Wednesday, March 31, 2021
Monday, March 29, 2021
The Ridiculousness Network
This summer, it will mark ten years since the premiere of the MTV show, Ridculousness. It stars skateboarder Rob Dyrdek, who has been a mainstay for the network for 15 years, maybe more. The premise is showcasing people getting hurt, pranks, stunts. Produced by Jeff Tremaine, there is that Jackass type of feel to the videos being shown. I don't mind the show. I like it more than Tosh.0. But the trend of marathons has been a lot more open to articles over the last year that it's been a subject more than once.
Sites like AV Club, TheRinger, Cracked, have brought up stuff about the channel airing the show nonstop. Some of the stories are from back in February of this year. It's always been a big show, but the marathons have become much more noticeable in recent memory and personal experience. No joke, but there were weekends where it would be on for 48 hours or more straight. Maybe a break for a movie sometimes, sometimes not. Twitter users will put up schedules of what is airing for the week. Proof is in the pudding. Some do question why they don't air other stuff.
I have several ideas. I would agree with many that it's very cheap to make and gets decent ratings. Second, and probably the biggest reason if I had to guess is licensing. This is a Catch-22 for certain shows, but this is a backbreaker for MTV. Back in the 80s until the 2000s, they were airing music videos. Obviously, they held a lot of licenses. As time has gone on, my assumption is that it's harder to have shows on because of copyrighted material and the magic of music videos becoming a relic to where it's easier to put online and digitally instead of waiting. The only other thing I can think of is lack of interest of other shows that are currently on the air.
This goes into a larger discussion of cable in general, especially Viacom networks. They will spam the same two to five shows. Comedy Central is a fucking wasteland with only South Park and The Office. Maybe some other stuff here and there, but not even reruns of some of their original stuff like Tosh and Reno 911. Not even Key and Peele. Paramount Network spams Bar Rescue with only a couple other shows. But this should plant the picture in your mind of the issues of cable. This isn't exclusive to Viacom. Other conglomerates are like that as well. Even with movies as well.
It's easy to see why Ridculousness gets viewers hooked. Just stupid moments from idiots. A more dangerous America's Funniest Home Videos. I don't expect MTV to stop overairing it any time soon. But whenever this pandemic ends, they better have a strategy on what to do. No network comes close to the marathon binge. The next closest would be USA, AKA The Dick Wolf Network throughout the morning through evening, but they have better restraint at times.
Friday, March 26, 2021
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Supposed PS Store Shutdown
I've never heard of this website called TheGamer. Looking at responses of people who asked about their credibility, it seems like they don't. A lot of clickbait from the sounds of it, and this one might be like that, but I'm not sure. An unnamed source talked to the site and said Sony is looking to shut down their PlayStation Stores on PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, and PlayStation Vita. PS3 and PSP supposedly in July and Vita in August. It's not the first to be like that. Nintendo shut down their DS store in 2017 and the Wii Shop Channel two years later.
A lot of people are upset. Unfortunately, a lot are taking it as if it is fact without knowing there isn't any source or the clickbait nature of TheGamer. There is reason for concern, though. Along with the Xbox 360, there were many games on PS3 that you weren't getting on disc. Whatever legion of games that are still there are lost for good if it were be shut down. Same with DLC's. With PS3, if this is to be true, this was to be expected. I'm not sure what the deal is with PSP since its storefront was shut in 2016. You can get games for it via PS3 and Vita, but you have to dig deep and do a search, something I don't think most will use. Vita I can't really discuss, but it's been dead for a long time. That would probably be the worst thing to happen since you can't find many titles physically and a ton over the last five years or so have been digital.
The unnamed source said the announcement would be made at the end of the month. Take it with a grain of salt since it is a clickbait situation. If it were to be true, get what you can, but wait to hear what a legitimate group has to say. How you play games for systems DS and up will definitely be different as the online capabilities get closer to death. Preservation is a much bigger deal in recent memory since 2016, 17. Emulation is not great for these systems and won't for a good while. If to what is alleged is true, I'll definitely target some stuff you should get. But let's see what occurs and if Sony says if they have plans for it or not. Xbox could be in this situation in the next year or two as well.
Sunday, March 21, 2021
Life is Strange: True Colors Trailer Thoughts
One of Square Enix's major franchises is not a role playing game. It's actually a point and click narrative series. Life is Strange took many by surprise when it debuted in 2015. What was said by developer Dontnod to be one game only has grown into a developed franchise. The story was well thought and it had gameplay that harkened back to the 80s and 90s for a new era. It's gotten a sequel and prequel. Now comes the new chapter with True Colors.
This has me a little excited. To be able to get into it the moment it releases in September. With the trailer, it introduces people to the new main character, Alex Chen. She is in a new town, Haven, and reunites with her brother, Gabe. When Gabe dies, something doesn't seem right. It's up to her to figure out what occurred. Like Max Caufield in the first game and Daniel Diaz in the second, Alex has a supernatural ability. For this one, it's emotions. Sometimes, it causes issues for her.
I like that it is going for something similar to the first game. The mystery aspect works well for the gameplay that is given to them. I'm expecting quite a few twists to the story and also sensing some exploration, which is what gives the series an edge over games Telltale make. Its graphics from the trailer look amazing and if there is music that fits the tone very well, this will be another excellent entry. This is being handled by Deck Nine, who have made games like Cool Boarders under their original name Idol Minds and the Life is Strange prequel, Before the Storm.
It's set to release September 10th with all the episodes, alleviating an issue that was prevalent with the second game's release schedule. Will be available for PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series S/X, Stadia, and Windows. The original and Storm are getting remasters around the same time to clean up the graphics. Not a huge shock considering the original ran on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 late in their runs. The character modeling was a little rough, but nothing that abysmal. Coming out for PS4 and XB1 along with Windows and Stadia. No Switch version, though. That surprises me. It's not as demanding in power compared to even L.A. Noire.
Always nice to see some of the smaller games continue to gain some form of respect. Can't wait for the new entry and the need for other companies to emulate that style and not the Telltale method. There's nothing strange about Life is Strange having great quality.
Friday, March 19, 2021
Wednesday, March 17, 2021
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
Fall Guys Review
Fall Guys was one of the big games when it first released back in August last year. There is an appeal for it. You can look at it from various ideas it inspired to be or ripped off. This will be out later in the year on other platforms, but for now, it's the PC or PlayStation 4. Fun can be had for it, though there are some flaws that do not help and stuff that could make stale much earlier than it should.
The game reminds me of the Wipeout show, Takeshi's Castle (MXC), and Nickelodeon GUTS. You're competing with 59 others in various challenges and matches. A lot of races to qualify in a main show episode. Obstacle course type stuff. They can be simple or add variations to them to make it more difficult or easier. There's survival ones where you have to avoid hazards or jump over them. A couple random ones that rely on memory or other things. When you're on your own, there is a lot of skill that is needed to win an episode. Win or lose, you get fame and kudos, the latter being currency.
The graphics are very colorful and is easy on the eyes. I'm not too keen on the audio though. You can buy costume pieces with the kudos. Controls are easy to get into. While fun to get into, it does a few problems. One, most of the team games suck. It relies more on luck than actual skill to win those. A few of the individual ones are like that as well, but not to the extent of team ones. The physics can be a little wonky at times. Other players would rather screw people over by waiting at the finish line in races and go in last or grab you to make you die early on and get eliminated. Last, the matchmaking is not good. It's not that random and their choices are limited. Maybe there will be more. I don't know. As it stands, Fall Guys can be fun, but not to the level of what many saw when it released last summer.
Score: 7 out of 10
Monday, March 15, 2021
No Password Share!
Streaming is the hot thing. Netflix knows that. But they are also looking for that extra income. Most people share accounts. I'd argue that it's nice to share one with family. And that's why the streaming giant is looking into password sharing and putting in potential countermeasures if there is any. I understand where they are coming from, but the costs are also a factor into getting one of these apps.
I believe Netflix is 14 dollars a month. A years worth with it unaltered would be nearly 170. Only HBO Max is more pricier, but it's a ten dollar difference if I remember correctly and more quality content. Original content is something to gravitate to, but there was the abundance of shows from prime time and cable networks. That is disappearing with the rise of these other apps that offer a lot for less costs. It's why they are hedging their bets on stuff like The Gray Man and whatever TV shows they believe can succeed.
It's an uphill climb for the competitors, though. Peacock lost nearly a billion according to a report. Who knows what Paramount Plus is going to do since we're a few months away from summer and potentially the end of the pandemic. Hulu is still around. HBO Max has some huge names, but that price may keep people away. Netflix still has reason to exist, but can it sustain itself over the next couple of years? I wouldn't say no immediately, but you never know if there is a huge drop off. Especially with the password sharing cracking down. They have to keep relevancy in their hands and make an extra effort to get and keep people going to their service. The market is finicky to guess. But don't think it will die out.
Saturday, March 13, 2021
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge Thoughts
There hasn't been a game based on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in almost five years. That was back when Mutants in Manhattan released in mid 2016 for PS3/4, and Xbox 360/One. Most of the franchise's releases were beat em ups. A fan game was made back in 2019 which played like a number of the Konami ones. Judging by the new trailer, that's what Shredder's Revenge looks like it's going after. It will be helmed by Dotemu. More than likely, coming out this year.
Dotemu worked on last year's Streets of Rage 4. They have also been responsible for other games of older franchises like Pang (Buster Bros.) the Y's series. If there is a developer to trust on doing old franchises justice, they are the one. With TMNT, this is something that could easily outdo the Konami efforts. For as much as I like the NES ones and Turtles in Time (the SNES port is massively overrated), they were by the book, cookie cutter beat em ups. You could make that argument with Konami in general, whether you liked or hated their take on the genre back in the 90s. A lot has changed.
The aesthetic looks a bit similar to the 1987 cartoon. Not 100 percent, but it's there. Not sure where the gameplay goes. If it's a bit like Streets of Rage 4 in some spots, it won't feel overly repetitive That will be the biggest obstacle for Dotemu. Making it feel fresh without retreading on stuff already done before. I'm sure they'll have a trick up their sleeve, but it better be real special. You have to hook people in on more than nostalgia. I would expect offline and online co-op, some unlockables. It also can't be a bare bones package either. The standard has been set by other releases. But I have a feeling this will get more than the nostalgic fans interested in this. Expected to come out on about everything, seems like it will be out this year, if not, next year.
Friday, March 12, 2021
Thursday, March 11, 2021
New York Cuomos
When used right, MeToo can be a good tool. It's when some people use it as a weapon, does its original intention get lost. For political stuff, let's just say the Andrew Cuomo thing is an embarrassment for New York. You could argue one of the biggest scandals for the state ever. Women are coming out and saying he groped them, kissed them. People that worked for him talked about the nasty side of him in terms of emotion and anger. There's the nursing home death cover up. This is grounds for government impeachment.
But there danger of repercussion, even if they say something. The problem is that Cuomo has a lot of power and he can ruin someone's life in one phone call or create a story that wrecks that person's career. To add to it with him being governor, there was lots of praise about how he handled the coronavirus. If someone came out, they would be gas lit. There was a tweet from that awful comedian Chelsea Handler who said that she wanted to marry him. If she were raped or groped by him, she'd be singing another tune My point is, the fear is still there. With the stories popping out, they want to show their displeasure.
Supposedly, CNN and MSNBC are not doing a good job of covering it. That's the job of journalism. Speaking about the biggest issues on these programs. Do these anchors not want to admit that this is bad? CNN has Andrew's brother, Chris, as one of their big anchors. That creates a huge issue for both the network and the Cuomo family. Both sides of the political spectrum want to see Andrew out of office. Its something he can't escape.
Cuomo refuses to step down. I think he knows its almost over. From 8,500 to 15 thousand deaths, that's a huge difference in nursing home deaths. It reminds me of Chris Farley's Black Sheep. In that film, it was voter fraud. Here, cover ups of deaths. That's just nursing homes. What if there's more cover up of regular people dying from corona and making the numbers seem less bad. If this is something he survives, being a lock for a fourth term will not be guarantee. I think a changing of the guard will happen, regardless of impeachment or next year's election. It's time for the guy to admit he messed up and step down. If there's a time for a good use of MeToo, this is one of those times. If not, there is a huge double standard.
Wednesday, March 10, 2021
Tuesday, March 9, 2021
Nickelodeon Heavy Hitting Returns
The biggest cows for Nickelodeon were Ren and Stimpy, Rugrats, and SpongeBob SquarePants. This is in terms of merchandising. Ren and Stimpy had a decent amount of video games (The Sega ones are good). But the other two were a lot more marketable beyond games. As we are in 2021, the network has plans for those other two. A reboot for Rugrats and two new SpongeBob spin-offs.
The Rugrats reboot comes about as the show will turn 30 in August (Ren and Stimpy as well) It's going to be on Paramount Plus, the streaming app. According to sites like KIRO-7, they are bringing back the original voice actors for the kids. Whether they have the adults, I don't know. Be hard to replace Grandpa Lou since Joe Alaskey passed away in 2016, and that was his second voice actor. Judging by the report and some images, this looks like pre-movie era. That's the best I can guess. Obviously, different animation, but it doesn't look dreadful. Depending on the quality of the writing and humor, I can see some friends I know getting into it.
With SpongeBob, I don't know why they didn't do a spin-off of anything 15 years ago. The first show, Kamp Koral, looks like a really bad idea. The first episode is already out on Paramount Plus, so I can't comment much else. Ten year old SpongeBob wouldn't be much different from the adult version, so I don't grasp doing this. What's also weird is having Sandy on it, retconning the very first batch of episodes. This is a show they could have done as regular episodes of regular SpongeBob.
The next is The Patrick Star Show, which is set to debut in the summer. This one has a decent chance, but like Rugrats, will depend on the quality of the writing and humor. If there was an opportunity to have done this, it would have been around 2003-04. I say that time period, because Patrick wasn't always this complete dimwit and would have his moments of having some form of intelligence like in Boating School with helping SpongeBob get his license. I would have to look at the first episode whenever it does air to see where this goes. If there is some competent writing, it will last a couple years. If not, regular SpongeBob episodes are fine.
Viacom wants families to go to Paramount Plus. A way for some to remember the old Rugrats days and get hyped for the reboot. And a lot of people getting into SpongeBob. They're rolling with the punches. Will the audience accept them?
Monday, March 8, 2021
Cartoon Humor Under Fire
All types of people saw cartoons in the early 20th century. They would see shorts before seeing a film in theaters. Eventually, most of these would find a home on television and video. Once the 1950s came along, did the stigma of being for kids came into play. That is something that will come into play when the modern generation cry about humor that was done from before their time. This is in response to the hoopla surrounding Looney Tunes and its Pepe Le Pew character.
Quick backstory, The New York Times ran an article by Charles Blow (real name, by the way) about how the skunk was responsible for rape culture. I'll add that this guy is an agenda seeking person and will do anything to skew it into a political spiel. The thing is, this is not new. You hear rumblings at times. Dave Chappelle did a bit for a stand up special in 2000 regarding Pepe. Also coming out is him getting cut from the new Space Jam sequel, which I'll get to.
I'm not the hugest on these cartoons of Pepe, but Blow is "les incompetent". I get it, but it's never him winning. He always got comeuppance in the end. And it's not like Warner Brothers stuck to this formula every time, either. You can evolve a character. The Space Jam 2 scene is something I don't get. It was supposed to show, according to reports, him getting beaten up for hitting on a woman and told a lesson. Given how LeBron James is with his "activism", you'd think he would have fought for that. Makes no sense.
Was anyone ever inspired to be like Pepe? Or even Fifi from Tiny Toon Adventures? Even if you don't care for the cartoons, it's a parody of French lovers. It's built on stereotypes seen in various forms of media. Granted, it's humor that hasn't aged well, but Blow doesn't grasp the exaggeration. There's no real way to use the character and change him to a different type of parody. With that in mind, he should not be banned. If that does happen, it opens up a whole new can of worms because there are tons of cartoons from different studios that are for kids, but have some "risque" stuff that wouldn't fly by with today's group of snowflakes.
We can't erase every "bad thing" about the 20th century. But we can learn on how to improve and to change for the better. This whole Pepe situation comes at a really bad time. I understand the issue, but we also lose sight of what the original intentions were back in the 40s and 50s. Let him disappear for a while until WB thinks its safe to use him again. Until the stigma dies off, cartoons will always be looked at as kids programming. Not everything has to be a lesson like a PBS show.
Sunday, March 7, 2021
Netflix Original Gambles
Streaming is the hot thing over the last couple of years. Every studio is cashing in on it. What you could find on some of the older apps are disappearing. Netflix is one that has lost some big name movies and shows to stuff like Peacock. They got original stuff, but to stay relevant, that's what they will have to rely on. Two movies got mentioned not too long ago.
The first is The Gray Man. It's based on a series of books from author Mark Greaney. He has done many spy type books, including ones done by Tom Clancy after Clancy's passing. The film is being handled by the Russo Brothers (Anthony and Joe) and so far has casted a number of actors. Their Gray Man, according to elitedaily.com, is set to be played by Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans plays the nemesis of Gray Man. Some other notables include Billy Bob Thornton and Alfre Woodard. A very pricey movie at 200 million dollars, beating out The Irishman by about 25 percent more.
This is a huge gamble. With The Irishman, you have Martin Scorsese and his reputation for stuff like Goodfellas and Casino. You know that cast will be putting up a very strong effort. And Goodfellas was based on a book as well. I'm assuming Gray Man's budget is for one film. I hope it isn't. The Russo's track record is mostly Marvel films. Some of their actors will drive viewers to Netflix. But if they want the book readers, they better follow what made the series of books must reads. Otherwise, this is something that could sink Netflix for a little bit. It's looking like it will come out next year.
The next film is Thunder Force. I'm assuming a bit cheaper, but probably expensive. It's a superhero film helmed by Ben Falcone. This is a comedy with Falcone's wife, Melissa McCarthy, as the lead alongside Octavia Spencer. I'm not sure people will bite on it, but these two actresses do get people interested. How much, I'm not sure. Something a little less serious for Spencer and a little variety to her film resume. I can't remember the last film McCarthy did lately. There was a couple from a few years ago. I would think this would do okay. Word of mouth will determine whether it gets watched or not. It comes out next month in early April.
I'm sure there's plenty of more examples, but for Netflix to survive, they will have to adapt to modern times. It's a matter of whether long time or newcomer viewers will want to stick to the subscription and if the content justifies the spending of money per month for the films and shows.
Friday, March 5, 2021
Thursday, March 4, 2021
Why Kid 90 Interests Me
Every generation, teenagers experience different views of life. When you look at the 90s, there's something exotic about it. Particularly in a time before the Internet came about in 1995. Video was around, but it was the expensive cameras and footage was usually reserved around special events. That's why with this Kid 90 documentary that will air on Hulu soon, I'm genuinely curious with how Hollywood teens were during that time.
This project is helmed by Soleil Moon Frye, who rose to prominence in the mid 80s playing the title character of the show, Punky Brewster (and the revival as well). When the 90s rolled along, she was in adolescent age and documented many things. It was something that was already done in the form of a diary according to many sites like LA Times, even before getting the role of Punky. Judging by the trailer, of course. The amount of footage with all these actors that were growing up around her and around her age, give or take. I can't imagine going through all this and wanting the camera everywhere. Especially when that's become the norm today of all these piece of shit paparazzi people.
And some of these actors are ones that people should be familiar with in some capacity. What is also talked about are the insecurities of some of these guys and what was said about them when they started getting other roles or being on a television show. There is a dark side to Hollywood. One glimpse showed a newspaper piece of one committing suicide by hanging. Laughingplace.com mentioned eight actors dying from suicide or drugs. Even some of the stuff Moon Frye went through like breast reduction at 15 years old. Because "fans" (not sure you'd call them that) teased her about her breasts. It wouldn't surprise me if there is footage of some wild incidents that you never heard about. But like I said, the 90s was exotic. It was interesting to see what that era was like. Kind of like a continuation of what the 80s was like, only bolder and more attitude. That also reflected in these programs and films they did.
Last year came the child actor documentary headed by Alex Winter (Bill and Ted) that showcased ones that got into the business when they were little. Maybe we see more of this down the road and also people looking back at the 1990s in a raw way. What Moon Frye and her motley crew went through isn't something I'd call new, but it will shed light on stuff. The regrets, the could have been. Looking at what they could have done different or about letting go of things. Definitely will keep eye on its reception before giving it a watch when it hits Hulu on March 12.
Wednesday, March 3, 2021
Monday, March 1, 2021
NBA Logo Troubles
This feels like a political pandering, given how the NBA is now these days. These superstars that act like fucking prima donnas and force the league to act like them or want them to. Kyrie Irving should worry about playing the game and less worry about the league's logo, which has drawn attention lately. He brought up that it should be changed to feature a black player. Specifically the late Kobe Bryant. While it is not an image of anyone per se, it was based on Jerry West when it was created in 1969. That's what many acknowledge.
I don't know if Irving is being dumb on purpose, but Bryant is a really bad idea. There is one specific thing that would make the NBA look even worse to add into all the controversies over the last year and a half. It goes without saying, but you have to mention it. The 2003 rape allegations in Colorado. Even though he didn't get charged, Bryant's image sunk down and it took a few years to even repair that. Not to mention repair his marriage and quit being like some high school jerk off. Even if he did look better and tried to change things for the better, that still lingers in many people's minds. Adam Silver does not need another stressful incident to occur. It's bad enough to be struggling during this pandemic, but it's also bad to keep having controversy after controversy.
There are far better choices if you were to pick a black player. A lot of people want Michael Jordan. Can't blame them, but I'd rather not. Not because of hate, but I'd rather see someone pre-1984. Someone like an Oscar Robertson or a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Even Dr. Julius Erving. Someone that paved the way for the NBA. The only thing Jordan paved the way for was ratings on television and continue the success of the league throughout the world. Not trying to downplay a phenomenal career, but I'd like to see some of these pre-84 people get some love and more deserving chance to be the NBA logo if that were to happen.
I don't think there's an issue with the current logo. It's fine, But if change were to happen, I wouldn't flip out unless they create more controversy with Bryant. Irving should read up the rape allegation before opening his mouth as there are much black choices.
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