Random Links and Funny Ads

Things have been a bit hectic today, so I'm going to keep this entry pretty short and sweet. Needless to say, this week has been full of surprises and unfortunate industry news. However, it's the weekend now, so let's think of nothing but positive thoughts. Enjoy the following links and the next couple of days.

Kung Fu Hustle - This is directed by Stephen Chow, the genius who brought the world Shaolin Soccer. I'm betting this is going to be a really funny movie with some over-the-top fighting action.

Volkswagen Car Ad - There's been an influx of great car ads recently and this one is definitely up there. It starts out all familiar, but then quickly becomes something altogether different. Enjoy.



Mirror, Mirror - You probably wouldn't think that something as simple as a mirror could spark technological innovation, but that is exactly what happened in this case. We now live in a world where wooden mirrors exist. Amazing!

When Stick Figures Cause Harm - Sometimes, it boggles me that things like this happen. Have we come to a point when even general artwork can get you in trouble? Perhaps if the guys had gotten a good colorist, they wouldn't be in this situation.

Losses Are Never Good

While Wednesdays aren't typically known for bad news, today was definitely not the greatest day for some videogame industry folks, especially for the group down at EALA. In an attempt to restructure the studio and get it back on track, Neil Young (the new GM) went forward with the release of 60 or so employees. While most of the staff came from the Goldeneye: Rogue Agent and MOH: Dogs of War teams, plenty of other groups were hit, as well. It's unfortunate that so many folks had to be let go, but I can see why EA wanted to get across a message across to that studio. There is a bit of an upside to it all, as EA's stock price (ERTS) jumped up quite a bit in reaction to the recent earnings report.



Heading across the ocean, we find that Nintendo has had to lower its profit forecast by over 22%. Despite hugely successful sales of its DS system, the software for it didn't fair as well. That's probably because most games allow multiplayer with only one cartridge. Nintendo will obviously blame these lowered figures on a shrinking market and other factors, but (as always) won't admit that there are any serious issues. There are no problems because the "Revolution" console (just like the GameCube) will bring them back on top. That company better hope that the PSP is not as successful as I think it will come, because the only thing really keeping major profits coming into Nintendo is its handheld division. The GameCube, by the end of its cycle, will sell a little more than half of what the N64 did and I bet the "Revolution" will sell only around 60% of that. That's because the console will focus on features that Nintendo will think are completely fresh and innovative, but that most developers will never really utilize. That's the problem when you're third... People tend to design games around the lowest common denominator. There's no point to spend time on adding features that only a limited number of console owners will benefit from. Even Sony, the masters of marketing, learned that with the release of the HDD.



On the lighter side of things, I'm happy to share that my puppy has now graduated from her first training course. I'm gathering together some photos and will post them up over the next couple of days. Next up is taking her to a local dog park and letting her mingle with even more breeds. If anyone can suggest some good dog parks in the Bay Area, let me know at frostman007@gmail.com.



Oh, and if you aren't using the Firefox browser yet, then you should be. It beats Internet Explorer is almost every way, aside from a few sites having issues with it. It's faster, more reliable and has plenty of add-on features. It will even help to considerably cut back on the number of adware that appears on your PC. Run, don't walk, over to http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/ and download it right away. You'll definitely be happy you did.

Where Will You Be?

20th Century Fox's "The Day After Tomorrow" may not have been the best of films, but it did a lot to bring the spotlight on some of the ecological issues that are impacting our planet. The threat of global warning appears to be real and the human race could be on the verge of wiping themselves out. This "Countdown to global catastrophe" is exactly the topic of this article. Perhaps the point of no return really could be reached in ten years.



While I'm clinging to the disaster motif, I'd thought I would share the nominations for the 25th Annual Golden Raspberry (RAZZIE)Awards. For those who don't know, the RAZZIEs are given to the worst achievements in film. Highlights from this year's nominations include Catwoman as "Worst Picture" and Oliver Stone as "Worst Director". Check out the full list here.

Before I head home to my lovely wife and ever-so-obedient puppy, there was one last piece of news I wanted to throw your way. After weeks of sites talking about the possibility, Take Two has finally stepped up to the plate and signed an exclusive third-party deal with the MLB Players' Association, allowing it to use all the licensed players in any upcoming baseball titles. However, a deal with the MLB has yet to be signed, so who knows what's going to happen now. Also, the deal only applies to third-party companies, so Sony can still continue releasing their own MLB title for the foreseeable future.



Making the deal a one-two punch, company also acquired Visual Concepts (and its Kush subsidiary) from SEGA for the nice, bargain price of $24 million. GameSpot has more details on the acquisition. Here's hoping the company will start producing more than just baseball titles.