Fun fact

72 million people listen to online streamed radio.

PC Jade Empire out

I've been waiting on the PC port of this game to be released... I have only heard good things. After I get the 6 gigs downloaded I then need to find the time to play it...

Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars Demo

I don't generally post about demos but I am seeing a large number of comments that say this is very much a Generals successor. w00t.

Also a lot about how many new online features there are. I believe they might have spent some time on the net code...finally.

I hope I have SupCom out of my system by then....

The captain says 'Good times ahead!'

The history of RPGS 1978-1993

A long but really interesting read: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games.
part 1
part 2

The first game I played listed on that list was Temple of Apshi, I remember the game fondly. Actually the author lists a number of games I remember well. He even reminded me of the name of one game I was trying to recall the name of, Wizards Crown. WC was an amazingly complex game, far more complex then you would be likely to see even to this day.

Its really stunning to think what these people did with one or two people. Game play wise a lot of these games had some serious programming behind them.

Amazingly, the guy didn't touch on the TI-99a. There was a game that I don't exactly remember the name of... Tunnels of Doom I think it was called. Came as a tape and a cart to run. Man tape drives...them were fun. Anyway, I actually think Tunnels might have been the first RPG not on a mainframe.

Supreme Commander in stores today

In case you have been hiding under a rock, SupCom is in your local stores today:

Supreme Commander is a real-time strategy (RTS) computer game, developed by Chris Taylor's Gas Powered Games. It was first announced in the August 2005 edition of PC Gamer magazine and is referred to as the spiritual successor to Taylor's 1997 RTS game Total Annihilation, which was listed by Gamespy as the number one real-time strategy game of all time.

Vista deal

Microsoft is running an unusual deal (for them) where as you buy one copy of Vista Ultimate Edition ($399) and you are able to buy up to 2 copies of Vista Home Premium for $50 each.

This is a limited time offer but there is no information on when it ends.

The best past offer Microsoft ever ran was a 10% discount on multiple PCs. This is considerably better as its more like a 40% discount. Also of note this is an anytime offer, meaning you can take advantage of it at some future date if you buy Ultimate now.

While $500 isn't by any means a drop in the bucket.... when I consider that it would license most of my machines OSs for possibly the next ten years it doesn't seem so bad.

Unlock weekend

Battlefield 2142 is unlocking all weapons for all users this weekend.

When the breakdown comes...

I was watching the latest episode from Battlestar last night, which was likely to not be remembered well by most people but I found it to be great. Any story that makes me think about both sides of a conflict as possibly equal is a great story. There wasn’t a great deal of action nor was it really even about any of the main characters so much.

The basic concept is this doctor is treating people however a certain highly religious segment of the population seems to die shortly after his care. These people are the type that refuse to be treated no matter their aliment feeling it should be left in the hands of the gods (yes plural in BSG universe). Because these people refuse treatment the bug continues to spread even into other parts of the population. [Side note: Ignoring all the other crap these peoples illness was a danger to the fleet and should have been forced into treatment or an airlock.]

A few of the people give in and go for treatment with Doc Death and never come back. After a great deal of drama Doc Death is uncovered and hauled off to the slammer with great fan fare. Of course he makes a final statement, which in short was that if these people are going to act like this lets save what little supplies we have left for the people that actually want to live.

I like where this guys head is at. May not completely agree with the delivery but I like the thought. When apocalyptic events occur where your race/faction/nation/what have you is reduced to less then 1% you have to play by a different rule book.

Doc Death is clearly in it for the long term survival of the race. It extreme but not really… Admiral Kain stripped her civilian fleet of its parts and left the people to rot. Worse, took the people of technical value by force by lining up the families to be shot if they didn’t come willing. That feels a lot more like life to me.

The human animal is barely contained by its criminal system and when that system is gone people will cut your throat for a cracker. Lord of the Flys is a better example then the TV series Lost.

Just remember Rome didn’t last forever… nothing is forever. Be ready for something other then TV drama when that day comes.

BF2142 Northern Strike

This is an upcoming booster for 2142. In the past boosters have been a couple of maps maybe a new ride. This booster seems a bit more meater then that.

I don't like to hear that the maps are mostly uban based but I guess it doesn't matter as its hard these days to find a server that does not only play city maps.

I do like the expanded/improved game modes though.

Key Features
Fast–paced, infantry-focused gameplay boosts the intensity of the all-out war experience.
Three new maps set in Europe, where snow-covered post-apocalyptic cities and a ridge in the Alps become the new battlegrounds.
Two brand-new vehicles designed to support infantry combat available in an asymmetrical set-up, with the hovering light IFV Hachimoto available to the PAC and the massive heavy IFV Goliath available to the EU.
Increased persistence. Ten new rewards, one new pin and ten new unlock items at the top of the unlocks trees, available also on core game maps, take persistence to new levels. Unlock credits earned in the booster pack can also be used in the core game.
Epic Titan mode available on two maps, and for the first time in a urban setting, for more intense Titan gameplay.
Tweaked Conquest-assault gameplay (Assault Lines game mode) on all three maps creates more choke points and more heated battles.
Horizontal podding gives infantry additional ways of moving across the maps quickly

Worthless magazine

Today I purchased the premiere copy of the official Windows Vista Magazine. My thought was if anything can sell me on the wonders of Vista it would be found within these pages. I really want to see something special about Vista that makes me say "Yes! This would improve my life!" Thus far I have found limited reason to upgrade (expanded ram being the best reason but not enough of a reason).

Well... this magazine served only to make me more assured that I didn't need Vista. Actually its a piece of crap magazine. I would have found more use out of lighting $5.25 on fire and watching it burn then gazing upon its text.

This mag is written in the most untechnical terms that really reveal little. Sure there are some system specs tossed in here and there but little beyond what you can read on the Vista box. Worse, even in its simple ways it does a poor job of selling the strengths of the new OS.

Also, I have directly encountered people that are having technical issues with some games that they didn't have under XP.

We all know that its a fact of life, some day your going to have Vista forced upon you but for now, I would suggest avoiding for as long as you can (if your able). And avoid this crappy magazine.

Due to my line of work I am really in a bind over all this. Its hard for me to embrace something that has little value but I know the world will be forced into a direction. In order to stay at the level of employer desirability that I have become accustom to I have to read the technology winds and stay a head of where they are at all times.

Its really not Vista itself that will force me to have to change, its some of the underlining system programming that has been added to the OS that I will need to have deal with in the future.

The really sad part about all of this is knowning it will keep my desirability up but not because companies plan to use it. All managers like to consider themselves as forward thinkers and they are thinking how nice it will be to have this knowledge on tap in the event that they do move in that direction. Its still many years before the first real projects will occur under these new technologies and that's because its largely unneeded in business today.