Time to get a new editor (or Spencer being a grammar nerd)

Posted by Spencer:

This is a very interesting article in the New York Times talking about the state of video game consoles and how Nintendo is pretty much cleaning up with the competition. What caught me as interesting in the article was the following:

“While both Nintendo’s $250 Wii and Sony’s PlayStation 3 were introduced last November, Nintendo has sold 2.8 million machines, twice as many as Sony.

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console, introduced 18 months ago, has sold 5.4 units, according to NPD Group, a market analysis firm.”

If this is to be believed there have only been five and just less than a half Xbox 360’s sold in the last year and a half.

I suppose it is supposed to be assumed that the number of units is in millions. I think that is bad editing on the part of the Times.

Posted by Kon

June 23 , 2007 1100 hours.

“Those Mexicans are crazy man, they bull rushed the castle twice today” I over hear a Russian say. “We need to lock down that place; call the General.” another responds.

I pop up from behind the birm from which I was hiding. A mere six feet separate myself and four vodka-swigging grunts. One a portly fat man, another a beanstalk of a person; two more are just kids.

“SURRENDER! I yell at the top of my lungs. The four soldiers ahead of me stare in shock and panic, and the shorter one drops to his knees and turns. I double-tap the trigger, and put two in his face. He collapses in a heap on the road. The pair of kids drop to their knees as a statico of automatic fire pours in from down the road. A dozen Mexican troops are hustling towards me. The beanstalk Russian ducks his head and dives down on the road, avoiding the fire.

“OUT OUT OUT OUT!” He screams. The ref appears almost magically from behind a stack of barrels.

“MEN OUT, LET ‘EM OUT” the ref belts for all to hear. As fast as he arrived, the ref seems to vanish back into another realm.

“Good work, wetback” the chunk of Russian says, “You won’t be so lucky next time we meet.” He leaves with a smirk, one I am sure I will see again.

The Mexican forces reach my position. “Luck we were got here, you would have been toast!”

“Yeah, I suppose.” I reply half-assed, knowing I had the situation under control. “Time to get to Sin City, Canada is stuck between a rock and a hard place, and the Blues are pushing hard down the right flank. It’s going to be overrun, but we might as well get who we can.”

The sound of automatic fire continues in the distance, and the audible ring of a special sniper rifle can be heard in the brush not far from were we stand.

“Let’s go.” I tell those following me, and we head off into the woods, moving along the rapidly collapsing right flank of the Mexican Army.

---

Just One of my many ‘awesome-o’ moments of last weekend’s paintball event at Hell Survivor’s Paintball Field in Hell, Michigan. Global Conquest came to an end with some fun and interesting results, some of which I will attempt to chronicle on here.

Swords vs Guns

Posted by Spencer:

This is a generally uninteresting article from a local paper where I live – the reason I bring it up is because of this quote from one of the politicians:

“A person that’s got skill with a sword in a very big crowd could put a lot more people down with a sword than a gun,” he said. “They’re silent. You’ll have people screaming, but nobody knows what’s going on.”

Essentially the article is about how Utah is one of the only states to allow guns on public college campuses and one of the politicians from a city north of Salt Lake City gave the above quote relating to the recent shooting at Trolley Corners mall in Salt Lake.

I would most certainly be more scared of a guy wielding a gun than some geek with a sword. With a sword you see the guy coming and you run away – with a gun if you run you get shot in the back.

Seriously, what is this guy thinking? He is right up there with the guys who think video games are the cause of all the violence we are having (Jack Thompson I am looking at you.)

Forza Motorsports 2: Initial Demo Impressions

Posted by Martin:

I love racing. Whether it’s automobile or motorcycle, if it takes turns, I’m usually fascinated by it. I don’t know what it is, but watching a skilled driver or rider take their machine around a circuit, or watching someone outbrake his competitor into a turn in a brilliant passing maneuver, the ballet on asphalt that is competitive automotive sports has always had an allure for me that I cannot explain. As such, it’s only natural that I have an interest in racing games. In fact, Gran Turismo 3 is pretty much the only reason I bought my first console ever, the PS2. There’s been very few games I haven’t played, whether it’s SEGA Rally or GTR. As such, with my latest console, the XBox 360, I’ve been looking forward to the only “Racing Sim” that’s on the horizon for it with the recent news that GTR2 has been canned. With the demo released yesterday, I had no choice but to download and play for a few hours. So what’d I think?

In short, the real question is will I be buying the full game? The answer is a resounding yes. It was quite a bit of fun. However, that’s usually never enough, so I will expound a bit on my opinions and suggestions.

Tom Clancy’s End War update

Posted by Chris:

1Up is reporting some newly released details about a game I’m really interested to learn more about, Tom Clancy’s End War. From their information, it’s going to be an up-close and personal RTS game. designed strictly for the 360 and PS3. After looking at the images, I’m thinking this might be like a large-scale combined-arms version of Full Spectrum Warrior. Either way, I have high hopes and high expectations for this one. Read the article HERE.

Martin writes:

I’m going to remain somewhat leery of this one. I’ve played a few Real Time Strategy games what have allowed you to get into the role of one of the soldiers, and it’s just never felt complete (Remember that C&C Shooter?). Because the tactical goals of a RTS (large scale tactics using expendable units) and the tactical goals of the individual soldier (you are the expendable unit and you have to survive) are so different, merging the two seems to me a recipe for disaster. I suppose it all depends on how large in scope the game will be… Commanding a couple infantry squads and an armored detachment probably wouldn’t be too hard. Commanding multiple squads, artillery, air support, armored divisions and everything else, and then still being expected to be able to get onto the battlefield and micromanage units? That’s somewhat rough, and what I’m hoping the game won’t be. However, I have yet to play a Tom Clancy game I didn’t enjoy, so I’m going to remain optimistic that they can pull this one off, but guardedly so.

Crotch Kick of the Week

Posted by Martin:

I don’t take a whole lot of pleasure in this one, simply because the recipient is more pathetic than worthy of wrath. I suppose if we really wanted, we could find some reasons to take joy in kicking you in the balls, David Hasselhoff. There’s your unending presence in the minds of the German people. There’s the fact that you got paid to watch breast bounce on Baywatch. Or your singing. Or even this monstrosity. But at this point, the only thing defining you is the unfortunate video of you drunk in front of your children. To say it would be because you were drunk would be lying through our teeth (We love beer), but the mere fact that you should yourself in that condition to your children is deplorable. And so, Mr. Hoff, in addition to all the other fallout from this videotape that has and will come down, add a crotch kick from 50cal to that list.

MotoGP: Numbers? Sometimes You Just Gotta Race ’em Anyways.

Posted by Martin:

Coming into Shanghai, the main concern for the race was the fact that the Ducatis were up 20 horsepower on the competition. Normally, this doesn’t mean a whole lot in the world of two wheels when compared to four wheeled racing, as a smooth and consistent power delivery is much more important to successful corner speeds than raw power. However, the Shanghai track has two of the longest straightaways in the MotoGP Circuit. And what does that benefit? Horsepower. The critics were calling for the Italian bike to sweep up all the podium spaces it could grab. After all, with those kilometer long straightaways, who could keep up?

So what happened? A race is what happened. And, more importantly, something that did’t quite fit the expectations a lot of people.

Abuse of Motorcycle

As a responsible motorcyclist who puts around 30K on my bike yearly (and year-round), nothing frustrates me more than those who give nothing to the passion but a bad name. While there are some responsible stunters on sportbikes, the vast majority (at least in my experience) seem to be overconfident hotheads which absolutely no regard for theirs, or anybody else’s safety. While pulling a wheelie down the Interstate wearing nothing but a tank top and flip flops may seem like a good way to express your rugged individualism, you’re putting the other people on the road in danger, as well as inconveniencing the paramedics who have to come squeegee you off the pavement. Furthermore, this kind of behavior only encourages those who wish to view motorcycles in a negative light, making my life more difficult. While I am hesitant to take pleasure in someone else’s pain, I can honestly say this guy deserved what happened to him:

(Image grabbity-yoinked from http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/Stoppie.jpg, who probably did the same from someone else.  If someone knows the original source, post a comment and I’ll edit appropriately.)

Beer of the Week

Posted by Martin:

This week I’ll be reviewing a beer that holds kind of a special place in my heart. In everybody’s personal development, no matter the skill, there’s always a moment where you graduate from your infancy and realize there’s a great big world out there for you to explore. For my life of beer, this was a major player – one of the first beers my college roomate and I tried that showed us that there was something out there that couldn’t be described by the words “macrobrewed liquid with the consistency of water that tasted oddly like stale urine.”

Hennepin, crafted by Brewery Ommegang, is a spiritual successor to the products of many Trappist Belgian Breweries. Known as a “Saison,” it is intended to be a lighter, crisper beer, while still maintaining a sense of aggressiveness through some spices and a bit of hops on the palatte. And the thing that makes it even better? The price. While true, imported, Belgians can cost upwards of $10 for the bottle, Hennepin comes in at half that for a corked 750ml bottle. Now, while you probably won’t be able to find it in a convenience store, it is available through most beer distributors. There is absolutely no excuse not to try this beer.

So how does it taste? Good. Damned Good.

Full Spectrum Warrior

Posted by Chris

The big story in gaming for me this week is my discovery that Microsoft has added Full Spectrum Warrior to it’s Xbox 360 backward compatibility list.  For 360 owners and fans of tactical gaming, this is really great news. 

Before you read any further, I need to point out that this game is currently selling used for $4.99 at Gamestop and EB Games.  The minute you finish reading this, go out and buy it.

Full Sectrum Warrior, along with Full Spectrum Commander (never released to the public), were developed as training aids for the U.S. Military.  FSW is a 3rd-person tactical strategy game that marries the look and feel of a traditional tactical shooter with the control and unit management of a real-time-strategy game.  There are no direct actions taken by the player – instead, the two fireteams under your command are given orders, and it is up to the AI of the fireteams to execute those orders.  It is the player’s task to lead his fireteams through an urban conflict in the fictional middle-eastern country of Zekistan. 

Crotch Kick of the Week #1

Posted by Chris, visuals by Martin

And the winner is… Michael Vick! Congratulations Michael! It wasn’t enough that you ran around infecting women with herpes as “Ron Mexico”. It wasn’t enough that you gave the finger to your fans – or even that you had your secret little pot stash in your water bottle while going through airport security. You went that extra mile. You had dog fighting matches in your house – complete with blood soaked carpets and furniture! Yes, you are one class act, Michael, and for that, we kick you, square in the testes. Wait… can you get herpes on your foot? We might need to rethink this one, just this once…

Now, in our discussions about this week’s CKotW, we went over the following:

Kon opines: Anyone else thinking Sony deserves it for that ridiculous stunt that pulled with the goat? The last thing Jack Thompson needs is to learn that the INDUSTRY itself is promoting super-violence or whatever he calls that garbage.

Martin writes: I think Sony gets a pass because that kind of stuff seems to be normal in Japan. Fits right in with the schoolgirl panty dispensers and the game where the objective is to stick your fingers into someone else’s unsuspecting asshole. Editor’s note – see “Kancho“, and don’t ask the editor how he knows this

Spencer writes: Besides, where is Sony’s crotch?

The God Of Keyboards: Optimus Maximus

Kon Writes:

Engadget:
After some OLED display supply issues and a few setbacks, it looks like Lebedev and company have finally settled on a launch date and price for the king of keyboard, the Optimus Maximus. Hold your breath, it’ll be due late November (the 30th, to be specific) for $1536 US (“Shakespeare’s birthday”). Bad news, we know, but the worst news is still to come: only 200 keyboards per month for November and December, and 400 keyboards are scheduled to be made next January. (On second thought, at over $1500 apiece, maybe that’s not so few keyboards.) Ok, exhale, it’s going to be alright.

$1500 is more than what my computer cost. I couldn’t possibly imagine even attempting to afford this thing, even though it is quite possibly the coolest freaking keyboard on the planet. I suppose if i sell my kidney’s, and I don’t need my first born child…yeah, still can’t afford it.

But it is just so damn cool!

Martin ponders:

I’m very curious to see how quickly the OLED technology will pick up. The things that are possible with it are quite amazing… We’ll finally get to see the Star Trek type transparent control and display interfaces, and even pants that will be able to show our mood.

I am looking forward to the age of futurepants.

 Kon rebuts: You know, our pants already label our mood. Horny? That buldge means you are…and maybe that is the only mood your pants show.

What about future underwear, which describes the condition, allowing for multiple days of wear! Exciting technology we have here.

Boy George IS Darth Vader

Our buddy Scott over at Extralife posted this today, and it was too good for me to not pass on.  Check it out HERE.

All-Pro Football 2K8 Update

Posted by Chris:

I’m a few days late on this, but Visual Concepts has launched the official All-Pro Football 2K8 website.  You can see a listing of some of the players you’ll be able to use by mousing over the header image there.   I couldn’t help but notice that O.J. Simpson is listed.  I find that intersting, to say the least.  I mean, sure, he’s one of the greatest running backs in NFL history, but you know… he did murder his wife and all… 

If you have read the Game Informer article, there’s not alot new here, but I’m sure the site wil be updated with information over the next few weeks.  Find the website HERE.

Flashback: Operation Flashpoint

Posted by Martin:

Starting a new segment that will take place each Monday, and we’ll take you back to a game in one of our histories.

Since Tactical Shooter is probably one of my favorite genres, I’ll go back to the ultimate Tactical Shooter. Or, at least, what the developers were hoping to be the ultimate Tactical Shooter, but fell short somewhere along the line. Operation Flashpoint.

Oh, how I wanted this game to be amazing. On paper, it should have been. An entire island was your battleground where combined forces fought each other providing you the opportunity to play as an infantryman, a tanker, and even an A-10 pilot. You were incredibly vulnerable, and would be forced to use your team, environment, and your wits to survive. Never had this grand scheme of combat been attempted.

However, it fell short somewhere along the way. This isn’t saying that it was a bad game. It was better than a lot of what was out there at the time. But it could have been more.

Wednesday is Crotch Kick Day

Every Wednesday, we’ll dole out our Crotch Kick of the week to the person we find to be most deserving of such an honor.  We’d love to have some audience participation for this one, which means you have two ways of becoming as famous as we are:

1. Do something so moronic that you really need to be kicked in the crotch.  We’ll need proof, of course.
2. Nominate someone who is deserving of a kick to the testes, and tell us why. 

Send your submissions to BigFat50Cal@gmail.com.  Go ahead, give us your worst.

Stupid News Roundup

Posted by Chris:

Everyone’s got their links to wierd news about stupid people.  I don’t want to fully jump on that bandwagon, but these are good enough that I figured I could at least run beside it for a while.  That was a lame use of that analogy.  Here is this week’s Stupid News:

• Rock Paper Scissors champ.  Seriously, there are real competitions for this.  Just how little must you have in your life to be a compeitor in a national Rock Paper Scissors tournament?
• Giant sinkhole swallows car. 
• Mathematical formula for beer foam.  Rather timely, eh?
• Cell phone thief falls for free beer trick.  We never tire of stupid criminals.  This one’s timely too.  I wonder if it was Young’s…
• Man rises from the dead at Easter.  It’s a Christmas miracle!
• “We’ve never had anybody in our house butt naked and bleeding”.  With a quote like that, I couldn’t resist the link.

Send your stupid news links to BigFat50Cal@gmail.com.

Beer of the Week

Posted by Martin:

Beer of the week starts, and this week we’ve selected Young’s Double Chocolate Stout to provide our opinions on. Brewed in England, this beer falls under the category of a sweet or milk stout, emphasizing a creamier and much lighter flavor than that which is typical of the darker beers.

This is available in one’s beer supplier in both cans and bottles. The can contains a nitrogenated rocket widget, much like the Guinness bottles of television fame, which nitrogenates the beer during the pour, allowing for something that tastes closer to coming off of the tap than a regular bottle can provide. This also means that you really shouldn’t be drinking this from the can, and needs to be poured into a glass to be truly enjoyed. Don’t be that guy.

The cans come in four packs for around $8 to $10 or so, and the bottles are available in 500ml quantities for closer to $5 per helping. Thankfully, this is a beer that one doesn’t want to drink a whole lot of in one sitting, but that’s a good thing.

This is most certainly a dessert beer. It is best enjoyed by itself at a moderate pace. Additionally, letting the beer warm for a bit after being poured brings out quite a bit more of the flavor, so taking your time does you more good than harm. Due to its nature as a heavier, creamier beer, this is something that’s better for a cold Winter night than a Summer day on the beach.

Summer 2007 Movie Preview

Posted by Spencer:

I am going to look at some of the big, small and in between movies being released this summer. On to the movies!

Spider-Man 3
What can I say? Big budget, big stars, this movie has the makings of a summer blockbuster. I can hardly contain my excitement at the prospect of seeing Venom in all his glory on the big screen. Will three enemies and two love interests be too much for Spider Man to handle? Comic geeks are certainly going to have a good time, but will the movie have any staying power past opening weekend? I have high hopes that Spider-Man 3 will live up to the hype just as the first two in the series have done.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
I was a latecomer when it came to the second installment of Pirates of the Caribbean, I didn’t see it until it was out on DVD. One of the reasons I waited was so many people gave it lukewarm reviews and I have such a fondness for The Curse of the Black Pearl. How could a movie wrapped up so nicely have a sequel? One person I asked about it said: “I don’t know if I like it, it is going to depend on how the third movie is.” The second Pirates posed many more questions than it answered, hopefully the end of the trilogy will be able to answer those questions. My biggest fear with this film is it relying too much on the slapstick, campy comedy that detracted from the second film (I am looking at you hamster wheel sword-fight!) I hope there is a gritty, dark feel a title like At World’s End lends itself to.

Ratatouille
Ah, Pixar, in my mind you can do no wrong. Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, need I go on? Even 2006’s Cars which is absolutely not something I am interested in I have watched over and over. I am going to be going into this movie knowing nothing about it except for watching the teaser trailer from last year and I expect I am going to love every minute of it.

Rush Hour 3
I didn’t even know this was being made? Is this really necessary? Jackie Chan is talented in many, many ways but I for one think he could better fill his wallet doing new stuff rather than sequel after sequel.

Mr. Bean’s Holiday
Perhaps this would have been a worthwhile film ten years ago. The original Bean movie didn’t do all that well, I expect this will be a flop.

Underdog
Did we learn nothing from the Garfield movie(s)? Take a thirty plus year old cartoon and make it into a live action movie? As I remember it, didn’t the dog have to pop pills to become strong and fly? Think of the children! This is going to be terrible.

A special bank robbery, for a very special boob job

Posted by Chris:

So this is your average “Austrian automechanic boy meets girl-who’s-really-a-boy” story.  It seems this girl-boy and his/her boyfriend want some D-cups installed, but they don’t have enough euros or marks or whatever the hell passes for currency over there, so mr automechanic robs a bank.  Then he got caught, and now everyone, presumably including his parents and fellow automechanics, knows he’s a big freak. 

I’m not sure what is worse… getting caught robbing the bank, or getting caught in your own version of The Crying Game.  The original story is HERE.

Another Well Deserved Crotch Kick

Posted by Martin:

Might be a bit late to the party, but this one is well deserved. None of us think that dumping pollution into the air is a good idea, so why keep using “Global Warming” for your campaign to keep yourself in the spotlight? Please, Mr. Gore, if your weather models cannot accurately predict if it’s going to rain next week, how can they predict the climate years from now?

Sorry, but this one deserves a kick, right to the Junk Science.

Chris writes:

He, at the very least, deserves the kick for the fact that his own house consumes 20 times the average for a house in the US. He made a statement regarding this, and it amounted to the fact that he balances out his consumption with money to support “green” causes. I can see how this works out to some degree, but it makes him no less of a hypocrite. He is doing nothing different than calling for an end of obesity by eating healthy, then eating nothing but McDonalds himself but paying a staff to diet.

On a side note, does anyone else think he’s secretly screwing the Dixie Chicks?

Martin writes:

Not to mention that the organizations that support “green” causes are run by none other than Mr. Gore himself.

Tom Clancy’s End War Announced

Posted by Chris:

We’re pretty rabid about tactical gaming here at 50cal (Martin and I actually used to develop for one, in fact), so it’s with great pleasure that we point you to Kotaku’s announcement of Ubisoft’s upcoming release: Tom Clancy’s End War.  Details on exactly how this game will be played haven’t been made public yet, but if the current generation of Clancy games are any indication, it’s going to be a winner.  Here’s what Ubi says:

“Our development teams are invigorated to be creating the first 100 percent next-generation Tom Clancy brand,” said Serge Hascoët, chief creative officer at Ubisoft. “Our success with Tom Clancy franchises is unparalleled in the next-generation and Tom Clancy’s EndWar will be a marvelous addition to the already critically acclaimed library of games. A strategy game like no other, EndWar will allow gamers to lead their own armies against hundreds of others online in real global locations on the massive battlefields of World War III.”

I have no idea what that means, but I’m guessing it’s going to be some sort massive mix of their current shooters, but with a more strategic focus.  Maybe something along the lines of Full Spectrum Warrior on a much larger scale.  Here’s Kotaku’s article.

MotoGP: Istanbul or Crashtantinople?

Posted by Martin:

MotoGP made it to Istanbul this past weekend and managed to defy all expectations. Well, apart from Casey Stoner still riding like he’s got bees in his shorts on the Ducati.

Honda’s Dani Pederosa, a favorite to be on the podium, was taken out in a spectacular looking crash on the first lap that also claimed Suzuki’s Chris Vermulen, and Valentino Rossi’s teammate Colin Edwards, all caused by Kawasaki’s Olivier Jaque’s front wheel deciding it wanted to be elsewhere than planted. Valentino Rossi also did not fare well, with his tire proving to be his nemesis once again, losing him precious time and positions.

While the first position was sealed essentially from the first lap, the battle for second and third places continued throughout the race. Tony Elias proved once again that he’s a special kind of crazy, muscling Rossi out of the way in what can only be described as an extremely optimistic passing approach. However, Rossi can not complain too much, as if one were to ask Gibernau, he’d probably have some similar things to say about the Italian. Third place was also extremely fluid, with a good number of riders jockeying for the final podium position. Ultimately, Loris Capirossi was able to capture the position across the finish line on the final lap.

While the current World Champion, Nicky Hayden, only finished seventh, he finally looked competetive on the new 800cc machines which have required a smoother riding style compared to the previous season’s 990cc machines. Hopefully this means he’ll start to be able to defend his championship.

The final podium order was Edwards, Elias and Capirossi, with Ducati having the first and third spots. Their horsepower advantage is becoming apparent, and it’ll be something the Japanese manufacturers will need to remedy quickly if they intend to remain competetive next week in Shanghai.

And here’s a link to someone who can write a lot better about the sport than I can: http://www.motogpmatters.com/

NASCAR ain’t got diddly on MotoGP. Some of the finest actual racing to be found on television. If you enjoy motorsports, you’re doing yourself a disservice by not following this.

50cal Beer of the Week

Posted by Chris:

Starting next Friday, 50cal will be bringing you lucky folks the 50cal Beer of the Week. We’ll clue you in on some of the best brews, give you a review, and send you off on assignment to contribute comments after your weekend field test. We’ll also gladly take some suggestions on future BotW’s. Send your nominations to BeerOfTheWeek@gmail.com.

All-Pro Football 2K8

Posted by Chris:

Are you like me? Do you hate EA for grabbing exclusive licenses for the NFL and NCAA? Well, Digital Illusions, the folks who brought us what I consider to be the best football game since Tecmo Bowl – the NFL 2Kx series – are back in action on the new generation of consoles. Sure, there’s no NFL license, but for the real football fans, that was only the icing if the game was good enough. All-Pro 2K8 is due out on the same day as Madden, and for me, this one’s a no brainer. See the latest Game Informer for more details, or check Gamespot’s preview HERE.

Kon Transcribes: EA deserves every newton (read: measurement of force) of that kick to the crotch. Sack’s of giant dookie they are for taking what really belongs to everyone, the NFL namesake. For as little sports games, like baseball and football, that I play, I really can’t stand to see such a prominent member of the industry do such a vile thing…and with such little flak from anyone! When I heard of this a while back, I was appualed, but none of my usual news sources even had a blip on their radars about it. Maybe it is just me though. Anyway, I digress. Lets hope All-Pro 2K8 kicks the ever-living shnitzel out of EA’s Madden NFL. I want EA to know, loud and clear, that we wont stand for such crap.

I digress a lot.

Quite Possibly the Most Ridiculous Handgun in the World

Posted by Kon:

I was browsing Wikipedia as I often do, looking at random military grade weapons, when I came across a series of .50 cal handguns. This is the belle of the ball. Really is ridiculous at firing a .50 BMG. Single shot, but who would use this thing anyway?

Thunder .50 Cal Handgun

VA Tech Shootings

Posted by Martin:

As it currently stands, more than twenty innocents as well as the one responsible for pulling the trigger are dead at Virginia Tech today. The only word to describe this is tragedy.

Undoubtedly in the next few days and weeks, agendas will be pushed forth by all aspects of this political nation, using these events as a justification. I, myself, certainly have opinions, and will most likely voice them at some time in the future. It is inevitable. But not today.

Today, we grieve. My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, the residents of Blacksburg, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the nation as a whole.

Chris says: All I can say is that this is truly a horrible day. Friends of ours and all those affected at VT are in my family’s thoughts and prayers.

Korey Says: Prayers be with those unfortunate many at Virginia Tech. Not only the students and facutly, but the families, friends, and anyone so deeply and tragically affected. My school (Albion College) has forwarded a notice to all students about the “Orange And Maroon Effect.” Families of those lost have invited everyone to share in their loss, and show support by wearing Orange and Maroon on Friday, April 20th.

Orange And Maroon Effect Poster(image)

F1 Bahrain Results

Posted by Martin:

After some controversy of last week Massa captured pole position yesterday and led the race to finish first. Young phenom Lewis Hamilton set F1 history by capturing a spot on the podium in his first three races. Third place went to Kimi Raikkonen, giving Ferrari two of the three top spots for the race. Notably absent from the front was former Championship leader Fernando Alonso, who surrendered fourth place to BMW Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld, thanks to a daring and brilliantly executed pass by the bearded German. Also finishing in the points were Kubica (BMW), Trulli (Toyota), and Fisichella (Renault).

The drama to see who is stepping up to fill the void left by Michael Shumacher, who recently retired, is proving to be interesting. The mere fact that the current world champion is being beaten by his rookie teammate gives a hint at the storyline which could unfold this season.

However, the on-track racing has proven to be dull, to say the least. With the exception of Heidfeld passing Alonso, most of the action on the track occured in the back of the grid. Looking at the comparison between their qualifying position and their final result, the only difference in the top six was the Alonso/Heidfeld swap. There were a few changes in position, but most of the passing was done in the pits. Watching Raikkonen suffer the aerodynamic penalties of attempting to pass Alonso was frustrating to say the least (Kimi later passed with a faster pit stop). This mere fact that most of the race result is decided by qualifying and race strategy is perhaps one reason F1 has yet to catch on in the mainstream in the United States. The cars may be technically superior to NASCAR, but the races where it comes down to the final lap are few and far between, and as such, will always finish second to the crash and bang left turn of American Stock Car Racing. Although, there’s not a whole lot one can ask for, as the more restrictions that are placed on constructors (and there already are a lot) it takes away from the “let the best manufacturer/driver combination win” mentality of F1, shifting it more towards a spec car series. But some part of me just wishes we could go back to the heyday of GP racing… No aero packages, sheer mechanical grip, and balls the size of watermelons.

Oh, and for the Scott Speed Sucks Report: Crashed out on Lap 1.

A highly sarchastic “40 Reasons To Ban Guns”

Posted by Chris

Here are the first ten,  From Geeks with Guns:

“1. Banning guns works, which is why New York, DC, Detroit & Chicago cops need guns.

2. Washington DC’s low murder rate of 69 per 100,000 is due to strict gun control, and Indianapolis’ high murder rate of 9 per 100,000 is due to the lack of gun control.

3. Statistics showing high murder rates justify gun control but statistics showing increasing murder rates after gun control are “just statistics.”

4. The Brady Bill and the Assault Weapons Ban, both of which went into effect in 1994 are responsible for the decrease in violent crime rates,which have been declining since 1991.

5. We must get rid of guns because a deranged lunatic may go on a shooting spree at any time and anyone who would own a gun out of fear of such a lunatic is paranoid.

6. The more helpless you are the safer you are from criminals.

7. An intruder will be incapacitated by tear gas or oven spray, but if shot with a .357 Magnum will get angry and kill you.

8. A woman raped and strangled is morally superior to a woman with a smoking gun and a dead rapist at her feet.

9. When confronted by violent criminals, you should “put up no defense – give them what they want, or run” (Handgun Control Inc. Chairman Pete Shields, Guns Don’t Die – People Do, 1981, p. 125).

10. The New England Journal of Medicine is filled with expert advice about guns; just like Guns & Ammo has some excellent treatises on heart surgery.”

Co-op Gaming. Why has it taken so long to catch on?

Posted by Martin

When it comes to multiplayer gaming, I will say without a doubt that co-op gameplay is by far my favorite method of online play. Starting back in the day with Marathon, and continuing to play video games throughout my life, nothing will match the feeling of working together with someone to overcome a problem, be it funky looking aliens from outer space or Mexican Insurgents bent on giving Presidents Ballantine and Ruiz Pena a hard time. It just feels so much more complete and satisfying. I even have fond memories of crowding around the television and playing games like Baldur’s Gate:Dark Alliance with my brother, having a lot more fun than I ever would have doing the same thing by myself. It’s the same content, the same game, but just comes alive when you’ve got someone else to yell and scream at the screen with.

It’s hard to say what Co-op has that adversarial doesn’t. A lot of it for me is that it’s playable with much fewer numbers than what one requires for a large scale ‘versus’ game. Additionally, adversarial games degenerate into predictable engagements once both sides are familiar with the environments. But, even past that, the fact that the game is bring you together with your fellow players is an effect that cannot be denied.

However, up until recently, there hasn’t been a focus on this at all. One had to search specifically for this mode of gameplay. This may have been one of the reasons I personally have gravitated quite a bit towards the tactical shooter. Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear with the NATO weapons mod has occupied far more of my time than any game should have. Beyond that, it was a thin selection for games that encouraged players to work together, and not against each other. The ones that tried, did it poorly (playing Madden football cooperatively was a new experience in how badly a game can suck).

However, modern games have started to embrace co-op as a primary staple of gameplay. Heck, even whole games are coming out around this concept (XBOX360:Army of Two). Everything from Sci-Fi to realism based shooters has co-op as an integral part of the multiplayer. And I say this hasn’t come soon enough. The real question is, is this a minor fluke, or a portend of things to come? Hopefully it’s the latter.

Chris says: I say it’s a portend, because I dont’ know what that means.

I’m realtively new to co-op gaming, but I can say that it’s definitely deserving of the attention it’s getting these days. While I still love adversarial (and nothing beats adversarial if you know everyone playing), it’s rare that you get the right players to make it great. Co-op is much easier to have a great experience – and that’s just what I have been having almost without fail in GRAW and R6 Vegas. And yes, Madden co-op was just awful. NHL was so-so, but still nothing like what we are getting these days with the tactical shooters.

Spencer says: I couldn’t agree more. I have been waiting for years for a game like Army of Two. When I played through Legend of Zelda Wind Waker a year ago my son sat by my side the entire time.  I would have loved being able to give him a control and letting him play at the same time. The closest thing to that kind of experience in recent years has been Gauntlet Legends.