E3 Thoughts

With the opening of the Video games Industry annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3 for short), brings major buzz that will ripple throughout the industry for remaining year and beyond.The E3 conference has been the go to place for the video game Industry and does not plan on changing anytime soon. Over the years we have seen the rise of the casual games market via Wii, Nintendo DS and recently apple products Ipod and Ipad . The casual market has been great for the industry and has brought in a great amount of revenue and casual gamers into the fold. But, as the casual games market has risen, traditional games are becoming less frequent do to there large budgets for example Red Dead Redemption budget was estimated to be over 100 Million.

The "hardcore" gamer is no longer the industries central focus,there are still games that cater to this audience be it , Modern Warfare 2,the Halo series and the God of War series and have shown great sales but,based on the indications of the E3 we can all see were the trends of the industry are currently heading.Both, Microsoft and Sony are currently planning on releasing there own motion controllers this fall the Kinect (formally Project Natal) and Sony's move. The major differences is Kinect is remote free while PlayStation Move uses a wand and analog stick similar to the Wii remote and nun-chunk.The Kinect seems to be focused on the casual Wii gaming market with Kinectimals and kinect Sports etc.While the PlayStation 3 is working a two pronged attack with the casual and hardcore with games such as the Eye Pet and hardcore games such FPS with Killzone 3 .

I can understand why Sony and Microsoft are going for motion control hardware do to the success of the Wii;The Wii was able to find the market that played very few games or never played video games before.The problem with the Wii is that most of the software is shovelware.Unless you are a Nintendo developed game sells have been sluggish for third party developers,EA, capcom etc.But, they are cheaper to make compared to there big budget counterparts which sometimes does not make a profit for the company.Just hoping that someone will develop interesting games rather then mini games collections;This technology has great potential case in point Child of Eden; which is innovate and allows people interact more then REZ ever could. Motion controllers are not going away anytime soon much to the chagrin to many people in the industry and hardcore gamers alike. Motion controllers can be beneficial to the industry as a whole.But, give people more options and new innovative ways to play these games rather then the slew of dance,fitness and mini game collections. I do enjoy that both Nintendo and Sony's Press conferences had a great mix of traditional games and a mix of family and party oriented games.Which will be beneficial for the video games industry to expand and the potential for the casual video game player to eventually play traditional games. Time will tell where the industry will be heading to but I look forward to hear more news coming out of this years E3.

Rule #32: Enjoy the Little Things, Part II

IT'S A TRAP!!!


Maybe that's why they were a one-hit wonder.


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Seriously bro, not one sip?


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Never having met you!


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Also, what do those other 49 stars on the American flag stand for?


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Note to self: delete friend after reading.


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Apparently she likes it too.


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And you said I would never learn anything watching MTV.


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Well played, Google.


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Who am I to judge? I like yogurt up my ass and a popsicle stick in my mouth.


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Pwned by Grandpa.


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And I would do anything for love, but I won't do that.


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Duh.


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Dad, FTW


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You're right. Mine is way worse than your bike incident.


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If that doesn't work, try using different colors. Works 80% of the time, 50% of the time.


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I'm just glad he didn't ask what "marble cake" was.


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Five of these six things are true: can you spot the lie?


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Yes, who can forget the day when former Vice-President Aaron Burr shot and mortally wounded former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton in a duel?


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Aww, look. Newt Gingrich is writing again.


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Very classy.


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At least Bristol won't get pregnant again.


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Fool, your attempts at being happy have only made me more determined to stop you!!!


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Good luck with that.


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No. This is definatly worse.


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I'm loving it!


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Totally. He was all up in that shit.


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No, she mean't capitol... like in Washington D.C.



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Oh, while you're reading this...


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Or what? Oh... my... a-God!


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You know that I could use somebody.


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Mmmmmm... barbecue.


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You'd be Führer-ious with yourself if you didn't buy this chair!


Nearly six ounces of juice were drunk during breakfast alone.


P-P-P-P-P-Pikachu


But he didn't shoot the Times New Roman.


Morpheus: [amused] You think that's a door you're entering?
Neo: Whoa!


Guy 1: Is this heaven?
Guy 2: It's Iowa.


I don't know what it is, but I love it!


God damn Arizona, take a chill pill.


I imagine this did not go over so well on 9/11.


Tim was always playing with his night stick, he just thought that he would now get paid to use it.


What happens when I buy two of each?


Dammit! Why didn't anybody tell me before I made the trip down here?

Artist Watch: Serena Ryder

With a dauntingly powerful voice that is as tough as nails yet still earnestly insecure, Serena Ryder makes a dramatic introduction into the music business with her debut album Is It O.K.

The obvious similarities between Ryder and numerous artists are one of the unique factors to her persona – it would seem that some very different artists influence her heavily. For example, her vocals are reminiscent of artists such as KT Tunstall, Johnette Napolitano (of Concrete Blonde fame) and Brandi Carlile, but her overall style seems indicative of apparent influences by Mellissa Etheridge, Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Natalie Merchant and Norah Jones.

There are many highlights to this artist, including an acoustic variation of the often-overlooked Bruce Springsteen song “Racing in the Street.” And while she shines performing someone else’s work, it is her original works that really stand out. Granted, she's not at "The Boss" level yet, but her lyrics are ripe with a biting and sharp-edged attitude. Ryder dazzles in what is sure to be a bright career.



A Little Bit of Red – Think KT “Tunstall’s Black Horse and a Cherry Tree” with more attitude and swagger. Ryder not only matches Etheridge’s grit on this track but she manages to slide in a can’t-help-but-sing-along chorus that leaves a lasting impression of haunting malice and fury. The crown jewel of her album, expect to play this track repeatedly.





Sweeping the Ashes – Perhaps her second best track, this lyrical gem tells the story of a person whose youth was washed away from a relationship that’s love has expired. The partner decides they want out, leaving the narrator to blast out their frustrations. It has a bit of a 3 Doors Down feel to it, but the lyrics are much bolder and carry her message of dejection loud and clear.





Last Night I had the Strangest Dream – This cover of Ed McCurdy's classic anti-war ballad sounds like Natalie Merchant’s Tigerlily, particularly the tracks “Wonder” and “Carnival.”





All For Love – Up-tempo and rhythmic, this catchy rock/pop tune hits all the right chords. Perhaps no other artist is as prevalent on the album as Johnette Napolitano is, because this is exactly the kind of music she would be making today. On a side note, it has a bit of a Fleetwood Mac sound to it. If someone had told me this was a Stevie Nicks song, I wouldn't have challenged them.





It Doesn’t Matter Anymore – reminiscent of Ingrid Michaelson’s “Morning Lullabies,” this soft and delicate – yet still bluesy – song would be perfect for an artist like Joe Cocker to cover. Much like a Norah Jones or Billy Joel song (only a bit more spiteful), this ballad tells of a missed chance at love.





Just Another Day – sounds like an Eve 6 or Blessid Union of Souls track with a bit of Amy Winehouse mixed in for good measure. Add in an alternative chorus to John Mellencamp’s famous tune and you’ve got yourself a low-key-yet-downtrodden track that flows like a river.





Weak in the Knees - A love ballad that is sure to be played at indie aficionados' weddings. It is a slow yet eternally hopeful song reminicent of Bryan Adam's "Right Here Waiting for You" or "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You"





Racing in the Street - Like this wouldn't make it into the blog. A tale of a drifter whose love has seen better days. A sincere cover version that really highlights the lyrics and gives them a unique voice.