It's not often that Battlefield gets a new entry in its series, but with the 25th being last Tuesday, Battlefield has finally acquired a new title: Battlefield 3.
Arguably the real sequel to 2005's Battlefield 2, Battlefield mainly shines in its mulitplayer department. This review will be split into three parts covering the three different modes Battlefield 3 has to offer: Campaign, Multiplayer, and Co-op.
BF3's campaign so far has been a typical linear shooter, much to my dissapointment; the game does not really offer any type of choice for the player to take, with only one set objective at a time, while shooting dead-eye accurate AI. The AI's inability to miss makes playing through the campaign, even on easy, somewhat of a challenge, as RPGs fired by enemies will seldom miss, making the death screen something ridiculously common.
On the graphics side of Campaign, the current generation console's age is beginning to show, as the PC version is quite clearly superior. After installing an optional HD texture pack on my Xbox, some textures are still a little muddled and blurry, but still crisper than the beta a few weeks ago. BF3's lighting is VERY good, with deep contrast and lens flares making the game that much shinier.
Animation and voice acting in BF3 is another strong point; with Dice's (the developer) new Frostbite 2.0 engine, animation is quite fluid, and a lot of entertainment can be gained just by watching people dive to prone and get back up again. BF3 is one of the few games that actually allows you to see your feet when you look down, a feature usually restricted to Halo games. The voice acting doesn't have the emotionless tone many games succumb to, with much feeling embedded into your fellow infantrymen as a jet makes a swooping run overhead.
Later on in the week I hope to assess to other two parts of BF3, as I get deeper into the multiplayer side. With multiplayer always being a favorite of mine in the Battlefield series, I'm very excited to make the second part of the review, but I'm not making progress by sitting here typing...
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
The Next Nexus
When Google started its Nexus phone line with the Nexus One a seemlingly long two years ago, the Nexus torch was lit, with Google's goal as "One Android for all." Google's (produced by Samsung) Nexus phones have always been top-of-the-line technology, with the highest possible specifications possible at the time of creation; when the phone was realeased, having a 1ghz processor was relatively unheard of at the time. Now, two years later, the newest Nexus phone, the Galaxy Nexus, sports a 1.2 ghz dual-core processor, a prime example of Google giving effort to be the best of the best.
Samsung has finally managed to develop a higher resolution display than Apple's revered Retina display; the newest Apple phone, the iPhone 4s, has a screen resolution of 960-by-540 pixels; the Galaxy Nexus, borrowing some technology from Samsung's sister Galaxy series, has a gargantuan 4.65 inch display, allowing for full 1280-by-720, the equivalent to the average desktop computer resolution.
Unlike most Android phones, the Galaxy Nexus doesn't have the option of expandable storage; only two models will be made, with 16gb and 32gb. This can be viewed as some sort of limit similar to the iPhone, but unline the iPhone, the back panel is able to be taken off to remove the battery, something the iPhone is still lacking.
Another advantage the iPhone has is in its newly upgraded camera, posessing an 8mp camera over the Galaxy Nexus' smaller 5mp camera. Fortunately, the Galaxy Nexus has full 1080p video capture, equivalent to Apple's capturing ability.
The final blow to Apple lies within the internal software; the Galaxy Nexus is the first phone to have Google's new Android 4.0 operating system (as it is Google's child). New features such as facial recognition and screen capture (similar to hitting the "Print Screen" button on a PC) set it out from the previous iterations of Android, 2.3 and 3.0. Interestingly, the option to resize widgets (another thing Apple is still missing) is present; stacks are also being brought into the app mix. The new operating system aims to be a generic operating system for both tablets and smartphones alike; this means getting a similar interface to Android 3.0 Honeycomb, currently running on Android's newer tablets.
Only three buttons this time...
Samsung has finally managed to develop a higher resolution display than Apple's revered Retina display; the newest Apple phone, the iPhone 4s, has a screen resolution of 960-by-540 pixels; the Galaxy Nexus, borrowing some technology from Samsung's sister Galaxy series, has a gargantuan 4.65 inch display, allowing for full 1280-by-720, the equivalent to the average desktop computer resolution.
Unlike most Android phones, the Galaxy Nexus doesn't have the option of expandable storage; only two models will be made, with 16gb and 32gb. This can be viewed as some sort of limit similar to the iPhone, but unline the iPhone, the back panel is able to be taken off to remove the battery, something the iPhone is still lacking.
Another advantage the iPhone has is in its newly upgraded camera, posessing an 8mp camera over the Galaxy Nexus' smaller 5mp camera. Fortunately, the Galaxy Nexus has full 1080p video capture, equivalent to Apple's capturing ability.
The final blow to Apple lies within the internal software; the Galaxy Nexus is the first phone to have Google's new Android 4.0 operating system (as it is Google's child). New features such as facial recognition and screen capture (similar to hitting the "Print Screen" button on a PC) set it out from the previous iterations of Android, 2.3 and 3.0. Interestingly, the option to resize widgets (another thing Apple is still missing) is present; stacks are also being brought into the app mix. The new operating system aims to be a generic operating system for both tablets and smartphones alike; this means getting a similar interface to Android 3.0 Honeycomb, currently running on Android's newer tablets.
Friday, October 14, 2011
iPhone 4s...Not Entirely Different
Today, Ocotober 14th of 2011, marks the next generation in Apple's iPhone series, as the new iPhone 4s is released.
The iPhone 4s is remarkably similar to the the iPhone 4, keeping its original design and volumetric profile; the differences reside inside the iPhone 4s' core. Sporting a new camera, rated at 8MP over the 5MP old camera, and a new dual-core A5 chip, the iPhone 4s just seems lilke a minor hardware update rather than an entirely new generation.
As seen from the picture, both phones are visually the same, with the only way to distinguish being internal. With the new hardware specs, Apple has finally updated to current top-of-the-line phones, now being rivaled with the Samsung Galaxy SII and the HTC Evo 3D, both of which have dual-core processing ability.
Apples advantage still remains as its incredible popularity; people will buy the iPhone simply because it's an iPhone...unfortunately disregarding whether it's actually a decent phone or not (which is it, now.) The basic "shiny object!" approach is generally taken towards the iPhone series, which isn't necessarily a bad approach, but leaves room for error in judgement. For example, the 5MP camera the iPhone 4 has is generally an average to lower quality camera by today's smartphone standards, with cameras in upwards of 12MP being developed for mobile handsets being developed. Apple finally decided to step it up to the current competition, but the average person wouldn't notice the new camera anyways. (I don't really use my phone's camera either...)
More noticable is the new dual-core processor inside the iPhone 4s; lag will be less prevalent with the new processing ability, a relatively new addition to the phone market. With two processors handling...processes, one can take on the job of running the system, while the other can take over control of handling user-operated apps. In other words, one runs in the background, while the other handles what you're currently doing, such as browsing the web on Apple's Safari browser.
With all the new iPhones circulating now, Apple's chat system, iMessage, has the ability to become the bane of SMS messaging, and possibly a major hazard for carriers. With iMessage, the user has the ability to avoid the cost of SMS messaging, a very hated part of a cell phone plan. Google, with Android, will probably follow suit soon after, with SMS eventually curling into a ball in the corner, wondering why no one wants to play with it. This move from Apple, I can approve of.
The iPhone 4s is remarkably similar to the the iPhone 4, keeping its original design and volumetric profile; the differences reside inside the iPhone 4s' core. Sporting a new camera, rated at 8MP over the 5MP old camera, and a new dual-core A5 chip, the iPhone 4s just seems lilke a minor hardware update rather than an entirely new generation.
Apples advantage still remains as its incredible popularity; people will buy the iPhone simply because it's an iPhone...unfortunately disregarding whether it's actually a decent phone or not (which is it, now.) The basic "shiny object!" approach is generally taken towards the iPhone series, which isn't necessarily a bad approach, but leaves room for error in judgement. For example, the 5MP camera the iPhone 4 has is generally an average to lower quality camera by today's smartphone standards, with cameras in upwards of 12MP being developed for mobile handsets being developed. Apple finally decided to step it up to the current competition, but the average person wouldn't notice the new camera anyways. (I don't really use my phone's camera either...)
More noticable is the new dual-core processor inside the iPhone 4s; lag will be less prevalent with the new processing ability, a relatively new addition to the phone market. With two processors handling...processes, one can take on the job of running the system, while the other can take over control of handling user-operated apps. In other words, one runs in the background, while the other handles what you're currently doing, such as browsing the web on Apple's Safari browser.
With all the new iPhones circulating now, Apple's chat system, iMessage, has the ability to become the bane of SMS messaging, and possibly a major hazard for carriers. With iMessage, the user has the ability to avoid the cost of SMS messaging, a very hated part of a cell phone plan. Google, with Android, will probably follow suit soon after, with SMS eventually curling into a ball in the corner, wondering why no one wants to play with it. This move from Apple, I can approve of.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
More Screaming 12-Year Olds Playing Video Games...Just What We Needed
Apparently, the NPD Group thought it would be a great idea to research the age groups associated with playing video games...the results are as follows:
"Today, 91 percent of kids (approximately 64 million) ages 2-17 are gaming in the U.S., an increase of 9 points when compared to 2009. While the percentage of kids gaming has grown significantly across all age groups, the fastest growth has been among kids ages 2-5, with an increase of 17 points in gaming incidence when compared to 2009. The other segments driving this growth are females and teens ages 15-17."
(http://www.npdgroup.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/pressreleases/pr_111011)
Now, what might qualify as "gaming" is a very broad category, something not defined within the article. Later in the post the author states:
" In order to qualify as a gamer, respondents had to report that they currently, personally play video games. "
Again, this is a very broad, undefined categorization, and as such, renders the data of less value. Should the general population be more worried with 91 percent of kids playing video games? If playing video games refers to poking a button on a gaming device that happens to be turned on, more than likely it's just the media over-exaggerating. Again.
"Today, 91 percent of kids (approximately 64 million) ages 2-17 are gaming in the U.S., an increase of 9 points when compared to 2009. While the percentage of kids gaming has grown significantly across all age groups, the fastest growth has been among kids ages 2-5, with an increase of 17 points in gaming incidence when compared to 2009. The other segments driving this growth are females and teens ages 15-17."
(http://www.npdgroup.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/pressreleases/pr_111011)
Now, what might qualify as "gaming" is a very broad category, something not defined within the article. Later in the post the author states:
" In order to qualify as a gamer, respondents had to report that they currently, personally play video games. "
Again, this is a very broad, undefined categorization, and as such, renders the data of less value. Should the general population be more worried with 91 percent of kids playing video games? If playing video games refers to poking a button on a gaming device that happens to be turned on, more than likely it's just the media over-exaggerating. Again.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Minecraft Mining Straight Into Your Pocket
With all the success the PC indie-hit Minecraft has had, it's a wonder this hasn't happened sooner, but nonetheless, it happened: Minecraft is now available for all Android devices.
For those unfamiliar to Minecraft, brace yourselves for a wall of text:
Minecraft is a block-based game, similar to your childhood memories of building with Legos; everything is block oriented, from the dirt you walk on to the clouds gently moving over the landscape. Two goals exist, with separate game modes accompanying them. Creative mode allocates infinite resources to the player, allowing them to build to their heart's content, whatever that may be. Survival mode presents the challenge of surviving, as the name implies. With the recent update to 1.8, hunger has been added into the management of the player, giving a new dimension to worry about.
Many creatures exist in the Minecraft world, also presented in a block-esque art style; unfortunately at the moment, they're nonexistent on the mobile version, but hopefully Notch (creator of Minecraft) will be kind enough to Android users to add them in later. The creatures, or "Mobs" (short for mobile), are used as resources along with normal blocks, with items such as leather or wool from cows and sheep. Once the sun goes down in Minecraft's 10 minute day, hostile mobs such as zombies and animated skeletons start to spawn, and attack any player in sight. Hostile mobs generally provide resources for weapons, such as gunpowder and arrows.
Unique to Minecraft is its continuous updates from Notch; as the game is currently in Beta, Notch continuously adds new features to Minecraft, such as the Nether, a different dimension used for fast-travel. More recently, the addition of Strongholds and Abandoned Mineshafts have been added, giving a new adventure-oriented goal (hence the name "Adventure Update")
Surrounding Minecraft's development is the ever-growing fanbase; many Internet memes have spawned up from Minecraft, mostly involving the signature creeper, known for its destructiveness.
Whenever you see one of these green monstrosities, in the game or in real life, RUN. As the creeper gets closer, it lets off its signature "HISSSSSSSS", which is followed by a TNT-sized hole in the ground, or your creation.
Despite being made completely out of blocks and having a sort of childlike appeal, Minecraft can be surprisingly terrifying at times; walking around underground is made much more frightening when the dynamic light system cancels out all light except the faint orange glow of your torches. I've probably jumped out of being scared in Minecraft more than any movie I've seen, and the objective of those movies is to scare you. Something about being all alone and vulnerable in the middle of the Earth just gets to you...
Later in 2011, Minecraft is also being released for the Xbox 360; despite being made out of simple blocks with pixelated graphics on them, Minecraft actually requires a decent PC to run it, leading many of the wannabe player being unable to have access to Minecraft. Hopefully it will be more similar to the PC version than the mobile version is; the mobile version only has a creative mode currently, with a few survival elements such as ladders added in.
For those unfamiliar to Minecraft, brace yourselves for a wall of text:
Minecraft is a block-based game, similar to your childhood memories of building with Legos; everything is block oriented, from the dirt you walk on to the clouds gently moving over the landscape. Two goals exist, with separate game modes accompanying them. Creative mode allocates infinite resources to the player, allowing them to build to their heart's content, whatever that may be. Survival mode presents the challenge of surviving, as the name implies. With the recent update to 1.8, hunger has been added into the management of the player, giving a new dimension to worry about.
Many creatures exist in the Minecraft world, also presented in a block-esque art style; unfortunately at the moment, they're nonexistent on the mobile version, but hopefully Notch (creator of Minecraft) will be kind enough to Android users to add them in later. The creatures, or "Mobs" (short for mobile), are used as resources along with normal blocks, with items such as leather or wool from cows and sheep. Once the sun goes down in Minecraft's 10 minute day, hostile mobs such as zombies and animated skeletons start to spawn, and attack any player in sight. Hostile mobs generally provide resources for weapons, such as gunpowder and arrows.
Unique to Minecraft is its continuous updates from Notch; as the game is currently in Beta, Notch continuously adds new features to Minecraft, such as the Nether, a different dimension used for fast-travel. More recently, the addition of Strongholds and Abandoned Mineshafts have been added, giving a new adventure-oriented goal (hence the name "Adventure Update")
Surrounding Minecraft's development is the ever-growing fanbase; many Internet memes have spawned up from Minecraft, mostly involving the signature creeper, known for its destructiveness.
Despite being made completely out of blocks and having a sort of childlike appeal, Minecraft can be surprisingly terrifying at times; walking around underground is made much more frightening when the dynamic light system cancels out all light except the faint orange glow of your torches. I've probably jumped out of being scared in Minecraft more than any movie I've seen, and the objective of those movies is to scare you. Something about being all alone and vulnerable in the middle of the Earth just gets to you...
Later in 2011, Minecraft is also being released for the Xbox 360; despite being made out of simple blocks with pixelated graphics on them, Minecraft actually requires a decent PC to run it, leading many of the wannabe player being unable to have access to Minecraft. Hopefully it will be more similar to the PC version than the mobile version is; the mobile version only has a creative mode currently, with a few survival elements such as ladders added in.
Friday, October 7, 2011
4G Rollout
4G has been around for over a year now, and unfortunately is still stretched far and few between, with only a few towers present in the US.
Sprint began the 4G wave with its WiMAX network in early 2010, and being the first to do so, attached the phrase "The Nation's first 4G network" onto its name. Soon after, Verizon Wireless began to start their 4G services, but using different technology, referred to as "LTE" (Long Term Evolution). AT&T and T-Mobile also have a similar 4G service, but once again, it uses a different technology, HSPA+; both companies simply upgraded their current networks from 3G and slapped on the 4G label.
What actually classifies as 4G? According to the International Telecommunication Union, only LTE-Advanced, and WiMAX 2 networks would be capable of the 100mbit/sec output...and these networks won't be availiable until about 2014.
Sprint has finally given in to the LTE wave, and is planning to cover 120 US markets. This will mean Sprint will be responisble for managing two 4G networks, with WiMAX still not being available in some states, including Iowa.
What this means for current phones on Sprint's WiMAX 4G network is uncertain, as they probably won't be compatible on the new LTE network. In turn, phone favorites such as the EVO 4G and Epic 4G will be rendered useless on the new system, and will be restricted to using only 3G and Wi-Fi unless Sprint decides to have mercy on the midwest.
Sprint began the 4G wave with its WiMAX network in early 2010, and being the first to do so, attached the phrase "The Nation's first 4G network" onto its name. Soon after, Verizon Wireless began to start their 4G services, but using different technology, referred to as "LTE" (Long Term Evolution). AT&T and T-Mobile also have a similar 4G service, but once again, it uses a different technology, HSPA+; both companies simply upgraded their current networks from 3G and slapped on the 4G label.
What actually classifies as 4G? According to the International Telecommunication Union, only LTE-Advanced, and WiMAX 2 networks would be capable of the 100mbit/sec output...and these networks won't be availiable until about 2014.
Sprint has finally given in to the LTE wave, and is planning to cover 120 US markets. This will mean Sprint will be responisble for managing two 4G networks, with WiMAX still not being available in some states, including Iowa.
What this means for current phones on Sprint's WiMAX 4G network is uncertain, as they probably won't be compatible on the new LTE network. In turn, phone favorites such as the EVO 4G and Epic 4G will be rendered useless on the new system, and will be restricted to using only 3G and Wi-Fi unless Sprint decides to have mercy on the midwest.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
(Not Quite) Out of Beta and Releasing on Time...
October 25th is fast approaching, and to work out potential kinks in the system, Battlefield 3 is now in an open testing phase, something I've already poured hours into.
So far, the Beta has yet to show Battlefield 3's full potential, as the signature vehicular combat is absent from the beta (dont ask me how you would fit an APC into a subway). A few bugs and glitches are rampant in the beta, but as it is a BETA, they're completely acceptable at this point, as long as they're to be fixed in the near future.
So far, bugs include a few texture pop-ins, falling down holes in the map, and the occasional squirming body glitch, an amusing glitch where the player's body is stuck on the ground wriggling and shooting. The player currently affected by glitch is unaware, however, but any enemy can shoot the squirming "body" and score an easy kill; this glitch is most likely present as a networking bug.
Another more irritating glitch is the lack of ability to get friends together into a game; open spots are very infrequent, making it almost impossible to get a squad of four people into a game together. Hopefully, Electronic Arts will fix this problem, as I can't stand playing first-person shooters by myself, yelling at people without any of my friends to hear me griping.
The Beta closes on October 10th, with the full retail release coming out the 15 days later on the 25th.
So far, the Beta has yet to show Battlefield 3's full potential, as the signature vehicular combat is absent from the beta (dont ask me how you would fit an APC into a subway). A few bugs and glitches are rampant in the beta, but as it is a BETA, they're completely acceptable at this point, as long as they're to be fixed in the near future.
So far, bugs include a few texture pop-ins, falling down holes in the map, and the occasional squirming body glitch, an amusing glitch where the player's body is stuck on the ground wriggling and shooting. The player currently affected by glitch is unaware, however, but any enemy can shoot the squirming "body" and score an easy kill; this glitch is most likely present as a networking bug.
Another more irritating glitch is the lack of ability to get friends together into a game; open spots are very infrequent, making it almost impossible to get a squad of four people into a game together. Hopefully, Electronic Arts will fix this problem, as I can't stand playing first-person shooters by myself, yelling at people without any of my friends to hear me griping.
The Beta closes on October 10th, with the full retail release coming out the 15 days later on the 25th.
Bassism
Ignored by many, known by few, out comes from the back view: The bass player.
What may define a bass player may vary, and what comes to mind is also just as various. But despite these differences, most bass players share a common trait: being overlooked. Most bands are characterized by the frontmen guitars and singer, and thus the bassist becomes a small figure in the background, exemplified by Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones:
What may define a bass player may vary, and what comes to mind is also just as various. But despite these differences, most bass players share a common trait: being overlooked. Most bands are characterized by the frontmen guitars and singer, and thus the bassist becomes a small figure in the background, exemplified by Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones:
See the OTHER guy with the guitar? That's a bassist.
What many fail to realize is how the band's ability to play is affected by the bassist; the rhythm section is the glue holding the band together. When the guitarist starts to go out of tempo, a solid bass player can bring them back to the correct time.
Unfortunately with the change in music in the present, the average listener may only become accustomed to the boring three-note beat of whatever pop-sensation is on radio: the same three-notes, over, and over, and over, endlessly cascading into the listeners' ignorant ears. Is the reason lack of skill? Or is it faulted to lack of creativity? Maybe one day, music can go back to the colorful melodies of songs such as Ramble On:
Notice the MOVING bassline: constantly changing patterns, never playing the same thing twice. This type of bassline exemplifies that bass player's ability to develop their own characteristic personality; something rarely seen in the mainstream radio.
The other thing that gets to me is how a bass player wouldn't simply get bored playing the same notes repetitively; when I play guitar, I try to vary the part as much as I can, otherwise it turns into a boring streak of nothingness.
Another great example of variety is "Hey Hey What Can I Do":
Notice how smoothly the guitar and bass go together (and mandolin, just because John Paul Jones can). Jones is often credited for never playing the same thing twice, and he lives up to his legacy quite well. With songs like this, I have to listen to it multiple times to absorb all the different parts, instead of simply listening to it once, with a singer (is a rapper a singer?) mindlessly babbling about how his or her life is seemingly worse than ours, even though he or she is rich and famous from making mostly synthetic noise (which they might call music).
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