Since we’ve been a part of Xbox Live since the day it came out in 2002, we can say that it is definitely the most powerful gaming platform. I’ve been looking at the PS3, and the Nintendo Wii, and can say that either of their online services is as expansive and seamless as Xbox Live. Finally, coming next month is the complete revamping of the service’s interface - is it still as amazing as it has been in the past?
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We hear about the Halo movie every once and a while. Mentions of the Halo movie have become synonymous with “eventually” and “we’ll probably never see it.” The Halo movie is like a submarine coming up every once and a while for a little bit before it goes back down and we don’t hear anything anymore. But, maybe today is different!
Mmm, Master Chief
Our friends at ThatVideoGameBlog.com let us know that screenplay writer Stuart Beattie, who also penned the screenplay for the in-production Gears of War movie, has come up with his version of a Halo movie. The writer had 3 months during the writer’s strike to write a script, and he came up with a story following the Halo novel The Fall of Reach, a prequel to Halo: Combat Evolved that debuted on the first Xbox almost 7 years ago.
The script starts from when the Master Chief, whom many fans know as John, was taken from his family as a child and forced into a secretive super-marine project. Stuart Beattie was willing to share some great tidbits about the script:
Anyone can connect with a kid kidnapped from his own home. You’re along for that journey. The Covenant comes along halfway through that movie. That gives you half the movie to really get to know everyone and care about everyone. (You can read the whole interview with Stuart Beattie at GameDaily.com.)
Since I heard about the Halo movie being possible, I was ecstatic about it. Back in May, I wrote a post, called That Halo Movie We’re Still Waiting For, which explained what would need to be set in place for a Halo movie to be successful. Now, I am hoping this script will break the unfortunate tradition of bad game-to-movie adaptations. Given the effort of Stuart Beattie, I think this script is the best yet.
I also mentioned the Max Payne movie, coming out this month, that might be decent. Bullet time has always been a fan favorite.
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Your dorm room television sucks. Don’t worry though, there are plenty of options for you that won’t make you broke in the wallet (because I know you already are). Unless you already have a great set-up, maybe a 46-incher, listen up because having the right television for your dorm room is just as crucial as having the right sound system to make staying at college the most enjoyable and have an eye-busting, ear-bleeding experience playing Call of Duty 4 against your room mates.
Unlike sound systems there are many, many more configurations you can think about for your room. If you are stuck in a smaller room and have minimal space for a television, you may want to opt for a built-in DVD player. There are some television models with DVD-players if you search for them, but we’re really looking for a television that has more capability to add things.
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Most of you have no clue what the hell is going on with the economy. From the way everyone is talking, you might be wondering how bad things are, how many people have lost their heads, and “is the Halo movie still being made?!”
I’m not particularly sure about the answers to those questions, but it seems that the gaming industry is left unhurt by the recent financial troubles throughout the country. But lets answer some others: yes, you can still play Xbox Live and continue on your quest for the level 50 in Team Slayer (if you aren’t by now, you must be terrible); yes, Guitar Hero is still addictive; and yes, The Force Unleashed is amazing (we said it would be).
We’ll say that gaming will always be around from here on. Why? Its just too damn fun to give up when everyone else gets depressed. That is why we play games, right? Gamers are also very superior, knowing how to budget for our entertainment, pre-order for $5, and pay the remaining balance by the time a sick game is released… and we’re good for a month or more. As a bonus, you can also buy some ramen noodles — the party is self explanatory. Eat, sleep, and trash talk n00bs. Who needs banks?
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When automotive companies face high gas prices, and a restless public, they have to make some crazy decisions… GM has made the decision to focus its power on the Volt, one of those hybrid cars that uses gas and electricity, instead of their usual gas-guzzling pickup trucks and SUVs. Why would I be talking about the Volt, though? Because it is butt-ugly with a great, fresh interior. GM makes me believe there is either something to be had, or something to throw out about the Volt before it even comes out.
GM officially unveiled the Chevrolet Volt last week, and it seemed to me that they were serious about being environmentally friendly. Their product has the “green” factor, as well as a great look at technology.
The inside of the Volt car is simply jaw-dropping: a technological wonder; but it has a little bit of Transformer-robot design ugliness on the outside. The interior has a unique dashboard, though, with screens and displays that show… well speed, among other things. It’s center dash reminds me of a huge Apple Ipod, sans the scroll wheel. Ipod design died a long time ago.
Cars are different because of the way people think about them. Think to yourself: did you think about a car because of the way it drove, or because of how badass it looked on the road? BADASS! The Volt, unfortunately, will either complement how “green” you are, or it will show people how geeky you are. There is no badass factor for this new Chevy, I’m sorry to say. If you wanted to be a “green” badass, look into the Tesla Roadsters (Teslamotors.com). Or, if you wanted to be a true badass, try a Camero.
If you’re a true geek, or think this is a great way to save on oil, the Volt comes out in 2010 with a price tag estimated at $40,000. Check out the Volt a little bit more, thanks to MyRide.com:
As always, the official web site is at Chevrolet.com/electriccar.
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There’s always artists that amaze me; and computer-generated art is something that always hits a certain “cool” spot in my mind.
In a land where egotistical gamers are everything — there are achievement points, trophies, and little icons that tell a gamer just how good their opponents are — cheats are still found in many, many games. Being a hardcore gamer, I can tell you that using a cheat code is frowned upon heavily! Honestly, if you aren’t good enough to beat a game without altering it by using a cheat code, then get off of my game. Play the game for what it is, after all you (or your parents) paid money for it!
What is a cheat code? Some combination that allows you to unlock such game altering mechanics like “invincibility mode,” and “enemies can’t see me,” and especially my favorite from Turrok 64, “colorful dancing enemies that won’t attack me. They just dance. That’s all they know…”
Cheat codes are also a way to tell people that you can’t actually beat the game. On the Xbox 360, if you turn on cheat codes, you won’t even get achievements for the things you accomplish — which is what the rules should be. Some games, however, just have cheat codes that defeat the purpose of the game even being considered something that can be “beaten.” The upcoming Rock Band 2 is said to have such a cheat code that will unlock every song in the game so that you don’t have to sit there and actually play the game.
Even developers are agreeing that their games are just pieces of entertainment and not actually anything more. Games aren’t games anymore, you don’t play them, you just use them for fun like. Back in the day, people competed against themselves to see how many levels of Pac Man they can get through and see what score they could get. What happened to that? It sounds nerdy now, but at least its classier than using cheat codes just to get through a game.
You can’t cheat at life… or maybe you can. Some say that if you hit: up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start, you will get 10 gold stars, and a level up. Don’t cheat if you can’t get through a level, man up and beat the level yourself even if it costs you blood and tears. No pain, no gain.
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Sony has created a monstrous laptop indeed — 18.4-inches of screen and motherboard, and even HD goodness. It has all the sweet features that you would expect for today’s HD-craze, but with a screen that is large enough to be seen from space! Remember when you’re mother said that you shouldn’t sit so close to your television screen, the same should apply to your miniature computing device called a LAP-top. If a computer is on your lap, does it make sense to have a screen so large that it could double as your actual television.
At over 18 inches, about the width of some average-sized microwaves, the Sony Vaio AW is probably a lot more than your legs can handle. What is the point? You can’t take it to class, its not that portable, and its most likely not going o be that cool; with all of those moving parts and graphics processing it would definitely need great cooling fans. Also… it weighs more than the average baby at over 8 pounds.
There is a time when bigger is not better. When larger, more expensive, isn’t as leet. This time is now, Sony. We want our laptops small and portable, and our desktops loud and hot and expensive — not the other way around. Smaller, is definitely better here, folks. We advise that unless you’re really blind and need an 18-inch laptop (rather than a full-sized desktop computer capable of much, much more), we suggest looking past this latest Sony goliath of a laptop.
Truly, if you are interested, look at Sonystyle.com for some options. The laptop is on pre-order until September 18.
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We haven’t exactly introduced anyone to what exactly “leet” is in our minds. Here we are rambling about entertainment, gadgets, and everything in between, yet we haven’t exactly told anyone what being “leet” really entails. First, “leet,” or “l33t,” and even “3l33t” is a geek-created term for something or someone that is “elite.” However, “leet” is also considered a geek language, Leet Speak — replacing letters in words with numbers to make it look cryptic and hard to read; symbols may also be used. Here’s an example:
Th3 l33t car tu2n3d l3f7 1n70 the McD0n41ds. Or, even more cryptic, 7}{3 1337 c@2 7u2n3d 13f7… There is a great Wikipedia.org entry on Leet, if you are interested on learning more.
There are a lot of ways you can make leet speak, it all depends on how well you can create letters using numbers and symbols. However, back to the single word, “leet.” Obviously, as mentioned before its meaning is something that is proficient, or superb; originally as in hacking and accomplishment. Since we think the Internet has helped the mass spread of people that know what leet is, we can use the word for much more than simply gaming and hacking. WhatsLeet? is here to show you the best of the web, and culture around the Internet in entertainment, gadgets and everything in between.
It is our job to inform you about everything that we think would make you a much cooler person, and jolt your inner awesomeness from 0 to being the person with leet knowledge. If you don’t feel like more of a badass by reading our web site, then you should read it again. Obviously.
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Microsoft has taken further steps towards injecting some life into the Xbox 360 console’s floundering sales this week, officially announcing yet another long-rumored price cut to the entertainment system. Scheduled to come into effect September 5, 2008, the price drop will set prices as follows in all major retail vendors:
The price drop comes as little surprise given the continuing success of the Nintendo Wii- attributed to its casual gamer-friendly price point -and the recent thriving of Sony’s Playstation 3 system. The timing is no doubt strategic, given the upcoming release schedule of such high profile games as Fallout 3, Far Cry 2, and Gears of War 2 on the Xbox 360 console. However, we cannot help but wonder why Microsoft did incorporate this price reduction with a similar price cut made by the company only a few months prior.
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