Xbox-A-Gogo 01.13.07
Posted by Joshua Richey on 01.13.2007
Apple unveils the iPhone, Microsoft unveils IPTV, and Lacey Chabert doesn't like to wear clothes.
Welcome to a very special edition of Xbox-A-Gogo. Why is it so special? Well, it's because this article comes to you via Mr. Skaggs Race, Gender & Mass Media class. You see, while my professor continues to bore me with his lecture on racial inequality in the media, and while my fellow students are busy taking notes and hanging off his every word, I am busy serving you up with the latest happenings from the Microsoft universe. This is Xbox-A-Gogo; I am Joshua Richey, and I believe that video games are a tee bit more important than incriminating people based upon their race, age, or sexual preference. But that's just me.
It's getting increasingly difficult to be anti-Apple these days. We Microsoft supporters have had no trouble staying away from those iMacs; but it wasn't as easy to stay away from the iPod. Now it's going to be next to impossible. After seeing Apple's unveiling of the iPhone, we're going to have no choice but to conform.
I had to watch 3 episodes of My Super Sweet Sixteen - just to ease the enormous pocket rocket that was residing in my pants. I must have me an iPhone... I must. Damn you Steve Jobs... damn you!
A pretty bitchin' feature is heading to the Xbox 360. That feature? IPTV, of course. What is IPTV? Well, I think Wikipedia could explain it better than I can.
IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) is a system where a digital television service is delivered using the Internet Protocol over a network infrastructure, which may include delivery by a broadband connection. For residential users, IPTV is often provided in conjunction with Video on Demand and may be bundled with Internet services such as Web access and VoIP.
Sounds pretty damn cool, doesn't it? There are some concerns however. Critics are saying that IPTV users will have to change their ISP services in order to use it. That would kill the feature before it even launches... so hopefully things are cleared up quickly.
If you haven't already, than the next time that you boot up Gears of War - you'll notice that their are updates available for it. There is a patch to fix some of the games blemishes; but there are also a couple of new multiplayer maps.
Gears of War has a really outstanding multiplayer setup, it's what makes the game live up to the hype that it's generated.
Possible New Controller and Browser?
Microsoft sent out some surveys to random Live users, and asked them their opinions on a number of topics. Among that topics: a black controller, a keyboard, internet browsers, and a joystick for the Xbox Live Arcade games.
I'm all for the joystick and black controller; but I think that we can do without the browser. I don't think that it adds anything beneficial to the 360. You're just exposing yourself for potential hacking and other problems.
- Every store that I goto here in the last few weeks is stocked with PS3's. And when I say 'stocked', I mean just that... stocked. The local Wal-Mart has about 15; my local Gamestop has nearly a dozen of both the 20 and 60 GB, and Target also has them in stock. I know that after the 360 was launched last November, I didn't see one in a store until early March. Interesting... very interesting.
- I lack the ability to give a damn about this Rosie O'Donnell and Donald Trump feud. Wow, and in other news: I've apparently been spelling the word 'feud' wrong for the last 15 odd years. Damn that spellcheck... dammit right to hell.
- I've got good news! Pressing Buttons (the weekly column that I did about 2 months ago) is coming back! Look for that here in the next few weeks.
- David Beckham coming to America to play soccer accomplishes nothing. Nothing! Sure, people will watch his first few games, but after that we'll focus back to the sports that we actually care about. Beckham coming to play soccer here in America is like Brett Favre going to play for NFL Europe.
- Rumors of Microsoft purchasing Capcom continue to spread. Evil Avatar reported this week that the deal is nearly completed, and that just the little details are being ironed out. Microsoft purchasing Capcom would give them exclusive rights to Dead Rising, Lost Planet, Devil May Cry, Resident Evil and other highly respected franchises.
One of my favorite games that was released the last few years has been The Chronicles of Riddick. Which is odd because a.) I hate Vin Diesel, and b.) I'm not a fan of games based off movies. But Escape From Butcher Bay was the exception to that. Now Starbreeze, the developers of Riddick, are coming out with a new game called The Darkness, which will be released for the 360 and PS3 this year.
I never would have guessed that Lacey would become the fox that she is today. She started off on that show Party of Five, where a bunch a kids kept whining about their parents dying or something like that. But man was I wrong. If you haven't seen Mean Girls yet, than I highly encourage that you do so. Anyway, Lacey is in Maxim this month... here's the pics.
In Closing... Yeah, so not the longest column this week. School is back in session, and I'm once again running around like my ass is on fire just trying to meet all of my deadlines. You can check out OMGodzilla for continuous (kind of) updates. Besides that, I'm out. See ya next week.
