The Next MacBook Air

Last month Apple brought an all new MacBook Air which they dubbed as a marriage of iPad and MacBook, and in 1H 2011 Apple will bring a new iPad, most probably bringing much wanted features like FaceTime camera and improved hardware specs. After playing around with the 11-inch MacBook Air I realized it is a crossover product and could cut into the iPad's market.
The current top of line iPad is a 64GB, WiFi+3G iOS tablet priced at $829. The current low end MacBook Air is a 64GB, 11-inch, ultra-thin MacBook priced at $999.
There is a bit of overlap between the two. For an extra $170 you gain a full sized keyboard, larger screen, more  processing power and Mac OS X, but you'll lose ease-of-use, portability, 3G connectivity and battery life. Apple products rarely overlap, add an Apple Bluetooth keyboard to the iPad and you are almost in MacBook Air territory, as an iPad owner I never bothered with an external keyboard. It might seem that the iPad is threatened by the MacBook Air, but it actually it is going to be the other way around.
It is easy to see how the iPad can run over the MacBook Air especially with the release of iOS 5 in the summer of next year -if Apple follows it's usual iOS update cycle- adding more necessary features. Hopefully, features like over the air updates are in the pipeline, this will enable even more people to use it without need of tethering it to a minicomputer or laptop. Apple could do it the other way around and bring the MacBook Air closer to iPad level in portability and battery life, but that would take longer for battery technology and ULV processors to make a thinner, lighter and longer lasting MacBook Air possible.
This is where Cortex A15 comes in. It will bridge the performance gap, allow Apple to grow iOS into a more featured OS. As an iPad owner my biggest complain remains Safari's insistence to reload all pages instead of storing them in cache, mainly due to being limited to 256MB of main memory. The Cortex A15 won't happen for 2011, though an internals update is certain and will go a long way into making the iPad a more capable multitasker.
Unlike the MacBook Air, the iPad has a clear upgrade path, as it is not trapped in the struggle between Intel and nVidia. It is safe to assume that updates for the MacBook Air will be few and far between, before it is obsoleted by a mature iPad.

6th gen iPod nano a flop?

Apparently so. There aren't any sales figures yet, but the reaction has been tepid at best, hostile at times and judging by hourly sales figures from sites that provide such info, the new nano isn't doing so well..
One major failure of the nano is the loss of video playback, it was a big deal when Apple brought it into the 3rd gen nano in 2007, and judging by how some of my friends use their nano, it is an indispensable feature. To others was the loss of the click-wheel. So, here is how I believe Apple can fix the nano:

1. Volume +/-, Forward, Rewind and Pause/Play buttons.
2. Drop the price
3. Market it as the iPod shuffle
4. Bring back the 5th gen iPod nano with double the storage capacity

Eric Schmidt admires the iPad

And so do I.

More expensive, smaller, less battery life than iPad and 5 months too late

Starting at $599 and exclusive to Verizon's network from November 11. Running the not-ready-for-tablets Android 2.2 and sporting a too small 7-inch screen, the Samsung tablet is destined for failure. Seeing retarded companies like Samsung failing with their tablet effort and others, like LG and HP, delaying them indefinitely, shows just how much ahead of its time the iPad really is.

LG's "better-than-iPad" tablet delayed

Another one bites the dust delayed.

The many brands of Acer

• Acer
• Gateway
• Packard Bell
• eMachines

What's the deal? Could it have something to do with how shitty the computers they make are?

Rockman DASH 3 is back!

On the 3DS!

http://www.capcom.co.jp/rockman/dash3/

It has been years since Rockman DASH 2, one of my favorite games during the PS1 years, and like many I waited in vain for years for a sequel.

Then there was the interview in 2007 with Inafune about Rockman DASH 3

But now it is here and for real, and here is Keiji talking about it.

My life is now complete. Can't wait.

KDE 4.5 is good, no more Gnome for me

KDE 4.5 is super smooth, only took the KDE team 2 years and a half. Is KDE perfect? No, then again my preferred environment is Mac OS X. But KDE is pretty damn good and I prefer it to the UI of Windows 7, though only slightly.
Gnome 2 is old and outdated, Gnome 3 wont be here until next year and I'm not liking the new Gnome shell destined for Gnome 3. I might like it when I dabble with it then, but not now. It looks too confusing and cluttered for me.

IE9 is Good, no Longer Evil

IE9 beta has been released recently, played around with it, and other than some interesting UI choices that I don't agree with, I have nothing but praise for this release, it is obvious what my two UI complaints are, but UI is a choice and inconsequential.

To celebrate the greatness of IE9 I will never consider IE to be Evil as long as Microsoft puts continuous effort to improve it and keep it standards complaint.

Step Yo' Game Up!

The recent attacks by Sony on iOS gaming testifies to how much Sony is frightened of the rise of the relatively new comer. Sony itself was a new comer and knows how a noob can beat a master. Unfortunately for Sony, they are also validating Apple's claims that iOS is a gaming platform and giving it air time. This is not like the Mac vs. PC ads where everyone knew what a Windows-running PC was. This free air time informs viewers that there is yet another serious gaming platform that Sony is scared of it.

Why wont Sony be scared? The PSP failed miserably against the DS and recently saw it sales drop further and market share dwindle. The rise of the iPod touch went hand in hand with the accelerated fall of the PSP. The PSP found itself between the best gaming handheld (DS) and the best handheld (iPod touch). Games were always a weak link for the PSP and the attach rate shows it. The attach rate for the PSP has always been lowest in the industry and it is only gonna get worse.

PS3 Trails Wii and 360 in Attach Rate, According to NPD | FileFront
Xbox 360 leads software attach rate – Even the Wii beats PS3 – GAMER.BLORGE

Some might try to downplay the iPod touch sales/market share for being bought by many as media player, but in truth so was the PSP, at least initially. Sony did imply in many ways that the PSP is the Walkman of the future. So a comparison against the iPod touch is fair.

Sony to launch ‘Walkman of the future’ to rival iPod | iLounge News

Death of the PSP

Apple iPhone and iPod touch Capture U.S. Video Game Market Share

Code:

Total Portable Sales: 2008= $2.25bil;      2009=$2.50bil
iPhone Game Sales:    2008=$0.12bil;       2009=$0.50bil
PSP Game Sales:       2008=$0.45bil;       2009=$0.28bil
DS Game Sales:        2008=$1.69bil;       2009=$1.75bil

Piracy is a huge part of why the PSP's attach rate and software sales are low. I don't justify piracy at all, but given that pirating DS games is easier yet lower, one can assume that many gamers don't perceive PSP games to be worthy of their asking price. I haven't pirated any PSP games, but compared to my DS library it is about 12:1.
PSP and DS Piracy Explained In Pictures // Siliconera

You can bet 2010 will be even bigger for iOS, it has become common to see +$5.00 on top, with many $9.99 games making it near the top.


Epic Citadel Demo on Apple Special event Sep 1, 2010


"FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: The War of the Lions" E3 Trailer

"Secret of Mana" for iPhone E3 Trailer

iPod touch: 45 million sold so far

AppleInsider | iPod touch represents 38% of iOS devices sold by Apple

Quote:

"It's become the number one portable game player in the world," Jobs said. "It's amazing. The iPod touch outsells Nintendo and Sony portable game players combined. It's been amazing."

Here's to hoping for more serious games on iOS 

Atlus how about an SMT port for iOS, you can't let Square-Enix and Sega run with all the iOS RPG money 



It took Apple 3 years to sell ~45 million, amazing!

Sega brings Phantasy Star II to iOS devices (Aug 26)

From Wikipedia:

Phantasy Star II (ファンタシースター II 還らざる時の終わりに Fantashī Sutā Tsū Kaerazaru Toki no Owari ni^?, lit. Phantasy Star II: The End of the Lost Age) is aconsole roleplaying game released in March 1989 for the Sega Mega Drive in Japan and in March 1990 for Sega Genesis in the U.S.

The battle system is turn-based, allowing the player to choose commands for up to four characters. Each of the eight characters has a different set of preferred weapons and armor, as well as techniques, suited to the character's job. The player must defeat enemies in the overworld and in dungeons to advance in the game. 

A pleasant surprise, thank you Sega. I'm looking forward to this and DoDonPachi DaiFukkatsu on August 26th.

Windows 95 - Imagine That

http://www.guidebookgallery.org/ads/magazines/windows/win95-apple

Microsoft Office 2011 impresses

Microsoft Office 2011 Features

Thanks Microsoft.

Vay is still the best iOS RPG in terms of controls

So many great JRPGs have been released for the iOS, but in terms of controls Vay still remains the only one so far to get it right for the iOS, even though it isn't the best among them in terms of gameplay or storyline. While many others like Final Fantasy, Chaos Rings and Crimson Gem Saga try to render a D-pad or joystick on screen, Vay makes use of simple touch controls to navigate the map, you simply tap to where you wanna go, and double tap to run. You interact with objects by simply tapping on them when standing next to them. Why hasn't anyone else did the same simply beats me

Favorite iOS games August 2010

1. Final Fantasy
2. Final Fantasy II
3. Chaos Rings
4. Crimson Gem Saga
5. The War of Eustrath
6. Phoenix Wright
7. SimCity Deluxe
8. geoDefense
9. geoDefense Swarm
10. Fieldrunners
11. Vay
12. Command & Conquer: Red Alert
13. Espgaluda II
14. Baseball Superstars 2010
15. iFighter
16. Ridge Racer Accelerated

Games looking forward to:

1. Secret of Mana
2. Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions
3. DoDonPachi Resurrection

Games wanting on iOS:

• Every DQ and FF title on NES and SNES

Crimson Gem Saga lands on the App Store

I've been in Tokyo away from home (Sendai) since the 2nd and somehow I missed this piece of news from almost a week ago and the release of Crimson Gem Saga on the App Store.

I remember at one point being tempted to get a PSP for it, glad it landed on the App Store.

http://itunes.apple.com/app/crimson-gem-saga/id381217285?mt=8

Crimson Gem Saga is the latest of the RPG titles to hit the App Store this year, following Shining Force and The War of Estruth, and adding to the credential of the iOS being a serious gaming platform. It is no wonder the PSP is dying. Dead?
Now all I need is some SMT from Atlus and FFV and FFVI from SE.

Welcome to the Future

President Obama takes the Volt for a test drive

Steve Ballmer hates the iPad

"Apple has done an interesting job. They've sold more than I'd like them to sell. We think about that," he said. "So it's our job to say, we have got to make things happen. Just like we made things happen with netbooks, we have to do that with Slates."


 "I don't think there is one size that fits all […] I've been to too many meetings with journalists who spent the first 10 minutes of the meeting setting up iPad to look like a laptop." 

Microsoft caused the Gulf Oil Spill

Tech worker testifies of 'blue screen of death' on oil rig's computer

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SimCity Deluxe lands on the App Store

SimCity Deluxe for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store

Description
Build and manage your dream city with an updated SimCity™ experience for iPhone® & iPod touch®. Designed for dedicated and casual fans, let your inner urban planner run wild with easier controls, optimized performance, improved visuals, starter cities, and exciting new scenarios.

SimCity Deluxe for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store



I've been waiting for this, I've been playing SimCity a lot lately, despite being designed for the smaller res iPhone and iPod touch it is more fun on the iPad.

Gotta buy me an iTunes card 

Extensions in my Safari?

Safari Extension Gallery

Extensions in Safari are now official with 5.0.1.

Safari Extensions use the latest HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript web technologies. And they’re digitally signed and sandboxed for improved security. You can install extensions with one click — no need to restart Safari.

Read that? requires no restart. So now we've got two browsers supporting extensions in a secure manner that can be installed and uninstalled and enabled and disabled without needing to restart the browsers.

Take that Firefox!

JR Tokai CEO to China: Our Maglev will play iPad to your toy

 ‘‘[Shanghai's] can be compared to a toy for elementary schoolchildren, while our maglev train can be compared to an iPad,’’  the JR Tokai CEO

Reality check Yamada-san!!!

Shanghai's maglev train:

1. Operational
2. Has been in service for 8 years
3. Made by the Germans

JR Tokai's maglev:

1. Wont be here before 2027
2. The 10cms you boost about aren't realistic, but maybe they will be by 2027(??)
3. Will cost more than Shanghai's maglev

The iPad is:

1. NOT Japanese tech
2. Assembled in China

Long live XP

No one can kill XP not even Microsoft.

Microsoft says 74 percent of work PCs still use Windows XP, extends downgrade rights until 2020

By 2020 Windows XP will be 20 years old!!!

Can Microsoft sell hardware?

Short answer: No.
Long answer: No. Judging by their long history and most recent failure.


Microsoft hardware market failures:

1. MSN TV
2. Zune (all)
3. KIN
4. XBox (original)

XBox 360 is Microsoft's only hardware success, if the $1B RRoD fiasco can be considered a success, aside from the Microsoft branded keyboards and mouses it also sells.

KIN could have been saved:
What Microsoft should have done was release the KIN as a Zune HD Phone, that runs Zune HD apps - all 4 of them - and with a featurephone data plan.

Microsoft's ADD:
Microsoft's lack of focus is something I always wanted to discuss. If you look at their handset OSes/Devices: Zune HD, the now dead KIN, Windows Mobile 6.5 and Windows Phone 7; none of them run the same apps - the KIN doesn't run 3d party apps at all- the same OS or the same development platform. Sure they all run on a very similar kernel based off Windows CE, but what matters to developers and users is different enough to make them incompatible. The question is not why but who? who is the idiot in charge of all this? Why can't Microsoft execute the ideas they put forth and why so much wasted effort? Ballmer needs to be nailed to a wooden cross and set on fire!

Where's your Slate now?

Remember that HP Slate demo running Windows 7?



Well, this Slate is no more.

HP bought Palm and it has been confirmed now that the Slate will run WebOS and not Windows 7. This means the Slate will be a lot like the iPad, running a mobile OS and not a desktop OS.



To all the Windows and Adobe shills out there, don't count your chickens until they've hatched. Microsoft lost a major partner, and Adobe still doesn't have Flash ready for WebOS. To everyone else, HP now has a more viable iPad competitor than a cut down PC running the not multitouch nor tablet friendly Adobe and Microsoft software.

Itanic is dying

This was long overdue, but now it brings me great joy to announce that Itanic is dead. First, major GNU/Linux server distros dropped future support and now Windows Server. This leaves Intel with one partner HP, so Itanic will continue to exist as long as HP keeps selling Integrity servers, then again HP can switch to Xeon or Opteron.

No one can stop the x86 train, not even Intel.

Verdict: Dead.

Death of the PowerPC - official

GNU/Linux Distros Silently Drop PowerPC

A Rift in the Space-Time Continuum

 What Happens When Apple Passes Microsoft In Value?

Quote:

Here’s the real problem for Microsoft though. If Apple does in fact pass Microsoft in market cap, I can see CEO Steve Ballmer losing it, and that could steal his focus away from what should still be considered his real enemy: Google. It is Google, after all, that is directly attacking the core Microsoft brands, Office and Windows, where the company makes practically all of its money. Google Apps and Chrome OS are meant to do two things: Kill Office and kill Windows. Sure, Apple’s OS X competes with Windows, but Apple is clearly never going to license out its OS (after a disastrous attempt to do so in the 1990s when Steve Jobs was away), so its market share can only ever be as big as people buying expensive Apple machines. Apple simply cares more about profits and controlling the high end of the market, then going directly after Windows.

Death of the PSP

Managed to decline in a growing market



Apple iPhone and iPod touch Capture U.S. Video Game Market Share

Code:

Total Portable Sales: 2008= $2.25bil;      2009=$2.50bil
iPhone Game Sales:    2008=$0.12bil;       2009=$0.50bil
PSP Game Sales:       2008=$0.45bil;       2009=$0.28bil
DS Game Sales:        2008=$1.69bil;       2009=$1.75bil

Here's why I think the iPhone OS gaming is growing at a huge pace:

• iPod touch starts at $200 (no monthly fees)
• Majority of games under $5
• Games sell for a fraction of their PSP/DS price (Final Fantasy sells for $9 and GTA: Chinatown for $10)
• No need to carry physical media (your games are always with you)
• Thousands of sub $2 games for quick and casual gaming

The PSP dropped for obvious reasons:

• The hardware sucks
• Very few quality games (I only bought SMT Persona)

Chaos Rings - Epic JRPG for iPhone OS

It seems I'll be getting me another iPhone this summer. Apple is gonna have me a customer for life.

The game is mind-blowingly epic, can't wait.

IE no longer evil? 999 the Inverse of the Beast

Internet Explorer 9: A Fresh Start, With HTML5 - Internet Explorer 9 - Gizmodo
Platform Preview gives Web developers first taste of IE9

The good

• Faster JavaScript performance
• CSS3
• HTML5
• H.264
• SVG
• MP3 and AAC

The bad

• 55/100 on Acid 3 but Microsoft vowed to improve the score before official release
• Still Windows only

The epic

• DirectX for smoother graphics and better performance (GPU acceleration)

I'm amazed. If Microsoft keeps this up, I just might start to like them again.
Competition is good, we all win.

Mama and Papa are fighting and I'm confused

 




As a committed Apple and Google fan the recent skirmish between the two has left me heartbroken with no idea who to side with.

Is this how it feels when your parents are fighting with you in the middle?

Apple’s Spat With Google Is Getting Personal

More than just an oversized iPod touch

Microsoft's Vaporware vs. Apple's Lateware

The iPad will launch one week late, the WiFi-only iPad has been pushed from late March to early April. I'm gonna assume similar delay for WiFi+3G iPad. Regardless I'd take something I can buy over vaporware any day. Which brings us to the courier.


Courier digital journal mockup demo

Make no mistake the demo is epic, I'd buy one today if it were on sale, but this being Microsoft and going by their history I'm gonna have to write it off as vaporware. Until Microsoft puts a release date and price tag on it, the Courier is moot in any discussion involving tablets and the iPad.

Microsoft Demos Game Across Windows Phone 7, Xbox 360, and Windows 7

Ignores Zune HD

During the keynote presentation at TechEd Middle East in Dubai, Microsoft's Eric Rudder played the same Indiana Jones-ish game on a Windows computer, a Windows Phone 7 phone, and an Xbox 360. Gaming is about to get real ubiquitous.

Not only is the game itself playable on all three platforms, but the session is maintained when you move from device to device: if you're playing on your Xbox and have to run out the door, you'll be on the same level when you fire it up on your Windows Phone 7 Series phone. Basically, you'll never have an excuse not to be gaming.

http://gizmodo.com/5487232/microsoft-demos-game-across-windows-phone-7-xbox-360-and-windows-7

-------------------


I guess Microsoft is leaving the Zune HD to whither and die, just as it did with previous Zunes. I can't believe Microsoft isn't trying to take Zune gaming seriously

Chromium in my Firefox?

The folks at Mozilla are making good use of FOSS and reusing all the good code out there instead of reinventing the wheel. Kudos to them for being humble and pragmatic instead of ego-driven.
This time, they are reusing portions of Chrome's multiprocess architecture, to run Flash and other plugin's out of process, or as Mozilla now calls it  Out of Process Plugin (OOPP).

Maybe, just maybe I can like Firefox again.

Bugzilla - Electrolysis

Shut the fuck up!

No one gives a fuck about your crappy shells. Shitty browsers I've never heard of or cared for. 4 of them are shells on top of Trident (IE's engine), 2 shells on top of Gecko (Firefox) and 1 duals Trident and Gecko.
Go fuck off! Anyone can put together a partially usable UI and then forwards everything to a renderer, doesn't make you special or worthy of the oxygen you breath.

We've got 5 major rendering engines: WebKit (Safari and Chrome), Gecko (Firefox), Trident (Internet Explorer), Presto (Opera) and KHTML (Konqueror). Konqueror is second fiddle and still in alpha stage on Windows with a port that requires all of KDE-base to be installed. NO surprise it wasn't mentioned.

Hacking a different shell on top of a rendering engine doesn't make you worthwhile of any notice, it is more than enough that Microsoft included you in the ballot. If I were Microsoft I would have limited it to Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera and Internet Explorer. So shut the fuck up! Instead of whining and complaining, how about innovating?

Ballot screen

Nitro in my Firefox??

JaegerMonkey - MozillaWiki
JaegerMonkey – Fast JavaScript, Always! » Mystery Bail Theater

The beauty of FOSS.

The good folks at Mozilla are importing Nitro's assembler to speed up Firefox's JavaScript performance.

For those who don't know, Nitro is the JavaScript engine used in Apple's Safari 4.x.

No iWork for me until it supports ODF

Not really, as I'll be getting iWork on the iPad.

Seriously Apple what the fuck? When will you get off your lazy ass and give me ODF support?

There's a HUGE chance that ODF, not OOXML, will be the dominant standard.

Front-page: iWork Feedback - Tell Apple You want ODF Support!

iPad please!

1 month ago today Apple introduced to the world the revolutionary iPad, and I still don't have one! Every day I want an iPad more and more, as I envision how it'll fit in into my daily activities.

The wait is killing me!

The iPad is gorgeous, every time I go to http://www.apple.com/ipad I fall in love more and more.

So Steve Jobs, this is sincere, can you please bring us the iPad a month or two sooner.

Thanks.

Palm Heal Thyslef

Wait! Palm, let me help. To heal thyself you need to know what the fuck is going on, and I went through the trouble to figure it out for you:

1. 1. No worldwide release. Seriously WTF? How am I supposed to get quality games if webOS has ZERO market share in Japan?
2. The hardware sucks! Seriously, who wants a physical keyboard? I don't! Give me an all screen smartphone WITH NO PHYSICAL KEYBOARD, and you got yourself a 100% guaranteed customer.

Waiting for Kindle 3 or Nook 2

Getting an iPad for ebooks aside, the fact of the matter remains, the only thing as good as real paper is an e-Ink display. I'm gonna divorce myself from physical books for four main reasons:

1. Cost
2. Weight
3. Environment
   
4. Shelf space

It'll be awesome if I can buy ebooks and use on any of the devices I own, Apple's of the open and industry standard ePub format, ignoring all other factors, was a major factor in leaning towards iPad vs. Kindle. Now ePubs purchased from Apple's iBooks store could be DRM-infected, but that's a decision left to the publisher, I hope many of them are sane enough not to enforce DRM down our throats.
This brings us to the elephant in the room, B&N's Nook, support ePub, runs on Android and features an e-Ink display and a color touch screen. Now first generation Nooks received lukewarm reception -mainly due to sluggish software-, but if Kindle 3 doesn't support ePub I know I'll be opting for the Nook 2, sluggish or not.

I just need to figure out where can I purchase DRM-free eBooks :\

Google is officially a conglomerate

Google Gets US Approval To Buy and Sell Energy

First Google becomes an ISP, now Google becomes an energy trader.

Obviously a lot (Google haters) are saying that's it is one step towards Skynet. Google has the hardware, software, tubes, data centers, search algorithms and now it is power-independent.

I say more power to Google. I believe in big business (that innovates not stagnates), and Google is the best of them all. Google Energy might very well be the solution to all our energy problems.

Disclaimer: I love Google. I use their services by choice and love them.

OMG! Media.Vision! I love you! JRPG for iPhone!

For the longest of times I've been wanting Media.Vision to give me Wild ARMs 6. Sometime last year I suspected that Media.Vision is prolly working on an iPhone game. It was really obvious they wanted developers with Objective-C, Cocoa and OpenGL experience.

I'm glad to say it is true!





I'm a huge Wild ARMs fan, played all of them and thoroughly enjoyed them all -except for XF which I didn't like much-.

Now most definitely this wont be a Wild ARMs game, the franchise is owned by SCE. But all I'm asking for is a quality JRPG for the iPhone.

Microsoft pulling another Zune?

Back stabs its WinMo partners?

To be fair Google also did it with the Nexus One.

Ridge Racer Accelerated Review

As a longtime Ridge Racer fan I was excited about this game. I paid for it and started it, and right away I felt at home. It had the right amount of vibe and nostalgia. After all I wasted many hours playing Ridge Racer Type 4 on the PS1. But soon my romance was shattered, Ridge Racer Accelerated fails on many key areas. For starters, no Campaign or Grand Prix mode, limited number of cars and tracks (supposedly there will be more DLC) and worst of all awful handling. No matter how much I try to calibrate it, it just doesn't feel right, sure I got a bit accustomed to it, but it is unnatural very unlike every other Ridge Racer game I've played. Then there is the framerate and Rage Racer era graphics, now I'm first to come in defense of gameplay over graphics, but this is sad the game is neither fast nor visually stunning; and we've seen what can be done on the iPhone, and Ridge Racer is not a complex game to begin with. With no saving grace except Reiko Nagase, nostalgia and an entertaining soundtrack, this game is a hard-sell for anyone even a Ridge Racer fan.

Screens:







Pros:

• Reiko Nagase
• Shuttleloop Highway from Ridge Racer Type 4
• Reiko Nagase
• A soundtrack that can never gets old
• Reiko Nagase
• Opening cut-scene featuring Reiko Nagase

Cons:

• Only 5 unique tracks and no new track
• Controls are spotty
• Uncontrollably drifty
• Feels slow
• Only 27 cars
• Engine noise louder than music, and can't be minimized/muted

Final verdict:
3/5

Last Rebellion; breakthrough PS3 title from NIS

Last Rebellion Official website



Nippon Ichi Software (NIS) known for hit AAA Strategy RPG titles like Disgaea, La Pucelle:Tactics and Phantom Brave, now brings us Last Rebellion, which surprisingly is not an SRPG and can be only described as a breakthrough title for both NIS and JRPGs.

Last Rebellion - Debut Trailer

Quote:

Exploration is free-roaming, but in combat, the mechanics become turn-based. The battle system will allow the player to target specific body parts of an enemy, and the reaction will be realistic; hence, if you shoot out the legs of an opponent, his or her movement will be drastically reduced, while blows to the arms will weaken their attacks. By strategically striking key areas of the body, players can strip the enemy of their ability to fight. Players can switch back and forth between the two characters during battle. Since Nine and Aisha share a single turn, the player must strategically choose which character will execute their attacks first.

Last Rebellion - Gameplay

Ar Tonelico III huge disappointment!!!

The art and design is epic, as it is always been with Gust's JRPGs, but the game looks action-y, not turn-based and no menus or anything of sorts.

Ar Tonelico was epic

Ar Tonelico II was OK, but not as good as the original

Ar Tonelico III makes me sad :(

I'm disappointed and not gonna buy it :(

If more JRPGs become action-y I'm gonna quit gaming :\

At least there's still Atelier Rorona.

Fuck you PSP

So I was just playing SMT: Persona when it suddenly switched off on me

Called my friend who is a big PSP evangelist and asked him "isn't the green light next to Power supposed to turn red before it dies?". He told me "no! but you can check the battery life by clicking Home". I turned it back on, and clicked Home immediately before it switches off and yup, it was dry AFTER ONLY 4 HOURS OF GAMEPLAY! And I had it on the lowest brightness setting!!

Ignoring all the awful hissing noise it makes and long load times was painful enough!!!

FUCK YOU SONY
A really poor design decision on your part! Haven't you thought about us away from home for hours?

FUCK YOU PSP

WHAT A LAME EXCUSE FOR A PIECE OF SHIT HARDWARE

I get 4x the gameplay time on my DS Lite!

The PSP is totally not useful for us who play JRPGs and spend hours grinding.



Shame I really love SMT: Persona, and would continue to play it, but now I must charge my PSP

I guess I should get me an extra battery, and that what I will do. Good thing I can get them for like $30


BTW, the game is purely awesome! Highly recommended for anyone unlucky to have a PSP.

Google's Chromium Tablet

Sexy and slick. Do want. Can we get a release date and price on this? Hopefully it wont be just a concept for long.

Tablet (The Chromium Projects)

Why I'm getting an iPad

• Runs iPhone OS apps
• More portable than a MacBook Air
• Pages
• Larger screen than iPhone/iPod touch
• Keyboard dock
• Keynote
• 10 hours battery life and 1 month standby
• 3G
• Numbers
• $829 for WiFi+3G 64GB and last but not least iWork

A giant leap for iPhone gaming!

Please S-E port all your NES and SNES JRPGs. I'll buy 'em all day 1!