Halo 360 Services Shut Down Preparation

This shouldn't be a surprise. Halo's first game on the Xbox 360 came in the fall of 2007 with Halo 3. After that were at least five more with the last one being Halo: Spartan Assault in 2013. These all have single player stuff, multiplayer that drives huge interest. Always has been since at least the second game. But plans have been set for the 360 games to be losing their servers. These will be taken off serves effective December 2021.

I've probably mentioned it in other blogs, but it bears repeating. Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are consoles that still get a bit of play out of them. There's been updates for these two systems over the last two years or so. Beyond the games, some might still use them for Netflix machines. You got apps for certain products like YouTube and Amazon. With the exception of one PS3 game back in August, both haven't had games in about two years. You're still able to buy games through the digital stores. Over 1000 titles on 360 with mostly 360 and some original Xbox titles. PlayStation 3 is roughly the same number, maybe a little higher with a combo of games for that, PS2, and PS1. It's also the only way to buy PSP games digitally since you can't on a computer anymore.

People do still cling to older releases. That will never die out at any point. You'll have the followers who dedicate to playing an older title.  Think of some of the older Call of Duty games. That logic can be applied to Halo. Not everyone moves on to newer hardware and if some do, it might be well late into the generation. Even with backwards compatibility, that doesn't mean some were going to jump to Xbox One just to play certain 360 games along with the limited list of games.

The TL:DR of what I'm saying is, you have to get used to it. PlayStation has had over the course of the last couple of years, had servers shut off for a number of games. This is going to happen with 360 games if some of it hasn't happened already. The likelihood of 360 servers shutting down altogether, I don't know. There isn't a good prediction for it. I'd figure 2020 or 2021. I'm not sure anymore. But get your play out of it while you can for the online aspect. Inevitably, the two systems will be bowing out in terms of everything getting shut down. One day, it will happen. 

Geeks and Jocks: Episode 56

Newest episode

https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-56-Light-of-Normalcy-eobfk7 

The Final Adobe Days

Back in 2003, I found the site, Newgrounds. This was one I would visit for the next six, seven years in looking at video content, flash games. All of this being done with stuff like Adobe, flash players, what have you. Over the years, Apple went with html and it marked the end of flash as we know it. With it being days away, it will bring forth an end to an era that most will never forget.

There were issues with flash. It brought a lot of security issues and was easy to manipulate. For a number of people, it was a simple way to do cartoons, easy games in terms of using certain styles. I remember with Cartoon Network. Even for shows I don't like, they had some great flash games you didn't see on consoles or standard computer releases. I'm sure others have other memories from various sites, but that's what I remember from long ago.

Game memories include some stick figure games. Stick RPG being the most notable. Newgrounds with a handful of Sonic the Hedgehog games, several Mario stuff. Duck Hunt and a 1945 mod of it. A flash version of the first episode of Doom, which was very surprising. Pac-Man: White House Edition. A number of Cartoon Network games that I remember, but don't remember the title names. Never played much Nickelodeon stuff outside of SpongeBob flash games and one or two other games. 

Other sites I can't remember, but there was Homer's Beer Run from The Simpsons. A sneaking game that had you playing as O.J. Simpson. A farting game where you had to hide farts from another. Pac-Xon, a Qix type of game, but with Pac-Man. Yahoo and Microsoft had game sections. Collapse was one I played a lot of. Rocket Mania, Dyno-Might. Played 8-ball a bit. Multiple sites had Crush the Castle. Some of these may not be flash, but that's what I remember.

The last year or so has seen Internet Archive make sure the animations and games of flash are preserved. It's really nice to see this happen because I would assume there are a number of sites that are abandoned or they don't want to go a different route. Preserving history has become one of the big important things for a number of mediums. One generation in another lifetime will discover these and find it via the virtual archive.

Here's to Adobe. May it live peaceful in its final days. Apple, go fuck yourself.

YouTube Videos: Dec 18-24

 

Geeks and Jocks: Episode 55

 The newest episode

https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-55-Commercialize-eo4dm1

The podcast is also on Spotify, Google Podcasts, RadioPublic, and Breaker.

Saturday Night Addict

Saturday Night Live has had its share of writers and cast members that have had issues. When you look at drug issues, you think John Belushi and Chris Farley. Both passed away from speedballs in their early 30s. It's not just the sketch comedy show that has had to deal with this. But it feels like it gets out of control for some of them. This new one now includes John Mulaney going to rehab. Honestly, this is one of the last people I would think that would have issues. For him it's like a Farley situation. Cocaine and alcohol.

Mulaney was a writer for quite a bit of time on SNL. He has his own set of specials. And he's still young at 38. Still wowing audiences. I don't know what it is that makes comedians go loose and think they are invincible. Maybe it's the glamour of New York City. Maybe it's being recognized for either some of the writer, the sketches, the jokes. If I had to guess, the fame goes through some of these people's heads and they do crazy stuff. While not a stand up comedian, we're not too far from ten years ago when Charlie Sheen went nuts and went on a drug and alcohol binge that led to getting fired from Two and a Half Men.

Hell, we can go back to the 30s of The Three Stooges when Curly Howard was part of the group. Not drug related, but he boozed it up, ate a lot. It led to weight issues and a stroke in 1946 that ended his career. He wound up passing in 1952. Going back to Belushi for a second, his death in 82 was when he did drugs with Robin Williams and supposedly Robert De Niro. That sparked Williams to go clean for a very long time. Unfortunately, he relapsed and combined with bad depression, led to his death in 2014.

Comedy has its share of great moments and unfortunate bad behind the scenes moments. It's like the musicians that die young. Big names that include Mitch Hedberg for example. Better now than never for Mulaney to get this fixed. But it has to take a lot of willpower to give up addiction and do whatever is necessary to not want what led to your downfall. Here's hoping for no relapse. Same goes for anyone that is going cold turkey on whatever they are addicted to.

Optimizing Games

Cyberpunk came out. So far, nothing has been seen as good for this hyped release. Some have wondered if it was even being developed in mind for current hardware. This got me thinking. Has there ever been a point where a game was not developed well for older hardware but was for newer ones?

There aren't many games that get released simultaneously on multiple generations. The longest I can think is with PS3/PS4 and Xbox 360/One. But I can think of certain games and they are the common ones. Call of Duty Black Ops III had only online for PS3 and 360. Some of the EA Sports games had features that were exclusive to the newer hardware. I'd actually be curious about other titles like LittleBigPlanet 3. Something like a GTA V or a Minecraft, that doesn't count as being gimped because of support waning on older hardware. Minecraft had its last updates on a number of systems at the end of 2018 and other ones still get updated here and there.

With other generations, I don't feel like titles are being gimped on purpose. Something like Another World/Out of This World, the developers were working with limitations. Computers, Sega Genesis, SNES, Sega CD, 3DO. All radically different. A title such as NBA Jam Tournament Edition gets spruced up a little bit. Nothing intentional. Some games strive to improve some aspects. The Terminator and Earthworm Jim on Sega CD got reworked, more so Terminator, but both had stuff you didn't see on cartridge.

In the same generations, companies work within the specs of each console. You win some, you lose some when there's titles released on competing systems. An N64 game might be better than a PlayStation version and vice versa. Same with an SNES and Genesis release. Point being with this blog is that I don't think stuff is being made intentionally bad most of the time for older hardware. But developers have to realize what they are getting into before coding what they need for a retail release.

YouTube Videos: Dec 11-17

 

Disney Over Milk

In the midst of talking Warner Brothers and their app, it slipped past me about Disney last week. With their Plus app, they have a lot of plans set up. They also have a lot of questions on what could happen with their movies. This includes a new Houcs Pocus sequel and a new Sister Act sequel. Remakes on films like Willow and Three Men and Baby. All of this courtesy of Cnet. There's some other stuff hitting soon like Soul from Pixar and Hamilton. But that's not the main focus.

Disney is trying to do their best while still in this pandemic. But milking their Marvel and Star Wars stuff is not going to help. With the Cnet article, they are planning up to 20 new shows. That could be lower, but more than half a dozen from each side. I'm going to start with Star Wars. I don't have much inkling to see the films, but even fans are getting burnt out. I said this in a blog back in the summer of 2018 that there was too many films when the Solo film flopped horribly. Hard to tell if Episode IX would have had better numbers in the spring if the pandemic didn't happen, but who knows.

People love The Mandalorian. But I'm not sure there is any hype for something like a Lando show or Obi-Wan Kenobi. Not to say all their ideas are coming out at the same time, but Disney is over milking a franchise that hasn't had any breathing room. Prior to The Force Awakens, the franchise was still in the public eye, but in terms of books, games, and a few other things. I'm not sure if even the die hard fans will be on board.

The problem with the Marvel stuff isn't so much having different things to occur in the shows. There's plenty of development that can be made. But do you need that many? The glut of films and shows is one of the things I can see where it gets people burnt out on comic book films. It's something I've talked about for a long time now. With the properties Fox had now under their grasp, it could go overboard. It won't die painfully like what Batman and Robin did in the late 90s, but Disney and Kevin Feige don't think there is a fatigue. Let's see what happens with Black Widow, which some wonder if it will even do well. Or any of the films that don't have your mainstays like Iron Man and Captain America.

While I will not wish for these to fail, I hope a failure brings Disney back to reality. Too much of a good thing, even if its good, will turn even loyal fans away. Maybe try some original properties as well instead of pinning everything to overworked franchises and reboots.

Geeks and Jocks: Episode 54

 New episode. Click on the link.

https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-54-Keen-Sense-enrjdo

Commander Keen at 30: Id's Debut

If you want a pioneer of computer gaming, Id Software has to be up there. Before the first person shooters after another that revolutionized a lot of things, they imitated Super Mario. Their first games were Commander Keen. The original trilogy, Invasion of the Vorticons, made its first episode debut back on December 14, 1990. It was a basic platformer. Completing objectives depending on the title. Fighting bosses. Death defying jumps. Standard fare.

You have to understand where computers were in 1990. The biggest games were point and click games and a couple other genre. They didn't have what was seen on the NES and Sega Master System for years. And the Sega Genesis and Turbografx-16 were beginning their runs. A lot of it comes down John Carmack mostly and Tom Hall. It started with recreating Super Mario Bros. 3, then the hot new title on the market. A sample size, but they got it to scroll. Nintendo liked what they saw, but declined to want a computer port.

Stuff like that is why Nintendo has been in bad situations for the last 25 years or so. Because Apogee became Id's publisher for a couple years and Keen was a huge hit. Part of it was the engine. That's why Duke Nukem came into fruition and several other titles. Developers and publishers could learn a thing or two and craft their work. Apogee had their own range of side scrollers. Epic Games had the Jazz Jackrabbit games. Of course, it allowed Id to look at how to make computers look cool and attractive to buy. Especially when they bigger than ever with Wolfenstein 3D in 1992 and Doom in 93.

I don't have any big memories of playing any of the episodes as a kid like I do with Wolfenstein and Doom. The only thing I remember was at some point in the mid to late 90s one of my family members playing a shareware version of Vorticons and doing okay. Back when floppy disks were prevalent. Shareware was actually not a bad idea before CD's became the norm. If you were impressed by the first episode, you could buy the rest the of the trilogy or set if you wanted.

It may not get the love now these days, but Commander Keen should be saluted for making Id a recognized company and for getting PC's to do much more than a couple genres.

Youth Football Striking

Why?

It's one thing to have issues with a team. But what should never happen is to throw punches. I'll cut to the chase. There's a youth football coach in Savannah, Georgia, that is going to face charges of abuse. Thankfully, there is video of it being shown. This guy punches a nine year old kid a couple times. Obviously, the outrage has been seen. One of the people you wouldn't think would respond is Buffalo Bills legend Bruce Smith. The NFL's all time sack leader brought up moments of when he was abused by a coach and that he would have gone after the abuser, Gerrel Williams.

Some wonder why nothing was done. I would love to pin it on people being assholes and record the event rather than step in. There are times where I wish cell phones didn't exist just so there can be intervention. But the thing is, there could be legal ramifications. I'm not an expert on law, but if it got to the point where it escalated to a melee between parents and coaches, there would be lawsuits and lots of jail time. It could also be a situation where you have kids involved and there could be some long term consequences. Not every kid is a saint, nor is every one pure evil.

Football in the South has gotten very ridiculous. There was that Edinburg, Texas incident a week or two ago involving a high school player tackling a ref after getting ejected. The amount of worship for the sport has grown to an unhealthy level, and I say that as someone that likes the sport.  Whether its the South, North, whatever, coaches can't act like that to kids. I knew quite a bit of fucking idiots that coached youth football and a few at the high school level. Some of them didn't have any control though no violence occurred.  Part of me wanted to punch some of them when I was younger.

With it being youth involved, it's just a game. Nine year olds will learn from mistakes and if they really want to play, they'll develop into quality players that high schools will love to see. I got no idea what the jail sentences are for abuse in Georgia, but I think Williams will see a couple years at the minimum.

YouTube Videos: Dec 4-10

 

WB Stream All the Way

I'm kind of struggling with how this will work. Warner Brothers has made 2021 interesting when it comes up next month. Whatever films they have planned for theaters, they are putting them on their HBO Max app the same day they come out. I understand where they are coming from. We may not see any normalcy until this summer. And that's pending how things go. It drew ire from several companies and a few Hollywood names.

If it's a way to draw people to the app, I'm struggling to see how much of an increase it would get. Some of these movies are not low budget. We're talking 100 million and up for Dune, Godzilla. I would think they would go the Universal route and charge 20 dollars for their new releases. Not prohibitive, but not cheap. But would people bite? There will be ones that want more than just old products or rewatching the last few years of films.

Some of the films could benefit greatly from the app. Something like The Suicide Squad and The Matrix 4 could drive a lot to HBO Max. I'm very curious about Tom and Jerry and Space Jam: A New Legacy. You can only do so much with Tom chasing Jerry. With just looking up Space Jam's budget, I have a feeling it's going to fail and not recoup the 183 million dollar production. Are critics going to like it? Because the original was panned, but made a decent profit back in the fall of 1996. The failure of Looney Tunes: Back in Action despite a better reception made Warner Brothers drop a number of projects back in the mid 2000s. Are 90s kids going to like it from an adult perspective? I'm predicting an underperformance, theater wise and app wise. Maybe it gets a better reception in July, but that's hard to gauge.

Stuff like Dune and Godzilla, I'm iffy on wanting to give a prediction. They could surprise people.  Is there enough drive for Godzilla vs. Kong given how their films have done in recent memory? Will Dune impress anybody? It depends on the reception and even if you disregard reception, if enough people will watch it. Other films include Mortal Kombat, The Little Things, and Judas and the Black Messiah as just a couple of examples of also making it to the app and theaters.

Here in the States, it's still a struggle with this pandemic. Short term, Warner Brothers is hoping for 2022 to be a return to where people go back to the movie theaters. Maybe a little earlier, but still. As I said, I would think they would do like what Universal did. The numbers will dictate how the company thrives or struggles domestically. Internationally will be a different story.

Geeks and Jocks: Episode 53

 New episode

https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-53-I-See-Anger-enhn2v

Free Melee: Rallying Protest

A while ago, there was a Super Smash Bros. Melee tournament that got canned by Nintendo because of a mod to play online. It caused a bit of backlash. This past weekend was supposed to have a Splatoon 2 tournament with the publisher having some involvement. A lot of players went with names in support of Melee. In the end, it got cancelled with Nintendo citing "operational challenges." It continues the ugly problems regarding emulation and the way they treat fans and gaming in general.

Companies have a right to protect their properties. If it's something on PlayStation 4 and 5, the Xbox One and series line, and Switch and 3DS, that's not a problem. But when it bleeds over to systems that have been dead for longer than a decade, that's where it gets problematic. I can't stand Melee, but it hasn't been re-released at any point since it first came out in December 2001. Nintendo to me goes overboard in the way they protect their properties. Some of it now is getting their fans a little tired of the way they approach things. A number of tournaments have had difficulties due to the stingy attitude.

I get it why they don't want to see piracy run rampant. But when its games that aren't on the market anymore, it makes no sense to me. And Nintendo hurts emulation because what's lost is more than just their games. We're talking sites that have thousands upon thousands of games. Titles that don't even get a sniff of daylight because of copyright issues, companies dying out, etc... for those reasons. Some games are not worth the asking price for. For NES, The Flintstones: Surprise at Dinosaur Peak is not worth hundreds. Little Samson is not worth near a thousand dollars.  Even if its below a hundred, prices for GameCube games are not worth what they go for.

Modders have made Doom levels since 1994. GTA has tons of stuff for their games since GTA II's release in 2001. Sega does not go after the Sonic community's fan games. This arrogant attitude of Nintendo in their Japan division is going to be their demise one day. They'll still have fans, but the approaches they go in gaming is inconsistency and never knowing who they sucker next. Great software, shitty company.

Scalping: Who's to Blame?

Tickets to sporting events. Movies. Plays, whatever. Scalping is something you see more often than you think. It's reared its ugly head with the new PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S and X. This can apply to toys as well considering hot products like a Frozen toy for example. The movie Jingle All the Way with Arnold Schwarzenegger back in the mid 90s made fun of the craze of people desperate to get a product and stores bumping up prices potentially. That was before the Internet was really huge, considering we see more using eBay and other methods to produce scalping at an alarming rate.

But who is to blame? It's not one sided. We'll start with scalpers first. Still in a pandemic and online orders are going to be through the roof. Pretty simple. Much easier this year to see that there won't be foot traffic when shopping. Hacking has obviously been huge. You get bots to do this. Not all, but it can ruin it for ones who want it. And they know there will be suckers. You know there will be desperation out of all this. Either because they think they won't get it, or that the quantity is not replenishing.

The suckers don't help either. They're convinced they won't be able to get the product and so they pay these ridiculous prices. With PlayStation and Xbox, they may bite the bullet. Apple products are generally over a thousand dollars, so the disposable income may not be a huge issue. It's an endless cycle. Replace those consoles with a toy or anything. And there's nothing stores can do. They can try to make it where its limited, but with hacking, it may not be feasible in their attempts.

We do need stuff to keep us entertained. As far as PlayStation and Xbox goes, it can wait a year like what I'm doing. We still have plenty of stuff from years past. Have a little patience. 

YouTube Videos: Nov 27-Dec 3

 

Nintendo v. The Big House

This one is quite late, but its been on the backboard for a while. With the pandemic, you're not seeing tournaments, conventions, or anything. The Big House, a Smash Bros. tournament that has happened since 2011, got shut down by Nintendo for this year. All because they were going to use an emulator so people can face each other in the GameCube Smash Bros. game, Melee. A way to face each other online with netplay due to no online features at the time since no one was doing online in 2001 for consoles. That included a warning and a cease and desist and the tournament was canned.

There are two sides that I see. I'll start with why Nintendo is in the right. It's their property and they have every right to protect it. Even if it's a really old title like Smash Bros. Melee, they don't want to see something altered for something like a tournament. And they have strayed away from the series in terms of tournaments and all the controversy back in the summer regarding underage grooming and sexual assault. There's other bad moments, but nothing to level of those revelations. They are not involved, but they want to avoid any potential troubles. Waiting another year when things are normal should have happened with The Big House.

But that doesn't mean Nintendo is free from criticism either. They have been one of the most stingiest companies when it comes to emulation. Some of the big ROM sites were shut down in 2018 because of them. EmuParadise was heralded for not being a virus filled site before it shut down. Its difficult for people to find what they want and not worry that their computer will lock up because of something in the rom file on a website. Nintendo is hurting the scene a lot more. Yes, they have to protect their IP's, but is anything downloaded pre-DS damaging their bottom line? And it not only damages emulation for Nintendo systems, but others. We're talking Sega stuff, Atari, tons of computer games that will never see a re-release.

When you look at NES, SNES, and so forth, there are hundreds of games that don't show up on Virtual Console or the Switch online service. I don't know if Nintendo has a plan to do their own emulator for GameCube, but there are pros and cons to having something like Melee on Switch. It depends on what kind of fans it gets. But as a whole, they haven't done a good job with bringing older titles to their service. Wii U was a letdown and the Switch only has NES and SNES games with a slow trickling down. Nintendo keeps shooting themselves in the foot and think that emulation is a huge problem. For the modern stuff, it is a problem. Them, Sony, and Microsoft don't want to see their hyped releases getting pirated on their current systems. But for older systems, I'm not seeing how it affects them that badly.

Again, I understand where Nintendo is coming from. But emulation has been around for about 25 years. Maybe a little more. You're not seeing most people go to an arcade or pick up an Atari 2600 and NES. There are ones that want the real article, but it may not be possible to get specific titles without an arm and a leg or are too rare to find. That can be applied to other systems and computers. Emulation will never die out. Nintendo can keep fighting it, but its a losing battle and the damage they bring to it hurts the scene as I mentioned earlier. When people say they are out of touch, this is one of the big examples and its a shame that their Japan offices are stubborn about what their customers want outside of that region.

Geeks and Jocks: Episodes 51 and 52

The last two episodes: 

Episode 51:

https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-51-Console-Buyers-Guide-2020-emuhnb

Episode 52: 

https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-52-Digital-Service-en7iig

Depp Animaniacs Joke

This will kind of tie into the last blog with talking Johnny Depp. Before getting to the point, I'll get to Animaniacs first. It was announced a couple years ago to return and dropped on the 20th earlier this month. For the most part, its well received. A lot of split opinions on the political aspects, something that the original in 1993 did throughout its five season run. But the controversy isn't about tired old Trump jokes.

Keep in mind that the writing was from 2018. That being said, it's not a good excuse, either. Animaniacs and Tiny Toon Adventures had loads of visual gags that you'll barely notice unless you go back and notice. One of the former's early new episodes included a small visual of Depp. Posters of him as an adult and a baby. A tagline for one being Johnny 2: Telling Lies. Confirmed by one of the voice actors, it was supposed to be a play on a nursery rhyme that was big when the writers were coming up with episode ideas.

I don't think Warner Brothers was being intentional in lieu of the outgoing battle between Depp and Amber Heard. But this is one of those things the writers themselves and the studio should have kept an eye on a little more. Meme jokes don't even last long either, so the datedness is already there. About as bad as South Park's pop culture incident episodes being dated long after they aired. I know the show understands they were being written for 2020 with 2018 stuff, but it's not an excuse. Yes, they attacked other figures, regardless of love or hate, but this is too far. On the other side, the Depp fans are only making themselves look way worse.

If this were to have come out last year, I don't think there would be anywhere the level of bashing from the untolerable Depp fans. This is adding fuel to a big wildfire that is still impossible to contain. It's not a boycott type of situation, but bad timing on bringing in the reboot. It leaves me with a little worry that Tiny Toons Looniversity may not show up on HBO Max due to reception on specific parts of Animaniacs. As I said, this I don't think was intentional, but this should have been left on the cutting room floor.

In Depp Analysis, Heard Nothing

I find this to be fascinating and a disaster at the same time. I'd wager most Hollywood marriages end in divorce. No shocker regarding Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. But this stuff is still going on. Proceedings came about in 2017 and it's escalated. The Sun, a paper out of the UK, put out an article in 2018 calling Depp a "wife beater". There has been leaked audio of Heard saying she beat him up and that no would believe him. Alleged stories of severed fingers. Both are pieces of garbage in my opinion. I truly believe they both hurt each other physically.

For this month, a libel case against The Sun resulted in a Depp loss and being forced to step down from Fantastic Beasts 3, Warner Brothers adaptation of JK Rowling's work. But Heard hasn't had any punishments and continues to have work with Aquaman 2 when that films next year and a couple other projects. That's why a petition on change.org that has been around for a couple years has blown up over the last month and reached over a million and half signatures. Pretty big altogether.

I do think a decent majority of signings are from Depp fans. But I also think a number of it has to do with regards to domestic violence and the double standards regarding women who abuse. The petition creator, which is a woman by the way in Jeanne Larson, talked about in the description of it the hypocrisy. Heard hides behind movements like MeToo and pretends to be a victim. She isn't. I think Depp hurt her, but I also think she isn't completely innocent either. For her to say the petition is a paid campaign is horseshit and that people have no basis in reality is ridiculous. This isn't a slap on the wrist thing. Not to mention there was a time when she abused another partner long before meeting Depp.

I can't claim that I've seen this in real life, but stuff like this hurts and upsets people who have gone through it. And it's cunts like Heard who make it harder for actual victims to bring up domestic violence without fear of being a liar. No one wins. Hollywood bats a blind eye. And women can skew things to make the media sympathize with them. Not all, mind you, but it's still dangerous.

Unless things escalate, there's nothing Warner Brothers can do with a firing of Heard because of contracts. But they are also being tone deaf on it by not taking the petition and the cases seriously. They compared the situation with Captain Marvel, which isn't even a good comparison. Brie Larson is a sexist bitch, but there are actors that have issues with the media. Very different from domestic violence. Hugely different. The studio also has ideas on making a Mera film, which is the Aquaman character Heard plays. If people didn't want to see Birds of Prey, why would anyone want a stand alone film of this? This isn't like Marvel.

Aquaman 2 has the potential to underperform when it comes out Christmas 2022. This long fight between Depp and Heard isn't over yet. Far from it. Pending what happens for December, that petition could make Warner Brothers think a little more seriously. Either way, both should not be in the Hollywood spotlight for the next couple of years.

YouTube Videos: Nov 20-26

 

Toy Story at 25 Thoughts

The leading type of animated film now these days are computer generated imagery, or CGI. Back in the 90s, it was more traditional, hand drawn animation. It's very easy to forget how ambitious Toy Story was when it released around Thanksgiving 1995. Let's just say that people expected it to flop. Nobody took it seriously as a contender. Low and behold, highest grossing film of 95, huge critical acclaim, the rise of Pixar, and a very strong franchise.

It has a very simple plot and moves by at a very fast pace. A group of toys, led by cowboy doll Woody. In comes the flashy new one, Buzz Lightyear. Things get out of hand, and the two have to get back to their child owner. There's more to it, but basic. No filler, no side plots. Plenty of visual stuff, quotable lines, tons of humorous moments. What also works that even though it's a Disney film, it doesn't follow the tropes associated with them. No romance as your big plot line, no singing, no sappy stuff. A film that can be enjoyed by both kids and adults.

As I said, it was ambitious. At 30 million, it was cheaper than what The Lion King's budget was the year prior. They did get some big names, but it wasn't all top of the line names outside of Woody and Buzz. They found ones they knew could create the film into a memorable one. It holds up in many ways and the score is still fantastic to hear. This is still my favorite of the Disney CGI films. It paved for more Pixar films, competitors in Dreamworks and Blue Sky (though Blue Sky is Disney owned now due to buying Fox), and the decline of traditional animation in film.

The appeal for Toy Story knows no bounds. You want a franchise with lots of respect and memorable, this is one of the few that has that. Give each one a watch. There is tons of enjoyment you'll get out of them and for different reasons. 

Xbox 360 at 15 Thoughts

I'm not big into Microsoft's home consoles like I am with their computers. But I do have some good memories of playing the Xbox 360 for a good seven years or so. It was a push to a new generation when it came out around the end of November 2005. Easy to develop games for, smoother playability, lots of digital stuff. You get the good with the bad that includes the Red Ring of Death, scratched discs, squandering what they had in 2010. However, you can't deny it being a great system to have.

My first experience with it was in 2009. I was not too familiar with the Xbox brand. My older brother had an original Xbox, but didn't play it except once or twice. I do remember commercials for 360 within the first couple years, especially the Game Fuel Mountain Dew ads and Halo 3.That game was the first title I experienced on 360 with the multiplayer via system link. Seven of us played and I was not good. About a year later, my younger brother and myself get our own 360. Get a handful of titles, including some Call of Duty games and GTA IV, 2010 was pretty good.

With being away at college, my opportunities of playing it were on specific weekends I came home for a couple years. Played a lot of The Simpsons Game, Dead Rising, Call of Duty single player from Modern Warfare to Black Ops. Little bit of Forza. Played a lot of GTA IV for about six months going through the single player. Invested until 2016 into other games, especially when I got my own 360 in 2014. Fallout, The Orange Box, Sonic Unleashed and many more. I haven't played much of it since due to playing more PlayStation 3 and 4, but it was still a great experience.

You look at it, and it paved the way for online being what it is with its pros and cons. Extra content, various apps, multiple things. But I do wonder if it could have kept the same pace from 2011 to 2015/16 like it did its first five years and continued with bringing big exclusives of their own. It's still hard to believe that it has reached 15 years old. And it still gets support from Microsoft despite no one making titles for it since 2017. The legacy will still go on and people have not given up on it being their main machine. Still plenty of practical use for a lot of ways besides gaming.

Panic Buying 2.0

It's back.

The second wave of high cases has come for the United States. Lots of coronavirus infections and its that wave again of people buying everything again at a huge bulk. Especially being this close to Thanksgiving.  Can't blame them a little bit. At my work, we got a couple dipshit college girls who might test positive because they wanted to be selfish and drink at a bar instead of getting their buzz at their home. Just not a good sight now.

Don't go overboard. It won't be like what happened back in March. If you think you're low, get your hands on what you need. What is essential, get it. If there is something that isn't important, have patience and wait it out unless you're desperate. Try to shop early if you think there won't be any huge crowds at seven or eight in the morning. Know your entrances and exits in stores. Know where you can get tested if there comes a point where you might potentially be exposed.

We can get through this. Just follow guidelines. Take it seriously. 

YouTube Videos: Nov 13-19

 

The McMahon Effect

You get a look at what Vince McMahon has done in 2020, and it's obvious it's a very bad year. The XFL faltered, health issues all around, and the way he has run WWE. I'm not into wrestling. Never really have. Seen YouTube videos of old matches, though. It's a "sport" that never caught my attention. But his firing of one of the wrestlers shines a light into how bad it has gotten and scares other wrestlers to speak out publicly.

The latest firing is a result of Thea Budgen, who goes under her wrestling name Zelina Vega. Within the last month or two, WWE has forced their wrestlers to stop using sites like Twitch. I don't know if it's a money thing or power for McMahon to do whatever he wants, but it has not been met with anything good. The last couple months have also seen Andrew Yang go after them for the company's actions. Saraya Bevis, who goes by Paige, has spoken out about it and the greediness of WWE. With how things sound, it gets more concerning.

There is no union in the WWE. Obviously, wrestling can be damaging physically, mentally, emotionally, and psychologically. But not having one is awful. Vega has gotten support. The fact that SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris supported her says a lot. You'd wish other wrestlers would come out publicly with what is going on, but I think there is fear. Fear that if they say something, McMahon would go after them and potentially fire them. I keep reading that they are independent contractors. If they truly are, why force them to stay with WWE? Think about some of the wrestlers that could have had health insurance and some of this other stuff back in the day. They are wearing their bodies out for entertainment. 

I don't know what WCW or ECW was like back then, but I would think it had better support of their wrestlers more than WWF/WWE. I would think smaller ones and some of the competitors like NXT and AEW do a much better job. I think McMahon is out of touch with how things work now. They haven't been big in a very long time since the early Cena days. Too many controversies, too many bad moments. How much more will it take before the company craters? If it doesn't, fans should hope a new CEO will take over and not act like McMahon. 

Geeks and Jocks: Episode 50

Up to the 50th episode. 

https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-50-I-Must-Break-50-emjugo

Rocky V: 30 Years Later

Even with it being a sports film, Rocky was a drama at its core. An up and comer who gets his big chance against the heavyweight champion. Working for a loan shark, finding the beauty in a shy woman, dealing with an arrogant trainer. Yet, he still chugged along and the film wasn't about winning. It was about making a name for yourself and defying the expectations of many. That's why it was a huge hit in 1976. The second, while not as good, still retained being a great drama. With the third, it was more over the top, and even more ridiculous with the fourth.

When you get to Rocky V, it goes a different direction, and that's what angered movie goers and critics back in November 1990. Following his match against Ivan Drago in the Soviet Union, Rocky Balboa is back in Philadelphia. Things do not go well. He has no money and he can't box due to brain damage. In a way, it tries to go towards the route of the first film, but in a different manner. He is like his old trainer, Mickey, and trains Tommy Gunn, played by real boxer Tommy Morrison. But that relationship gets soured and turns into a street fight at the end, probably the film's most iconic moment.

This was a really bad period for Sylvester Stallone. From 86 until his comeback with Cliffhanger in 93, he wasn't wowing critics. With Rocky V, it lacks any of the charm the first two had. It's not a bad idea to end with what began. Going back to your roots, when done right, is fantastic. It tries to juggle many things. The relationship between Rocky and his son (played by Stallone's son, Sage). Dealing with the financial situations with his wife Adrian. Tommy Gunn and the betrayal. It wasn't developed altogether.

Most networks avoid airing it most of the time. It has its moments, but you won't have the same reactions in the first two films. The impression also being that it would be the last film until speculation in the early 2000s probably didn't sit well. Rocky Balboa captured that dramatic feeling when it came out in 2006. What I think is that people wanted Rocky to bow out on a good note and with V, it didn't feel like a good bowing out. It focused on the idea of boxing, but also Rocky's personal stuff without the juggling issue. Creed 1 and 2 also follow the same template

It's not a completely horrible movie, but it's not a must watch either. There were good ideas, but they felt like they were thrown out the window. But hey, the redemption is there with the last few films that have been made the last 14 years. As long as they know what makes Rocky and Creed tic,, they can avoid disasters like this.

Home Alone: 30 Years Later

If you grew up in the 80s, chances are you saw a movie or two from writer John Hughes. His teen comedies are still remembered. The Vacation films that were based on stories he wrote at National Lampoon have aged well. He knew how to write fantastic characters. His output was about two films a year from 1983 through the end of the decade. But his biggest film came in November 1990 when Home Alone came out. This was one of the more dominant films, staying number one for almost three months and the highest grossing domestic film of that year. What was so special about it that made people ignore the mixed/kind of negative reviews?

Its a very simple premise. Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) is tired of his family treating him like crap. A scramble to the airport following leaves him all alone at his home while they head for Paris and figure out mid-flight he's not around. He enjoys having some fun, but must fend for himself. The Wet Bandits, Harry and Marv (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) are robbing the neighborhood and only the eight year old can save his home from being flooded.

Pretty basic. I think what helps is that it wasn't geared greatly towards adults. It wasn't exactly fantasy driven, though the slapstick is like The Three Stooges and a more successful Wile E. Coyote. This was a pure comedy. Nothing scary like Gremlins. Nothing to drive it towards a PG-13 rating. For the most part, a cleaner (though there is cursing and the slapstick violence) driven movie that knew when to be funny and when to have serious parts. Reminds me a bit of Hughes' Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Very down to earth.

As the film goes on, Kevin realizes how much family does mean to people. Has a friendship with a neighbor who he thought killed people and reveals to him his own family problems. You add in John Williams' score, and it's widely regarded by people as one of the great holiday classics. The house used is one of the more iconic ones in film. I think what most miss when trying to imitate is the kind of heart that it had. The selling point is the slapstick and traps, but its also that Christmas feeling. We all have our flaws, but there can still be good that can come out of it. That's how I look at why it was a huge blockbuster. It's also not heavily dated, but the concept has, and that shouldn't be a knock if one were to review it today.

Home Alone hit all the right buttons for most movie goers and families. Give at least the first two films a chance. Hughes knew what he wanted and succeeded on what was needed for a family film.

YouTube Videos: Nov 6-12

 

Ohio Young

Can't say I'm too bothered with MLB's Cy Young awards.

Shane Bieber very much deserved it during this short season. Pitching in all 12 starts. Eight wins and one loss. A small blemish, but he was a force with the Cleveland Indians. Almost to the halfway point of strikeouts he had last year by getting to 122 this year. A very low earned run average, clocking in at 1.63. At 77 innings, he also got the triple crown, which accounts for wins, ERA, and strikeouts. A unanimous pick and rightfully so. Everything you could ask for and it was lights out for the season.

Then we have the loud Trevor Bauer. The only big question is his wins and losses, going in at five and four. His numbers were either better or behind Jacob DeGrom. Exactly 100 strikeouts, which was second in the National League. He got the ERA title at 1.73. Two complete games and shutouts. He had 73 innings pitched. One of the big improved pitchers considering his disastrous time last year with Cincinnati. They gave him another chance and it paid off. The Reds first playoff team in a good while and he shined in the first game that had no score until extra innings.

It's going to be one of the very few nice things for the state of Ohio. Most of their sports are mediocre at the moment, but the baseball is one that fans should get excited for heading into next year.

Geeks and Jocks: Episode 49

New episode

https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-49-Jeopardizing-ema0ci

Who Is Alex Trebek? That's Correct

When you are hosting a game show that everyone knows for a very long time, it will be hard to forget them. You think The Price is Right, you think Bob Barker even though he retired in 2007. Wheel of Fortune, it's Pat Sajak. Jeopardy, who is Alex Trebek? Unfortunately, he passed away from his battle with pancreatic cancer. It leaves a void in who will be the next host of the long running show. Something that iconic and the same host since 1984, what do you do?

The comparison to Trebek will be common after his final episode that will air next month. You watch a Jeopardy episode, he keeps it calm. There might be points where he'll let loose, but he was able to stay in a professional form despite some answers. Nothing over the top. It's a quiz show with the answers given to you first. Not to mention some of its notoriety. Guys like Ken Jennings having their unbelievable streaks. James Holzhauer last year, it's created a lot of fantastic moments for the show.

Of course, there's ridicule. Saturday Night Live had their version of it which was often funny with idiot celebrities and their version of Trebek getting ridiculed. With SCTV in the 70s and 80s, they had their own take on him not too long before he went on to do Jeopardy. But it is still a fresh show since it doesn't rely on flashy signs, big prizes, and surveys. That's not a knock on other game shows because if it were all the same, no one would want to watch any of it. Not to mention, there is difficulty in figuring stuff on these programs.

Whoever takes over as the host of the show, I would hope they show the professionalism that Trebek carried for over 36 years. There's a reason why it is one of the biggest game shows still going. The new generation growing up will one day not know about the legends of hosting these programs.

ESPN Layoffs: How Much More?

You could say 2020 has been a really bad year for ESPN.

In 2015, they laid off a few hundred people. It happened again in 2017. This is happening again as it laid off 300 over the weekend. Small role people, large ones, producers. You know it's that bad when you have Bob Ley, who was part of the original group when it began in 1979 and retired last year, rips this situation. While I get that people will lose jobs, we're not talking anything normal. And some of the ones who were notified are ones that have been for quite a bit of time. Even people that have had almost 20 years experience with the brand.

Obviously, Disney is losing billions and you can't point the finger at one specific aspect. Clearly, the pandemic hurt them a lot. Cord cutting more than likely has had some influence. The oversaturation of political topics hasn't helped. Poor ratings altogether because of politics and the question of whether or not sports seasons would get finished. I'm not sure if digital will help ESPN. I don't think Jimmy Pitaro had much choice back in the spring and the effects it caused. But if he wants to win back viewers, there needs to be multiple things that has to work.

First, you need anchors that people can give a shit about. I'm not talking idiots like Stephen Smith and Max Kellerman. Anchors that can also get their point across without having a bias. I doubt they would, but the second thing would be to cut down on their NBA talk. Maybe a little NFL as well, but there are other sports. We don't need 24 hour coverage of specific players. Last is to remember past incidents. Understand why SC6 failed in 2017 and why audiences want to watch something that isn't CNN or Fox News. If they continue the path like they did in the summer, there will be heavier losses.

This is a bad move I think altogether. ESPN must know things will get better sooner than they realize, barring a shutdown if Biden does shut the country down completely. I don't know how much more of a bath Disney will take if it struggles the next couple of years.

Sean Connery: More Than Bond

If one were to think of Sean Connery today, they will point to one of the most prominent names in the film industry. With his passing on Halloween night, one should discover the career he had. Stuff that was small, but serviceable. Being able to sustain a career, especially when you get to the mid 80s and his resurgence for a decade. He carved out a career that everyone can look at and be rather pleased at most of his roles.

That prominent name of course is James Bond. And Connery was the first one to portray Ian Fleming's character when Dr. No first came out in 1962. After many television show appearances in the UK, you can say this was his first major break. He wound up playing the character six more times. It had a formula on what to do. You had puns, catchphrases. There was interesting gadgetry, cars, the Bond girls. It made the spy genre very attractive. This was when programs like Man of U.N.C.L.E. and the parody Get Smart appearing thanks to Bond. Over 30 years later, you have the Austin Powers movies that lampoon how ridiculous those early films were.

With that role being attractive, it would be hard to get roles without being typecast. That is something for many in Hollywood. Connery was still finding roles after Bond. There's The Great Train Robbery. He was Robin Hood in Robin and Marian. Consistently finding work in the 70s and early 80s. But then you look at what he got from 1986 through at least 96, he was in the spotlight for different reasons. Highlander for one. Being part of The Untouchables in 87. Indiana Jones in 89 as Indy's father. The bad guy in The Hunt for Red October, the first major Jack Ryan film.  Of course, Connery slowed down, but still able to do Rising Sun, The Rock. Even in 2000 with Finding Forrester. A couple more films and he retired from acting. Point is, he put out an even bigger legacy with the efforts of playing different types of characters.

When you think about Connery, think about his other roles. He was more than just James Bond.

YouTube COPPA: One Year Later

Last year, YouTube got in trouble with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. They violated rules and paid a hefty fine. Had something to do with data and collecting it based on what kids would search for. Since then, video uploaders have had to state whether their videos are directed towards kids or not. Over the last year, it has been concerning, but there was a lot of overreaction.

The problem with YouTube is that a lot of it isn't explained very well. Altogether, they are not out to fuck with people. They are not looking to punish everyone since they are aware of what they have. So does the Federal Trade Commission. Many are not exploiting kids to their content. If it is very blatant, then they will go after the violators. Knowing the site's history on how they do things, the overreaction comes from very mediocre help from them and the responses feeling very robotic with automated responses.

Figured this would be a very short blog. Not a lot going on right now that I want to discuss. No YouTube Videos blog since I wanted a recharge and take a week break from doing it. Definitely will try to get back on track next week with new videos. Seems like the site is doing a little better with handling things. If they want to keep being the go-to site, then they will keep abiding to rules and standards. That is if they can remember them.

Tiny Toons Looniversity Thoughts

The thought in my mind was that Tiny Toon Adventures was more deserving of a reboot than Animaniacs. I like Looney Tunes and I like the 90s approach the Steven Spielberg produced show had. You get your ups and downs, but it paved the way for Warner Brothers. Maybe as a way to avoid stealing Animaniacs' spotlight when it returns November 20th, the Tiny Toon gang is coming back with Tiny Toons Looniversity. Plans are two new seasons and on HBO Max.

There are definitely some big hurdles and its things I can only speculate that early. Can the Toonsters adapt to a 2020s style of humor? Or will it try to follow the classic formula that Looney Tunes had? Another part is that the main cast are teenagers. When Tiny Toon Adventures first aired, they were roughly 14 to 15 years old. They might up the ages a couple years. I'm not sure if there is continuity or trying a different age to liven up the comedy. Both them and Animaniacs feel like they are aiming for PG territory. And they weren't afraid of showing stuff for adults that kids wouldn't understand.

But the biggest hurdle will be voicing the characters. Buster Bunny's original voice left before the final season wrapped up in 1992. I'm not sure if he would return. Same for any of those actors that were around 30 years ago. From other types of media I've seen, its tough to see the same energy at an older age. The passing of Joe Alaskey in 2016 leaves a huge void in someone to voice Plucky Duck. Billy West took over as Hamton Pig when Don Messick passed in 1997. I don't even know if West is still acting, but he's near 70 years old. Whether they go with a new youthful group, I have no idea. Danny Cooksey was a teen when the show debuted, but whether he can unleash his inner Montana Max, that's up to the producers.

One notable omission is going to be Elmyra Duff, whose mentor is Elmer Fudd. The character is not like the hunter when it comes to animals. She loves them and wants them as pets rather than shoot them. Some want answers. I know PETA was around when the show was new, but I can't see them going overboard. Then again, they went after Super Mario, so you never know. Supposedly, executives loved her and writers grew tired of her. I would wager most fans don't care for her. When used right, she's not a horrible character to have. There are episodes where you can't help but feel bad. An episode I can think of is Prom-ise Her Anything. Max throws insults on Prom night and she's brokenhearted. There is redemption, but those moments were very rare. I think removing her will benefit from a comedy standpoint where writers won't feel forced to shoehorn her in.

There is plenty of material that is ripe for humor for Tiny Toons Looniversity. You got plenty of high school material. Easily do parodies from stuff that was made 15 to 20 years ago. Horror movies have seen surges in popularity since 1996. While not new, there is much more to mock. Those are just some small examples. If they're going to do slapstick quite a bit, they better find ways to be more creative or make running gags common yet feel fresh.

All that aside, it has the better potential to do well. Animaniacs feels like shaky ground unless the humor really wins the audiences over due to not many characters returning. But either way, both shows have to get a new audience hooked to them and hopefully bring the 90s fans along for a new ride. The 90s generation for Warner Brothers rides again.

Uncharted Waters: Uncharted Movie Finished

When you think of Uncharted, you think of mostly the original trilogy on PlayStation 3. It was an important one as it got the system going with the original and the second one was when Sony pushed the system that hard. For Naughty Dog, it was very much your cinema type of game. That treasure hunt and weaving in some platforming, action. Feeling like Lara Croft or Indiana Jones, but much more wisecracks. It has the makings of a movie, and the one that they are making finished up not too long.

Barring any setbacks from the pandemic or other situations, this video game movie is set to come out next summer. The last couple of years have seen the usually hated genre get commercial success through Rampage, Detective Pikachu, and Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic and Pikachu also were well received compared to Rampage's mixed reviews. Uncharted went through a lot development hell. This was supposed to be made five years ago and come out in 2016. It went through many directors and never fitted with anyone. 

Whatever happened before and during the pandemic, they got it to work. Ruben Fleischer has a decent track record. Out of all the people to get to play Nathan Drake, why Tom Holland? I know studios see him as the new hot talent, but is it going to be their version of Spider-Man? Pending what they show and what the script was, it could work. Mark Wahlberg playing Victor Sullivan is an odd choice, but he could be a natural to be that character. I guess they got the story to involve Chloe Frazer, who will be played by Sophia Taylor Ali. How that pans out, I'm not sure. And they also have Antonio Banderas in if I had to guess, a villain role. I haven't followed much of the film's production, but from brief glimpses in the last few days, the set up seems better than what I expected.

I could see audiences sort of getting into it, but it will have to impress a lot of gamers to make them see it. At least with the PS3 games, they set up a foundation for what worked and what didn't with its characters. You have the big characters involved. Depending on the timeline, there may not be characters like Elena Fisher. Whether you see rivals like Eddy Raja, I can't say for sure. I'm speculating too much, but it can go down in huge glory or be a massive bomb if the budget is very expensive. It has the makings to go either. The momentum has been better the last few years. Only a matter of whether audiences enjoy a different take on treasure hunting.

Los Angeles Bound: World Series

To get what they deserved has got to be truly special. The last time the Los Angeles Dodgers won a World Series was back in 1988. Two opportunities were lost in 2017 and 18 in controversial Series from alleged cheaters (though a lot will say Houston and Boston cheated). To get it all in 2020, it has to be a sigh of relief and hope to keep continuing hopefully a big dynasty.

A lot of what makes the Dodgers dangerous is through their bats. You can think Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, Corey Seager. It was able to survive the Tampa Bay Rays' unorthodox approach to pitching. Teams do rely a lot on their bullpens, but they were able to beat them up after guys like Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow were done for the night. Their own bullpen held their own and starters like Walker Buehler gave what the team needed. It creates a long lasting legacy for Clayton Kershaw.

Tampa is not a team in theory you think can go all the way. They do have some bats and their pitching is decent. You look at this year and their reliance on the bullpen to bail them out was going to bite them. The pulling of Snell in Game 6 this past Tuesday is going to be looked at as one of the biggest blunders in MLB postseason history. Up there with Russ Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, and Zack Greinke. It proved costly and is one of the examples of why analytics are hurting the sport. When you anger someone like Tim Kurkjian, you know your ripping is coming swiftly. We don't see pitcher duels anymore, regular and postseason. It's become such a rarity. Overall, I feel Tampa has damaged baseball in many ways and you have to blame both Joe Maddon and Kevin Cash.

On a more serious note, the way Justin Turner handled himself in that game is very careless. There was question on whether he tested positive for the virus and it turned out he did. The Dodgers were told to remove him and they didn't. He celebrated the series clinching win with them and people are outraged. Yes, it's something to celebrate winning a championship, but you endanger 10 thousand plus people in Texas. This isn't me defending the Dodgers, but I can see them giving a big fuck you to Rob Manfred and MLB. Basically, revenge for the way the season was and their handling of the Houston Astros cheating scandal.

Where 2021 brings us, I'm not sure. But I would hope MLB formulates a better plan or possibly a better commissioner. I don't think Manfred is suitable anymore to be run a league.

YouTube Videos: Oct 23-29

 

Apple or Peanuts?

This was something I caught a glimpse of a week and a half ago. Only in the last couple of days did I look into it. Peanuts is a comic strip created by Charles Schulz. It was run for half a century from 1950 to 2000. They are still featured on newspapers. Everyone knows Charlie Brown and his friends. The holiday specials (and the other big specials) are ingrained in many people's memories. But the reaction of not seeing it on basic television tells a different tale. The specials have either been aired on CBS or ABC. But ABC don't have the rights anymore.

Instead, it was given to Apple TV back in 2018. I'd like to point out that its a digital only service. This is on the guys that hold the rights to Peanuts. If it were certain other programs, I don't think the negative responses would be as strong. But the specials have aired for over 50 years. This is something people anticipate. Especially, Christmas time where you have the specials airing all through that month. Not so much with Halloween, but you'll get some stuff here and there.

Naturally, people are upset. But you have these assholes who say stuff along the lines of "Buy the DVD" or "Watch it for free", which the latter does allow a couple of days on Apple TV. Let me explain It's a Wonderful Life. When NBC got the rights in the 90s, it only aired once on Christmas Eve. They've laxed on it in the last few years with multiple airings and having it on USA Network. Sure, there's DVD's of the film, but it's tradition for some. And that applies to the Peanuts gang. Even if some have the DVD's, there's a specialty to watching it on television.

With streaming, it's not always viable. Not everyone gets the same speed. With all the added competition, everyone can't subscribe to everything. The costs do add up. If I'm being honest, most other apps seem more enticing that Apple. Peacock has put up new Psych material and giving people access to some of NBC's old shows along with potential reboots. HBO Max has a lot of new content and reboots in their pipeline. Obviously, Netflix with their line of shows and films over the last decade. Apple TV will be a year old, but Peanuts is not going to magically get people subscribing to it. It's not like FXX in 2014 where people went for it because it got The Simpsons.

Eventually, everything will be on streaming, but when, I'm not sure. Peanuts will be no different. That being said, the exclusivity to a service that is still very young is a bad move. Going to any service would still be bad, but it wouldn't sting that bad. I'm not the biggest fan of Peanuts, but you don't mess with traditions. I don't see where a deal could have been made to be on TV and on a service. Exclusivity does not always make it a good situation. I wouldn't mind making a blog like this again in a month when we start seeing more Christmas films and programs.

Geeks and Jocks: Episode 48

 New episode. Little Halloween and horror at the beginning of the podcast. Support the show. Tell people about it. Podcast will return November 10th.

https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-48-Rays-of-Walking-Peanuts-ellb8o

The Walking Dead: The Final Season Review (PS4)

If you were to look at the direction it was going. you would think The Walking Dead: The Final Season would be more of a cinematic experience when it first debuted in 2018. Some parts are, but you would be wrong. It tries to stand out a bit and be similar to the first game, bringing back some point and click elements. It does what I would say a satisfying finale for this series of games, though I question how much the original vision was used. This is Telltale's final game and Skybound took over when they shut down.

Final Season takes you back to Clementine, now an older teenager. She is in charge of a boy, AJ. They have survived the last few years and find themselves at a school consisting of kids. Trouble brews for them and they must show their worth and help them protect their area from an armed group of people. It pulls a few surprises and has a small Life is Strange vibe to it. Undercooked at first, but the story grows on you once you reach the second half of it.

The game does have its cinematic flavor with the time limits in choices and quick time events. However, it tries to bring back elements from the first game with the point and click aspect. Clem can interact, run, and speak to others in terms of controls. Decisions, as always, will never be unanimous. With a kid in tow, you also shape how AJ will be in the near future and help his growth in surviving or degrade it. Combat comes in a couple different forms such as shooting arrows to go with your melee and firearm tactics.

Graphically, the game is fantastic. Very gritty comic book like, continuing with the series approach. Better emphasis on color usage and lighting. You didn't see this with the other titles. With the audio, the voice overs are well done. Sound effects are fantastic. The music still continues to have that emphasis of peaceful/tense when things are calm and frantic with the action. It's a first for The Walking Dead to have some songs in it. Kind of similar to Life is Strange, but not as sappy nor the driving point of it. Strong altogether, though how you feel about songs is up to you.

There is a collectible part throughout the four episodes. Stuff that you're not forced to get, but adds a tiny bit of replayability. No major loading issues. Same options as before. The decisions feel like they hold a lot more weight than before. My final complaints are the usual nitpicks such as the quick time events and time limits on choices. For this one, the story and songs, but will depend on how you feel  about those two aspects. Still, it's worth getting The Walking Dead: The Final Season. It bows out with a strong finale.

Score: 8 out of 10

Alex Hutchinson

This will connect in a way with the Twitch issues that have been a problem over the last week. Streaming has its pros and cons, but Alex Hutchinson thinks developers need money from the streamers. The creative director of the Montreal division of Stadia Games and Entertainment tweeted his thoughts on it, saying that they should pay a fee to get a license to stream games. Needless to say, that did not sit well with plenty of people and he doubled down on what he said.

It's not just gamers getting frustrated. Tweets from journalists like Jason Schreier. Even Google themselves aren't in support of Hutchinson. You're paying money to buy the game you want to stream. Why spend more on a meaningless license? Gaming is not the same as listening to songs or watching movies and television shows. Certain legalities like music, you could make some case of removing content, but a game will be a unique experience. Not to mention any publicity could help the game unless it's that bad or average. We have a lot more to look at compared to the early 90s when you only had magazines to read specific titles. Also, certain developers are gone. The focus is on modern games, but there are the older games from the 80s, 90s, 2000s. Stuff from dead publishers and developers. You hurt the little streamers if you go with Hutchinson wants.

Hutchinson has made headlines in gaming for his take on things. Notably for Far Cry 4 and Assassin's Creed in 2014 for not including women for the online section of their games (Unity was the most recent AC game in '14) He said something along the line of not getting a woman so that they can have something in line to animate. He also was vocal on gamers being more forgiving towards Japanese developers, something I actually agree with. When New Super Mario Bros. Wii came out in 2009, a complaint was that no Peach for the four player part. Shigeru Miyamoto pulled out a very lame excuse of not knowing how to animate a dress. People also bat a blind eye to Japanese game design, stories. This can also apply to other regions, but there's more bias.

Stadia isn't in a good situation and I don't think this will sit well for Google altogether. Yes, Hutchinson has an opinion. But it's a very poor take. Most companies are happy to see their games get exposure. That's why there's videos on YouTube of games and some get millions of views. There's a freaking Putt-Putt game that has three million view video on it. Studios are aware of the strengths and weaknesses to media sharing. This won't get Hutchinson fired, but it puts him in hot water to where his next job if he leaves Stadia Games and Entertainment could have him in even more trouble if does more bad takes like that.

Twitch Removal

This I was not aware of until a few days ago. Twitch has been around for a good chunk of time now. People stream the biggest games, the small ones, everything in between. They have been the subject of copyright issues, most notably from the Recording Industry Association of America. That happened back in the summer and now the streaming site has issued a lot DMCA acts on most people without being able to counterclaim and people losing their channels this past Wednesday the 21st. This is courtesy of sites like The Verge.

Apparently, Twitch was not being clear on what needed to be done. They left a lot of streamers confused and in tons of worry. Copyright is not an easy thing to deal with. If it isn't legit, it's some asshole who thinks it's fun to mess with a user whether it's YouTube or some other site. I would assume the RIAA is involved. Compared to most places, these types of organizations are ruthless in America. I don't know what it is like in other regions of the world, but it's strict. Look at Viacom and their fights with YouTube. 

When it comes to game music, it's not an easy thing to look into. Certain titles will have songs in them from indie based bands or the big names. I'm thinking Daughter for Life is Strange: Before the Storm and the various names for a GTA game. I understand protecting this stuff. These organizations have to. But for streaming, there's no avoidance of it. I think the music industry is trying to get money out of all this, even though they rake in billions. Piracy is still common, but is it going to kill The Alan Parsons Project? They probably get enough from the Chicago Bulls.

I don't know full enough the issues with copyright, but streaming is not the same as uploading a YouTube video. Heat of the moment. Twitch does not draw as many eyes as people think for one video. Not to mention the videos are already done with people donating or not so I don't know what the accomplishment is. Whatever the case, Twitch is going to lose a lot more support from people who have put effort into it. Videos are not easy to edit. This is going to cause a lot more harm and create a toxic site where you will be scared to even try. For all the complaints of YouTube, they aren't looking as bad right now.

YouTube Videos: Oct 16-22

 

Analogue Duo Thoughts

I've never owned a Turbografx-16. Along with Sega CD, it's one of the few systems I would want to get my hands on. Unfortunately, high prices for it and games make it undesirable for anyone to casually want it. We're also looking at the hardware not working as well. The focal point being the CD add-on and Turbo Duo, the latter having capacitor leaks and needing new caps immediately. Analogue is filling a need with the Analogue Duo.

I think this is cool. Having all the ways to play Turbografx, Turbo CD, Supergrafx (an obscure Japan system meant to beef up the hardware), and PC Engine I believe, is a fantastic way to get people in. The price point is rather cheap at 200 dollars. That says something considering the various versions of it, including the CD stuff. It is Analogue's first attempt at doing anything CD related. This will be in limited quantities as mentioned on their website. How much in quantity in terms of production, I don't know.

With putting an effort to do a CD one, the question lies in what the company could do next. You look at the early 90s and then new medium for gaming. There's Sega CD, Philips CD-i, 3DO, and Atari Jaguar CD. The next batch is Sega Saturn, PlayStation, and Dreamcast. I would assume they would target the Sega's CD and Saturn systems next. Those are two that aren't easy to get. With CD, it's not cheap and the hardware is prone to issues, including blown fuses. More of a reason to try to do an Analogue version. Saturn is very pricey right now that there is no starting method to get into it.

The next closest would be Dreamcast and then 3DO. There will be no effort to do CD-i and Jaguar CD (though 12 titles for Jag CD is doable). PlayStation doesn't need one though the early versions of the first model aren't the best in reliability. It opens a lot more possibilities for Analogue. They are setting themselves up to be the big hero for the retro gaming community. More to gaming than Nintendo and Sega. As long as quality is their priority, they will make it feasible for people to invest in systems that they wouldn't have gotten into.

Geeks and Jocks: Episode 47

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The Walking Dead: A New Frontier Review (PS4)

Two hits were big by the time The Walking Dead: A New Frontier came out at the end of 2016. You have template that the second game followed. Here, it gets a different take on the apocalypse and breathes in some needed fresh air to keep from getting monotonous a third time around. Not as good as the other two, but still a great effort altogether.

We get a new family in the form of the Garcia family. Leading the way is Javier, who has been protecting family on the road for four years. A bad encounter while on a supply run leads him to many situations and he must do what he can to protect the ones he loves. I like the angle as it gives you different perspective. Nice touches include showcasing the past of the family. The heroine of the series, Clementine, works together in the story and you see what she has encountered since Season Two. Put in a few surprises and the story works much better than you think.

Gameplay wise, it's more linear than the last game. You're still making choices with the time limit. Not much exploration, not many puzzles. Hell, not much exploration, though you'll have a couple moments with it. A lot of quick time events. Tons more action and focus on humans quite a bit and how things can spiral out of control. Javi controls very well. He runs, interacts, and talks. No different than the other games.

Graphically, it's an improvement. Better character modeling with a more polished look to them. Cleaner textures in some spots and better backgrounds to go with the usual animation that is smooth. That gritty comic book style and art direction continues to be fantastic. The same can be said for the audio. Strong voice work for the characters. Music that settles the calm when things are fine and frantic when the action gets intense. It all clicks together.

The difficulty is still on the easy side. As before, my complaints are the time limit in choices and a couple quick time events. My preference would have been more similar to the second game, but New Frontier is still a must play. Going a different route isn't a bad thing.

Score: 8 out of 10

NES at 35

Gaming was doing fine in Japan and Europe. North America had the arcades and computers, but consoles were struggling. Although it wouldn't be nationwide until the following fall, Nintendo got the revival of the console market in the States going with the NES on October 18, 1985 in New York. Small things that would eventually convince retailers to accept gaming again along with customers who may have felt burnt out from the era of Atari.

While progression has been key for generations, Nintendo wanted to avoid the issues that plagued the earlier era that caused the game crash a couple years prior in 1983. Some of it with some meaning, but mostly an iron fist clad that resulted in an illegal monopoly. Seal of quality label, companies not overloading with so many titles. Control of production with The Big N producing carts, exclusivity (something that is a question in gaming today). But the tactics faded away when other competitors at the start of the 90s began to take over. Sega and NEC at the start of the decade and then Sony in the middle of it.

The NES had a healthy life from late 1985 up to the very end of 1994. It was where many got to see the likes of Capcom and Konami. A rise in seeing established characters and franchises from any developer and publisher. Mario, Zelda, Mega Man, you name it. Duds from companies such as THQ. Lots of unlicensed material with Tengen being the most recognized with their big Atari ports. Genres that anyone could get into. Platformers, sports, shmups, beat em ups. The list goes on. 

It holds a special place for me since it was one of the very first systems I got to play along with the Genesis in 1993-94. I'd put it in my top five of best systems ever because it has its console games and the arcade pick up and play quality that felt more special compared to future Nintendo systems. Graphics and audio that when used well was excellent. Simplicity in controls.  One of the problems being difficulty being very cheap depending on the title and the quality of it. It may have had illegal methods, but NES still is a grand system to try out. Just make sure your systems are clean and work properly. That 72 pin connector was one of their worst ideas ever.

YouTube Videos: Oct 9-15

 

Punchy and Drunky

For goodness sake, don't do anything stupid while drunk. Like speeding 30 plus miles an hour over the speed limit. Call a cab or an Uber. The Denver Broncos don't have many options now at running back following Melvin Gordon's DUI charge. A few days ago, he was pulled over. Cops noticed the signs of intoxication. Tests were done. He'll be facing suspension for sure. Denver has to have a game plan on what could happen to him next in a month when his court appearance comes up. This is courtesy of local places in Colorado such as 9News.

New Orleans barely survived with an overtime win against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football. They did this without their star receiver Michael Thomas. An altercation occurred between him and second year corner Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. Punches were thrown, Thomas was suspended. There is speculation on what might have happened. The thing is, Thomas has never had outside of some political tweets any sort of trouble. I can't think of any moment where he has made a nuisance of himself.

There might be a story on him having issues with the coaching staff. Possibly Sean Payton. Or that he wasn't suspended at all, but fined to set an example of what could happen next. Until things get calmer, the story probably won't be revealed until later on. We'll also have to see if Thomas starts having big issues similar to Antonio Brown. I think he's smarter than Brown and could handle stuff a lot better, but you never know. 

That's only scratching the surface in the South. Between the Atlanta Falcons and the coronavirus and Alabama's Nick Saban and their athletic director testing positive, football in October gets scarier and scarier.

Geeks and Jocks: Episode 46

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The Walking Dead Telltale Season Two Review (PS4)

You have a hit, you should expect a sequel. The Walking Dead got its second season throughout 2013 and 14 and continued to do what the first one did. A continuation of the story is here. Some better graphics. Audio and gameplay that continued to provide what was needed. It finds its own ways to stand out without trying to repeat itself.

This time, it's not an adult you play as. You are Clementine, the seven year old from the first season. A few years older now in this one, she wants to find a place that she would call home in Wellington. However, it's not how things go plan in this apocalyptic world. With a group of survivors, she has to make those decisions that affect how the group does and if any of them live. They don't mess around with the plot and the writers don't care it's a little girl. That's what makes it intense and you want to hope for a good outcome, but with twists all around.

While there are some puzzle elements, Season Two is more linear. You get more a cinematic flavor to it. The decision making is back as is the dreaded time limit that was used for those decisions. There is some exploration, but not as much. Clem controls just like Lee Everett. Running, interacting, performing her share of tasks. There is a lot of quick time events and the style it is executed in is what would later be used in future Telltale games moving forward at the time.

It's not a huge leap in graphics, but you can see some of the improvements. Better use of the comic book style and still having that gritty style in it. Improved character modeling, but not too much. Some parts might make you a little queasy. The audio direction still creates those moments when things are cool or prepping for action. Add in another strong effort in the voice acting and it will feel like a full fledged production.

Load times are better. Maybe because it's on a newer system, I'm not sure. The difficulty is a little more easier. The only negative parts I have are the decision time limit and a couple spots where the quick time events weren't responsive. Season Two of The Walking Dead is another must buy. It doesn't stray from its ideals, but keeps it unique enough.

Score: 9 out of 10

Revamped PS Store?

Whether this story is true or not, I don't know. Sites such as The Verge talked about it with their source being a French Vita site. Sony is supposedly revamping their PlayStation Store on both the website itself and its mobile app. Come the 19th this month of October for the web and the 28th for the mobile app, things will look different. The big thing being the inability to buy PSP, PS3, and PS Vita games (their libraries and other ones like PS1 classics) from the web and mobile. You have to go through their stores on the actual systems to buy them.

If true, this was coming. I'm not enthused about it, but look at the Wii. That came out the same time as the PS3, and Nintendo shut down the Wii Shop in January last year. I can see Microsoft doing something like this in a year or two with the 360 and shut it down. Online, there is somewhat of a panic on forums. Some thinking it's all shut down. No, not yet. My biggest gripe with the PS3 store is that it is a bitch to scroll. Not so much the searching, but the bad frame rate. I'm not kidding. It can be slow as molasses.

The inability to buy PSP games is a bummer, but not a shock. It was discontinued about six years ago and the store was shut down in early 2016. There are still a lot of games physically for it, though. Only a matter of what digital games were exclusive and which ones made it to PS3. I don't know when PS3 will shut down entirely, but probably another year or two. It's hard to guess with these types of systems because some still game on it and the 360. Some say you can't find the titles on the scrolling menu. Not true. I was told about using the search feature and those ones not on the list came up when manually typing the title names.

I can't comment on the Vita since I've never played one. Never wanted one when it was brand new in 2012. More interested in playing Xbox 360 at that time and my family got a PS3 that Christmas. I'm assuming it has a similar situation to the PS3. Now, welcome to the future. In ten years time, we could see it not be able to download and purchase Vita games, PS1, and PSP games. It's inevitable. Same with the Wii U, 3DS, Switch, Xbox One, and any future consoles.

I can see homebrew coming in at some point. There will be a way. Also, gaming emulation still has its rough patches to deal with despite plenty of work being done for the last 15 years of gaming. PS3 has shown various progress. The Wii U and 3DS have their own emulators. PSP does. It's a matter of getting the thousands upon thousands of games to function and to preserve any of the digital only releases. Where will gaming take us in this decade? I don't know. But the preservation and attempt to keep interests in these systems alive will keep providing a legacy in what they offered. Get what you can from PS stores if you think this story is true, mainly PSP owners.

YouTube Videos: Oct 2-8

 

Drifting Suit

Sites such as Wired and Nintendo Life have reported on this. Since the launch of the Switch three and a half years ago, people have experienced what is called drifting. Analog sticks that are not centered anymore. While use causes that kind of wear for anything since the Nintendo 64, it's popped up more often. There have been lawsuits. The most recent coming from a ten year old and their mother. I will not reveal their names, but here's the skinny.

According to the sites, the ten year old has had a Switch for a couple of years, Their Joy-Con controllers experienced drifting. They got another set of controllers and not even a year went by and they drifted. While that may not be everyone's exact story, it's something that has been too common. Like anything with analog controls, it varies. But the stories that pile on all around, something's not correct at whatever manufacturing plant Nintendo has. They have been fixing them for free lately, but it may not be enough.

Nintendo's lawyers don't think it's a big deal. It kind of is. The Switch will probably be gone in roughly four to five years. Maybe three. Even if you do it yourself, people will want to be sure they are getting a system that has been properly taken cared of. These drifts will be a concern for the next ten years. Some people hold on to systems after they die out. Though it will not kill them severely (a light slap, really), the Switch is the only system they have now. It is still doing well, but they have to do much better. They can't keep being ignorant on problems that cause them to still be the love or hate company in gaming.

Geeks and Jocks: Episode 45

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The Walking Dead Telltale Season One Review (PS3)

Let me preface this by saying I don't care for the television show of the same name. Anyway, The Walking Dead games is something only in the last couple of years I've enjoyed. My first experience was back in 2016 on the Xbox 360 with a demo and have since played it on PlayStation 3 version. It's a fantastic game that showcased what Telltale was great at, but also caused them to die.

The focus is on criminal Lee Everett. On his way to jail, it's the day of the zombie outbreak. Things spiral out of control. He manages to free himself and looking for help, meets seven year old Clementine in an empty neighborhood. With the two, they find themselves in situations where they have to survive on their own and with other survivors who have their own dilemmas. The bond between them brings a lot of emotion to it and you feel for specific characters.

A lot of the gameplay is based on choices. Older games from Telltale were more in tone with classic point and click games. There is some of the element in it, but the focus is more on a story and cinematic experience. It's choices include minor and major changes depending on the characters and situations. The choices are through a time limit, which is something I've never been huge on from the developer. A lot of their titles after that used this method.

The graphics are more of a comic book look, which is fitting. A little gritty with good animation. A step above some of the older games that Telltale made. Nothing that screams next generation, but its fine. The audio direction was well done. Music that creates tension and the action that occurs against the zombies and humans. Calm times before things get bad. Strong voice acting rounds out that facet of the game.

The controls work well with Lee. He interacts with objects and the conversations with other people. When needed, there is some quick time events, but they are not too common. There are a few puzzles here and there. It's designed to be linear with point A to point B moments. Not much exploration. But there is a mix of retaining some of the old elements and interjecting it with the new approaches. It is a bit easy and what you experience is up to you. Load times will be the main concern on a system like the PS3 and Xbox 360. 

The first season of The Walking Dead game is a must have for any system. Getting it right the first game is a necessary step to build a set of games.

Score: 9 out of 10