As the title suggests. My first experience with Xbox fully was in May of 2010 when my younger brother and I got a 360. My older bro had an original Xbox, and I tried it once. My first 360 experience was in mid 2009. That first year of owning it, we had some titles here and there. But the reason for this blog is for Dead Rising. I found it at a yard sale a little more than a year after getting the system. My quick thoughts are that it's a good game, but a few tweaks could have made it better.
A mode that you have to unlock is the infinity mode. I'm sure there are much more difficult achievements for other games, but these two could hurt your 360. In the mode, you have to survive with depleting health. There is strategy and that includes grabbing a few food books and trying to get the best foods that can replenish your health without wasting too many slots in your inventory. An hour in real life equates to 12 hours in the game.. The two achievements require to survive five days and seven days in the mall. In real life, 10 and 14 hours. And that can be very taxing. I don't believe you can pause at any point, either, but it's been a long time since I attempted it. that I can't remember.
I accomplished this back around the summer of 2012. My younger brother hanged out with his friends for a night and I was alone. I had attempted Infinity a couple times, but didn't get far. It was the one time I could get a real shot of completing these two achievements. This went from about I think five in the afternoon to about seven in the morning. It took a long time. But with the strategies, I was able to get through it. And this was on a black model 360 with the original design that had been around since its launch in 2005. Needless to say, my brother wasn't too pleased, but it still runs. Up until 2015 or 2016, it started to have issues opening up the disc drive and the power brick getting really hot.
It's probably easier on PS4 and Xbox One, but I'd like to give it a test. But that's the hardest achievements I got on Xbox. If you want it, plan your time on getting it. A little practice and patience can go a long way. There is a glitch with the food court during the fourth day, so avoid it. The wiki says avoid between 4 days, 5 hours and 4 days, 23 hours and 59 minutes. If you're in there, stay. If you're not, avoid going in there. Happy achievement hunting.
Monday, July 13, 2020
Saturday, July 11, 2020
Dis Nothing
Cracking down on harassment in gaming is a slippery slope. Either it is done heavily or nothing gets resolved. Whoever owns Rocket League does a decent job of removing bad players who do censored harassment or harassment in general. I'm sure Twitch goes through a ton of stuff, but being mum on Herschel Beahm, who is known as Dr. Disrespect, has raised concerns of what is going on.
A couple weeks ago, he was given a permanent ban from the site. Some have talked about it, but have not given the details. It's a reason I've waited a while on this. This is one of the bigger names for Twitch, and they haven't put out the reason why. With all the stuff going on with sexual harassment, maybe there is reason for that. Unfortunately, it's speculation. Maybe it's something very heinous that if word were to spread to the public, it would make the site look very awful. Twitch has done bans, but this is one of their most prominent.
One thing I heard via a YouTube video was that Beahm was cheating on his wife. Maybe if it was via a video on the site, maybe. But that's more of a personal note if it's not from someone on Twitch. Then again, it's one of your big people with sponsors. Of course, past history. Last year, he filmed in a bathroom I want to say was E3, and he was temporarily banned. There can be precedence. If they thought it was pretty severe, than this was even worse.
But the thing is, the longer Twitch stays silent on it, the more bad it's going to look on them. Unless there is legal reasons, which could be a possibility, what is there to hide? Especially given the last two going on three years. Could stories of harassment be true? Was there material in previous recordings that prompted this? I know it's complicated, but they have to soon. Otherwise, it will make them look like chumps.
A couple weeks ago, he was given a permanent ban from the site. Some have talked about it, but have not given the details. It's a reason I've waited a while on this. This is one of the bigger names for Twitch, and they haven't put out the reason why. With all the stuff going on with sexual harassment, maybe there is reason for that. Unfortunately, it's speculation. Maybe it's something very heinous that if word were to spread to the public, it would make the site look very awful. Twitch has done bans, but this is one of their most prominent.
One thing I heard via a YouTube video was that Beahm was cheating on his wife. Maybe if it was via a video on the site, maybe. But that's more of a personal note if it's not from someone on Twitch. Then again, it's one of your big people with sponsors. Of course, past history. Last year, he filmed in a bathroom I want to say was E3, and he was temporarily banned. There can be precedence. If they thought it was pretty severe, than this was even worse.
But the thing is, the longer Twitch stays silent on it, the more bad it's going to look on them. Unless there is legal reasons, which could be a possibility, what is there to hide? Especially given the last two going on three years. Could stories of harassment be true? Was there material in previous recordings that prompted this? I know it's complicated, but they have to soon. Otherwise, it will make them look like chumps.
Friday, July 10, 2020
Thursday, July 9, 2020
Smash Toxicity
Even with few titles in its 20 years, Super Smash Bros. has a great concept. Your favorite Nintendo characters fighting each other. Four players or more duking it out. Items, various game modes. There's things that make you smile. But we also see the fandom, which is very obnoxious and some of these tournaments have seen very vicious and disgusting moments.
A lot of this involves sexual assault. Stories have come out over the last few years regarding tournaments. People getting kicked off a team, let go. Possible criminal charges. It's blown up now with accusations of assault. I believe a woman assaulted a teenage boy. When you mix that in all together, it creates an even more toxic group that you didn't think was possible. While Nintendo has no involvement in tournaments, they are probably very disgusted out of all the trouble going on. But there can be some fault of trying to cater to people who just want to play for fun and ones who want a real tournament type game.
But ultimately, the fanboys are ones to blame. It's a toss up between this group, Zelda, and maybe Final Fantasy as one of the worst fanbases in gaming. Hell, I'd say Nintendo in general. The constant complaining about how nothing is like Melee. My thoughts on that game is that it's mediocre and the speed of it was too fast for my liking. Is there issues with all the games? Sure, but nothing that makes them unplayable. The ones that play tournaments take it too seriously. It's meant to be a party game with items and interesting stages that aren't like your typical fighter. A guy I knew in college, he was very chill, but would only want one specific stage in Brawl and no items. He'd let loose a little bit sometimes, but that was very rare. But he wasn't obnoxious compared to other community members.
Where this community goes after this, I don't know. Probably a number of criminal charges on the accused. Major changes to tournaments next year. Treating other people respectfully, but that's a tough challenge. The goal now is to clean up the Smash Bros. community. This can apply to other fighting game tournaments, too. Keep an eye on these people involved, especially with Smash Bros.. There is more kids and teenagers who appreciate those titles a bit more than Street Fighter.
Smashing toxicity may be the only way this community can be saved.
A lot of this involves sexual assault. Stories have come out over the last few years regarding tournaments. People getting kicked off a team, let go. Possible criminal charges. It's blown up now with accusations of assault. I believe a woman assaulted a teenage boy. When you mix that in all together, it creates an even more toxic group that you didn't think was possible. While Nintendo has no involvement in tournaments, they are probably very disgusted out of all the trouble going on. But there can be some fault of trying to cater to people who just want to play for fun and ones who want a real tournament type game.
But ultimately, the fanboys are ones to blame. It's a toss up between this group, Zelda, and maybe Final Fantasy as one of the worst fanbases in gaming. Hell, I'd say Nintendo in general. The constant complaining about how nothing is like Melee. My thoughts on that game is that it's mediocre and the speed of it was too fast for my liking. Is there issues with all the games? Sure, but nothing that makes them unplayable. The ones that play tournaments take it too seriously. It's meant to be a party game with items and interesting stages that aren't like your typical fighter. A guy I knew in college, he was very chill, but would only want one specific stage in Brawl and no items. He'd let loose a little bit sometimes, but that was very rare. But he wasn't obnoxious compared to other community members.
Where this community goes after this, I don't know. Probably a number of criminal charges on the accused. Major changes to tournaments next year. Treating other people respectfully, but that's a tough challenge. The goal now is to clean up the Smash Bros. community. This can apply to other fighting game tournaments, too. Keep an eye on these people involved, especially with Smash Bros.. There is more kids and teenagers who appreciate those titles a bit more than Street Fighter.
Smashing toxicity may be the only way this community can be saved.
Wednesday, July 8, 2020
Rich Enough and Jewish Hate
I don't know if I would feel comfortable giving Pat Mahomes a lot of money. Kansas City gave him a 10 year deal that is worth 500 million. The way I look at it, they want him to have his prime years in Missouri. While he has shown what he can do in these last two seasons, it's hard to gauge whether the team can continue to do well. My big concerns would be the run game and possibly the secondary on defense. They got a defensive coordinator that knows how to win in Steve Spagnuolo. Eric Bieniemy can still show his potential in hopes of getting a coaching job .
Ten years is a lot, though. Mahomes had a knee issue that took him out a few games last year. With most of these deals, a lot of quarterbacks did not see Super Bowls. Some playoff spots, but nothing else. But with how Andy Reid runs things and with wanting to continue on, Kansas City should still be poised to be a threat like in his Philadelphia days.
Speaking of Philadelphia, I've always viewed DeSean Jackson as a punk player. It wouldn't surprise me if he was part of a gang. That being said, he has had a solid career and wasn't in the headlines for the wrong reasons off the field. There is no excuse for what he did earlier in the week that has no place in the game. He quoted a series of lines that Adolf Hitler supposedly said, but wasn't true. Essentially, hate towards Jewish people. He has put out apologies, but it's funny his teammates, Carson Wentz and Zach Ertz, haven't said a damn thing.
For all the hoopla surrounding Black Lives Matter and all that crap, Jewish people go through quite a bit of hell, too. I didn't know until today Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and GM Howie Roseman were both Jewish. That must have offended them very deeply. It's been 75 years since Allies uncovered the atrocities of what the Nazis did in places like Auschwitz. Quoting something from Hitler raises a lot of concerns, even if the quote was false. Anti-Semitism is probably not uncommon.
If the Eagles don't cut Jackson, I see a fine and maybe a game or two suspension. They are in a similar situation to what happened with Riley Cooper back in 2013. I don't know what the fanbase would want, but Lurie and Roseman have to do something. Even though he returned last year, he didn't do anything after the first week and was hurt. Times have changed over the last seven years, and if the front office doesn't make the right decision, they will look really bad for dealing someone that could be a racist, whether Jackson is or not.
We do need football, but some of these news worthy stories make you a little weary.
Ten years is a lot, though. Mahomes had a knee issue that took him out a few games last year. With most of these deals, a lot of quarterbacks did not see Super Bowls. Some playoff spots, but nothing else. But with how Andy Reid runs things and with wanting to continue on, Kansas City should still be poised to be a threat like in his Philadelphia days.
Speaking of Philadelphia, I've always viewed DeSean Jackson as a punk player. It wouldn't surprise me if he was part of a gang. That being said, he has had a solid career and wasn't in the headlines for the wrong reasons off the field. There is no excuse for what he did earlier in the week that has no place in the game. He quoted a series of lines that Adolf Hitler supposedly said, but wasn't true. Essentially, hate towards Jewish people. He has put out apologies, but it's funny his teammates, Carson Wentz and Zach Ertz, haven't said a damn thing.
For all the hoopla surrounding Black Lives Matter and all that crap, Jewish people go through quite a bit of hell, too. I didn't know until today Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and GM Howie Roseman were both Jewish. That must have offended them very deeply. It's been 75 years since Allies uncovered the atrocities of what the Nazis did in places like Auschwitz. Quoting something from Hitler raises a lot of concerns, even if the quote was false. Anti-Semitism is probably not uncommon.
If the Eagles don't cut Jackson, I see a fine and maybe a game or two suspension. They are in a similar situation to what happened with Riley Cooper back in 2013. I don't know what the fanbase would want, but Lurie and Roseman have to do something. Even though he returned last year, he didn't do anything after the first week and was hurt. Times have changed over the last seven years, and if the front office doesn't make the right decision, they will look really bad for dealing someone that could be a racist, whether Jackson is or not.
We do need football, but some of these news worthy stories make you a little weary.
Monday, July 6, 2020
Depression in the Stream
Gaming has its share of people dying. There's stories of ones that binge so much that they don't eat or drink. It's happened in places like Taiwan for example. But then you have big name personalities. Last week there was a YouTube personality called Reckful who passed away. The result was said to be because of suicide. This is not the first and it won't be the last.
I'm no expert on depression or anything of that matter. With that in mind, this Reckful, whose real name is Byron Bernstein, was only 31. He put out some tweets talking about fans dealing with what he put out. It could be interpreted in different ways. Whatever the case, he was not in a good place. I wouldn't be surprised if the guy suffered from depression. Someone could have had traumatic experiences when they were younger. Maybe there is that sense of feeling neglected. Or something that is painful that the only way out is to end it.
We are all wired differently in our minds. Even if you share same thoughts with others, you may have a different mindset compared to your peers. There might be stuff that can cause depression, especially if one doesn't have drive or can't cope with handling life. Some may say to go to a mental institution. I'm not 100 percent sure that's a good solution. It's not an easy subject matter because nothing is ever done to prevent suicide or help the people that are not right in the head. It's only after someone is gone is there someone wanting better solutions, but that's even rare.
Gaming is a lot more interesting because Bernstein had plenty of followers. Like any form of social media, he got the good and bad sides of them. Maybe a negative comment spurred him to die. We have seen people give up quickly on social media because of vicious comments and some may take some of those comments personally. You would have to hope that people can help figure out what is causing the issue at hand and try to fix it before another death occurs. But considering mental health, I doubt anything will improve.
I'm no expert on depression or anything of that matter. With that in mind, this Reckful, whose real name is Byron Bernstein, was only 31. He put out some tweets talking about fans dealing with what he put out. It could be interpreted in different ways. Whatever the case, he was not in a good place. I wouldn't be surprised if the guy suffered from depression. Someone could have had traumatic experiences when they were younger. Maybe there is that sense of feeling neglected. Or something that is painful that the only way out is to end it.
We are all wired differently in our minds. Even if you share same thoughts with others, you may have a different mindset compared to your peers. There might be stuff that can cause depression, especially if one doesn't have drive or can't cope with handling life. Some may say to go to a mental institution. I'm not 100 percent sure that's a good solution. It's not an easy subject matter because nothing is ever done to prevent suicide or help the people that are not right in the head. It's only after someone is gone is there someone wanting better solutions, but that's even rare.
Gaming is a lot more interesting because Bernstein had plenty of followers. Like any form of social media, he got the good and bad sides of them. Maybe a negative comment spurred him to die. We have seen people give up quickly on social media because of vicious comments and some may take some of those comments personally. You would have to hope that people can help figure out what is causing the issue at hand and try to fix it before another death occurs. But considering mental health, I doubt anything will improve.
Saturday, July 4, 2020
Back to the Future at 35
Not many movies get my pick for being the best of all time or best of the decade they were in. But something like Back to the Future deserves it. It is a summer blockbuster from 1985, but it holds up despite networks heavy censorship of it over the last 15 years. But what makes it still beloved long after it's release?
Like many teen films of the 80s, it's about the range of characters you have. But you see more of a development of them with Marty McFly and his family. Romantic angles were part of many films, but it's not anywhere raunchy compared to earlier material. The stereotypes are there, but not grossly exaggerated. Tightly written so that the outcomes by the end of it are put together and everything is clear. A lot of care was put into developing into and not being a popcorn flick.
That being said the sci-fi elements bring something different to what is essentially a high school comedy. You got the crazy scientist in Doctor Emmett Brown. People being cool with the idea of a time machine being built around a car. Heck, that's the reason why DeLorean is still remembered. But it's not overused. It's integral to the plot of Marty getting home to this timeline, but the balance between the high school parts and the time travel parts is not heavily favored in one side over the other. And this was all done on a decent budget and several revisions. One concept was a refrigerator that was powered by Coca-Cola. Other concepts with the DeLorean included an ending that involved an atomic bomb for the nuclear reaction to generate 1.21 gigawatts of electricity.
Of course, there's the catchphrases and the dialogue that is quotable. Songs that fit the eras. An amazing score that builds up the atmosphere. The direction that director Robert Zemeckis had. There's no huge flaws and that is critical to a time travel film. Paradoxes and other things that could destroy the universe. But if you're looking for some fun, Back to the Future is the film for you. Just try to get a Blu-Ray or DVD version of it as it is butchered badly on cable TV.
Like many teen films of the 80s, it's about the range of characters you have. But you see more of a development of them with Marty McFly and his family. Romantic angles were part of many films, but it's not anywhere raunchy compared to earlier material. The stereotypes are there, but not grossly exaggerated. Tightly written so that the outcomes by the end of it are put together and everything is clear. A lot of care was put into developing into and not being a popcorn flick.
That being said the sci-fi elements bring something different to what is essentially a high school comedy. You got the crazy scientist in Doctor Emmett Brown. People being cool with the idea of a time machine being built around a car. Heck, that's the reason why DeLorean is still remembered. But it's not overused. It's integral to the plot of Marty getting home to this timeline, but the balance between the high school parts and the time travel parts is not heavily favored in one side over the other. And this was all done on a decent budget and several revisions. One concept was a refrigerator that was powered by Coca-Cola. Other concepts with the DeLorean included an ending that involved an atomic bomb for the nuclear reaction to generate 1.21 gigawatts of electricity.
Of course, there's the catchphrases and the dialogue that is quotable. Songs that fit the eras. An amazing score that builds up the atmosphere. The direction that director Robert Zemeckis had. There's no huge flaws and that is critical to a time travel film. Paradoxes and other things that could destroy the universe. But if you're looking for some fun, Back to the Future is the film for you. Just try to get a Blu-Ray or DVD version of it as it is butchered badly on cable TV.
Friday, July 3, 2020
Thursday, July 2, 2020
So Long, Minor Leaguers!
It was inevitable. It sucks, but unfortunately, it had to happen. No Minor League Baseball.
Can't say I'm surprised. For some leagues, baseball would be over in a month and a half. What exactly are you losing if you were to have a 30 game season or so? Terrible that the cities that host these teams lose a lot of revenue, though. Some may struggle to even survive into 2021. And with the potential cuts of teams, who knows which ones are scrambling to be saved. I'm not sure if less is more for baseball. Losing an affiliate, unless they are that dead in funds, would create more damage than any fixable solution.
Hopefully, there are brighter days and that some places can save baseball in their respective cities.
Can't say I'm surprised. For some leagues, baseball would be over in a month and a half. What exactly are you losing if you were to have a 30 game season or so? Terrible that the cities that host these teams lose a lot of revenue, though. Some may struggle to even survive into 2021. And with the potential cuts of teams, who knows which ones are scrambling to be saved. I'm not sure if less is more for baseball. Losing an affiliate, unless they are that dead in funds, would create more damage than any fixable solution.
Hopefully, there are brighter days and that some places can save baseball in their respective cities.
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
Coveting DVD's
This blog comes a little while after the controversy over blackface. Definitely a bit cringeworthy and depending on the humor of it and whether there's a meaning to it like in Always Sunny in one of their episodes. But the amount of outrage from both sides is a concerning thing. It's cancel culture and it only shows why digital is not always the big solution for your TV needs.
There were small shows, but there were big sitcoms that have removed episodes. Stuff like 30 Rock, Scrubs, Community, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The first two examples were under the suggestion of Tina Fey and Bill Lawrence respectively and approval from the studios that produced their shows. I understand the frustration, but it's also giving in to the new generation of kids who get offended so easily at everything that one mistake and they flip out like toddlers who don't get a candy bar once their mother finishes shopping. But you're also pissing off fans and maybe creators of shows.
In the midst of shows is ones that are stepping down from playing black characters. Mike Henry, who played Cleveland Brown on Family Guy, stepped down and now they have to figure out who will voice him. One that is lobbying is a TV actor, Wendell Pierce. There's a couple other shows where voice actors are stepping down. Maybe they are thinking of any criticism that could happen because of their easily offended people who will never live it down. By that logic, we shouldn't have Bart Simpson played by a woman. Nickelodeon should stop airing Rugrats on their classic blocks on Teennick because the male babies are voiced by females. These two examples, I'm exaggerating, but if we're going by what others could be offended by, who knows how far the cancel culture will go. Heck, go after Saturday Night Live's Eddie Murphy whiteface skit or the times in Chappelle's Show where Chappelle played a white newscaster. Those are funny skits, but some snowflake could get offended by it and cause it to be national news. Look at Jimmy Kimmel. He made an apology to the Utah Jazz because of a show he did where he played Jazz legend Karl Malone in blackface.
Now why DVD's? People want the real deal. And for some fans, they want everything. Every episode. That's why The Simpsons season 3 DVD set rose a little bit last year because of the removal of Stark Raving Dad, the Michael Jackson episode, from syndication and streaming. You can't erase DVD's. And it gives me great concern over what happens when physical media is phased out. That's why Amazon has Gone with the Wind in the top 10 for best selling movies and TV shows. They want the real deal and getting it via Blu-Ray and DVD's would shun some away from streaming. Warner Brothers also learned how vocal a community can be like in 2011 with their remaining Tiny Toon Adventure seasons. One episode was not going to be on because of a beer episode, but backlash led to them to re-inserting it back into the set. Score one for fans. I wouldn't underestimate what fans will do.Something like a 30 Rock will have its devout followers and they will do whatever they can to watch the episodes that were removed. This applies to other shows as well.
We can't erase everything. Instead of outright removing it, we should have warnings. Warnings that tell us of when a particular product was made and the culture surrounding it. That was one thing about playing Mafia III. They told players that they made the game, which was set in the late 60s, the way the world looked at that point. They told you to expect a lot of offensive things. That being said, there's winning and losing battles in all this. There is no simple solution. Considering sensitivity, this is far from over. Roll with the punches, I guess.
There were small shows, but there were big sitcoms that have removed episodes. Stuff like 30 Rock, Scrubs, Community, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The first two examples were under the suggestion of Tina Fey and Bill Lawrence respectively and approval from the studios that produced their shows. I understand the frustration, but it's also giving in to the new generation of kids who get offended so easily at everything that one mistake and they flip out like toddlers who don't get a candy bar once their mother finishes shopping. But you're also pissing off fans and maybe creators of shows.
In the midst of shows is ones that are stepping down from playing black characters. Mike Henry, who played Cleveland Brown on Family Guy, stepped down and now they have to figure out who will voice him. One that is lobbying is a TV actor, Wendell Pierce. There's a couple other shows where voice actors are stepping down. Maybe they are thinking of any criticism that could happen because of their easily offended people who will never live it down. By that logic, we shouldn't have Bart Simpson played by a woman. Nickelodeon should stop airing Rugrats on their classic blocks on Teennick because the male babies are voiced by females. These two examples, I'm exaggerating, but if we're going by what others could be offended by, who knows how far the cancel culture will go. Heck, go after Saturday Night Live's Eddie Murphy whiteface skit or the times in Chappelle's Show where Chappelle played a white newscaster. Those are funny skits, but some snowflake could get offended by it and cause it to be national news. Look at Jimmy Kimmel. He made an apology to the Utah Jazz because of a show he did where he played Jazz legend Karl Malone in blackface.
Now why DVD's? People want the real deal. And for some fans, they want everything. Every episode. That's why The Simpsons season 3 DVD set rose a little bit last year because of the removal of Stark Raving Dad, the Michael Jackson episode, from syndication and streaming. You can't erase DVD's. And it gives me great concern over what happens when physical media is phased out. That's why Amazon has Gone with the Wind in the top 10 for best selling movies and TV shows. They want the real deal and getting it via Blu-Ray and DVD's would shun some away from streaming. Warner Brothers also learned how vocal a community can be like in 2011 with their remaining Tiny Toon Adventure seasons. One episode was not going to be on because of a beer episode, but backlash led to them to re-inserting it back into the set. Score one for fans. I wouldn't underestimate what fans will do.Something like a 30 Rock will have its devout followers and they will do whatever they can to watch the episodes that were removed. This applies to other shows as well.
We can't erase everything. Instead of outright removing it, we should have warnings. Warnings that tell us of when a particular product was made and the culture surrounding it. That was one thing about playing Mafia III. They told players that they made the game, which was set in the late 60s, the way the world looked at that point. They told you to expect a lot of offensive things. That being said, there's winning and losing battles in all this. There is no simple solution. Considering sensitivity, this is far from over. Roll with the punches, I guess.
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