to think there was more to come. Much more. It boggles the mind!
By the time Mario 3 came out, we were drooling on ourselves by the release of the Sega Genesis, which was considered the start of the “next generation” of games. Due to my extremely spoiled nature as a young child, I had a Sega Genesis given to me for Christmas in 1990. It was bundled with Sonic the Hedgehog. AMAZING. I couldn’t stop playing it. The sense of speed in the game, the battles of the spiky blue speedster against the rotund Dr. Robotnik….the ecstasy of having to stay home from school “sick”, only to, with a “heavy heart”, play games all day! In 1991, The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, arguably one of the greatest systems that were ever released, ignited a brutal battle between Nintendo and Sega. Both were Japanese companies at their core at the time, yet they also had U.S. extensions: Nintendo of America and Sega of America. Do you, like me, recall the commercials they rolled out mocking each other? The same games being released on both consoles? That caused madness in the industry, and just as much insanity with people practically mauling each other. Wild tales swirled about regularly of parents getting into fights (my mom did on 2 separate occasions for games I wanted).
The SNES was the system that put out the legends, and was the beginning for role playing games. The SNES eventually started using “mode 7”, which was the technology to flatten, spin, and make polygons, simulated 3-dimensional scenes, and graphics. It was revolutionary. Super Mario World, F-Zero, Pilotwings. To this day, a decent amount of the SNES library can still hold its own today. After that, came the Turbo-Grafix 16, the Sega CD, and attempt to go after the Super Nintendo, as the SNES could produce, maintain, and had a pallet of colors at least double that of the Sega Genesis. The next generation, came the Sony Playstation. The Nintendo 64, and my personally favorite system ever, the Sega Dreamcast. Then you had another generation, with the original Xbox, and the Playstation 2, and the Nintendo GameCube. And, we all know where we are at now, with the 360, Playstation 3, and the Nintendo Wii.
I love it all, but none of this will ever hold a candle to the excitement, and the better times of when I was younger; not a care in the world, spending time at school with friends talking about games, and sharing, and showing each other how to get past the most impossible parts of games. It was a world and a culture more so than it is today. The games today look amazing, and there were a lot of times where the advances in technology just left us wanting when you go back and play games from 10, 15 years ago. Like I said at the beginning, everyone’s got something they do, or experience that makes them think of, and feel that jump backwards in time, where your stomach floats, and you feel so happy and smile, that you’re almost embarrassed. This is mine: My parents yelled at me for being glued to my little world in my room, with all my game systems, for hours on end. Note: Don’t chastise your kids for loving video games or anything in general. Without video games, I would have never had an appreciation or the skill in art that I do, never would have gotten into comic books, science fiction, etc. Video games, no matter what age you are, are the gateway to so much more. To this day, there are people out there that give games a bad rap, and chastise people for playing them, or buying them for their kids. It has nothing to do with moral compass, or any of the things you hear from those pissy people trying to make themselves famous, by complaining about something they’ve never even tried. You’re allowed your opinion, just like I am allowed mine. And now, with a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that says states making laws limiting the age someone can buy a game based on content, there’s going to be more of them out there.
But that should have happened a long time ago. The state, and certainly not a retail store, is there to parent your child. That’s your job. Teach your kids the importance of differentiating fantasy from reality. If they like games, don’t let them miss out on something amazing, because of some violence. It’s a different time, and world to be a kid now, but everyone should have a chance to see if the next disc they put in the tray will be the one they go back to in 15 years for a smile.
By Q101.com Blogga “Comicbookjockey“, a guy with too many opinions, and too little time. He’s crass and articulate, and enjoys hot sauce, talking about nerdy stuff, and cleaning up after himself. Too see and hear more: The Twitters, The Website,The Blog, The Email
Think you have what it takes to be a Q101 Blogga? Prove it: http://bloggas.Q101.com
We all love technology, don’t we? Well, at least if you’re reading this, you do, or you’re very “tech-curious”, which is of course nothing to be ashamed of. One of the most interesting, multi-faceted pieces of technology out in the field today is the Xbox 360. You can’t deny it’s a solid gaming system (and a movie & music streaming machine Netflix and Last.Fm after connecting it to your PC for infinite possibilities of what to watch).
Now, there’s more: Microsoft announced a deal with almost 40 TV/entertainment providers around the world in the 20 plus countries that the Xbox 360 is used. For the United States this partnership is with Comcast, and their Xfinity On Demand service, which consists of thousands of movies, and TV shows. Also, you’ll be able to browse through the on demand catalog using the Kinect “gesture” controls. Further partnerships for entertainment content in the U.S. include: Bravo, HBO Go, SyFy, and Verizon FiOS. Also, The Xbox in the U.S. will have content from ESPN (already available), and UFC. Both of these sports streams will feature pre-event videos, HD, and live events for ESPN, and live PPVs for UFC.
Interactive Entertainment Business President at Microsoft Don Mattrick had this to say: “Today’s announcement is a major step toward realizing our vision to bring you all the entertainment you want, shared with the people you care about, made easy,” “Combining the world’s leading TV and entertainment providers with the power of Kinect for Xbox 360* and the intelligence of Bing voice search will make TV and entertainment more personal, social and effortless.”
This is not a completely new venture for Microsoft. Approximately a year ago, AT&T partnered with The Redmond, WA. Software giant to put their U-Verse live TV into Xbox systems, with a personalized and interactive display. And that was 12 months ago, only the tip of the iceberg. Now, Microsoft not only has partnered with services in the United States, but also the United Kingdom’s BBC and Sky, TELUS and Vevo in Canada, and You Tube in 22 Xbox markets around the world.
This looks to be a promising deal not only for Microsoft, but Xbox Live subscribers in every country that has the service. Coupled with the “fall” Xbox dashboard update, this winter’s big entertainment and gaming push looks to be one to be remembered for a while.
Go HERE to see the full press release.
Q101.com honors a man who thought outside of the proverbial box, who broke rules, and ignored critics. We find it oddly ironic that the sheer lightening speed with which the world is learning of his passing is due, in large measure, to the devices he helped pioneer, to technologies he helped transform. Steve Jobs and people like him are in no small part responsible for the fact that Q101 is able to live on without a radio transmitter. Think Different Indeed.
Here’s what Cnet is reporting, following by some thoughts from our very own tech/gadget Blogga.
Apple co-founder and Chairman Steve Jobs died today. He was 56.
Jobs had been suffering from various health issues following the seven-year anniversary of his surgery for a rare form of pancreatic cancer in August 2004. Apple announced in January that he would be taking an indeterminate medical leave of absence. Jobs then stepped down as chief executive in late August, citing his inability to “meet my duties and expectations” stemming from his illness.
In a statement, Apple said paid tribute to its one-time leader as ” a visionary and creative genius” adding that the world had “lost an amazing human being.”
“Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple,” the company statement said.
Jobs “died peacefully today surrounded by his family,” the family said in a statement, which went on to thank the “many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve’s illness” and promise a website for those who wish to offer tributes and memories.
But tributes and memories were already flowing in from political leaders, titans of Silicon Valley industry, and from ordinary Americans.
READ MORE HERE
Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/10/05/scitech/main20116338.shtml
Q101 Tech Blogga Comicbookjockey weighs in on the passing of a titan:
I remember being in 5th grade, and sitting in front of a computer with sharp, flat angles-very simple-with the picture of a multi-colored apple on it, playing Oregon Trail, frustrated that my wagon busted a wheel, or my unhelpful family died from Dysentery. Those were my first experiences with an Apple computer. They continued to grow after that. Being a rather “special” child, according to my father, I enjoyed art, games, and especially design. Through high school, and college, I immersed myself into the slowly emerging artistic programs, and capabilities of Apple’s computers, as did a lot of people around the country.
Steve Jobs was born Feb. 24th, 1955. He was raised by his adoptive parents in the city of Cupertino, California, the locale where he decades later started his company.; Of course, it flourished into the powerhouse of simplistic, functional technology it is today. Always one that had to have his hands and mind in everything Apple was doing, his business sense, and work ethic were responsible for things like iTunes, iPods, iPhones, iPads, and the line of desktop and laptop computers that are sold today. Yes, it is true: Apple’s products are more expensive than others, but as an artist, I consider the technology I use an extension of myself, and in itself to reflect my creativity.
The design of Apple’s products is simple: Silver, white, black. As few external pieces as possible. Its software code gives us a simple interface, but complicated enough to make it neigh impossible to contract a virus (I’ve tried).
Jobs carried around a rep of being a workaholic, and settled for nothing less than complete perfection. His was a great example of the “never-give-up” attitude that drives people and business to new heights.
In 2004, he let his employees, and the world know about a battle with pancreatic cancer, even going as far as to undergo a “secret” liver transplant in 2009 during a medical leave of absence. He stepped down from the position of Apple’s CEO in August of this year, but going out on what many see as beyond the top. This last summer, the company that he helped build into what it is, had more cash on hand than the United States Treasury, and was more valuable than Exxon Mobil, and lived, for a brief moment, as the world’s most valuable business.
I learned of Steve Jobs’ passing a matter of minutes before I began writing this, and I won’t lie: I was overcome with emotion for someone that I had never met, but have the utmost respect for. I admire him both for the words I have heard come out of his mouth, as well as for the things he helped create that I use on a daily basis. I did not think, or plan, or make an outline for this at all, I felt that what I feel right now after hearing this saddening news would give me enough focus to put some paragraphs together about a class act in a turtleneck, with a grasp of technology, and design that I can only hope for in time.
RESPECT.
By Q101 Tech Blogga Comicbookjockey, a guy with too many opinions, and too little time. He’s crass and articulate, and enjoys hot sauce, talking about nerdy stuff, and cleaning up after himself. Too see and hear more: The Twitters, The Website, The Blog, The Email
Wanna be a Blogga? http://bloggas.Q101.com
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