E3 2009 Reactions

As a video game nerd, I was quite happy to see that the real E3 was coming back to L.A. this year. There is no better time and place to get all the news on everything in the world of video games. Whether you own a Playstation, an Xbox 360, a Wii, a PC, some sort of hand held device, or even a cel-phone, there is something coming out for everyone. I took the time to watch all of the major keynote speeches by the big three (Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony), and I came away pretty charged up for what the next couple of years hold for us nerds. No new console announcements this year, but plenty of hardware and software announcements that are going to give a long shelf life to all of this generation's consoles.

Perhaps for me, one of the most exciting things to be announced was a new hybrid camera/motion detection unit from Microsoft, dubbed "Project Natal" for the meantime. It connects to your television, and with built in motion sensors and voice recognition, it is the first device aimed at creating "hands free" gaming. In other words, there will be no controller. Your hands, body, and voice are the new controller. For example, in a car driving game, you would sit in front of the television and simulate the movements of driving, all the way down to the foot pedals and gear shifting. Judging by the early demos, this thing actually has a chance of doing what the designers are hoping it can - breaking the forth wall, and making you genuinely feel like you are in the middle of the action. The implications for this device are far-reaching. In my opinion, if this delivers on all the promises, we could be looking at a Wii-mote killer. More than likely, it won't elevate the 360's sales above the Wii's, but it could definitely usher in an entirely new breed of games in the future. I don't think the developers even fully understand the implications of a device like this. I know one thing though - - if this device delivers even remotely upon its promises, I will be one of the first in line to get one! Can't wait!

Sony is also designing a new motion sensing device, but for some reason, it was neither as groundbreaking as "Project Natal", nor as sleek and simple as a Wii-mote. I'll save my excitement for another time. Sony also announced the PSP-Go, which is just another new iteration of the PSP, and I still can't get excited about it. Being a 34 year old, I don't spend much time with mobile games, and I would rather just have a new ipod touch if I had to spend $250 on a new handlheld. No desire to play Gran Turismo on a handheld, or to collect Resident Evil movies on UMD... sorry. The only other bits of hardware that were inspiring to see were the new Beatles: Rock Band guitars. There's a Rickenbaker 325, a Gretsch Duo Jet, and a Hofner Bass. There are all unbelieveably cool, and I will be picking up at least one (probably the Hofner bass).
As amazing as all of the new hardware looked, it is still the games themselves that dictate the success of a console, and this year, there was absolutely no shortage of amazing games on display. Playable kiosks, behind closed door demos, and jaw dropping trailers were all in abundance, and amongst the hundreds of titles on display, I managed to sort through them all and pick the twelve games that I believe represent the best of what the industry has to offer us in the coming months. Whether it's cutting edge graphics, innovative gameplay, an amazing story, something that looks just plain fun, or everything wrapped up into one package, these are the games that will inevitabley find a place on my shelves in the not too distant future.

1. Uncarted 2: Among Thieves - Sequel to Naughty Dog's 2007 "Uncharted: Drakes Fortune". This one's gonna be huge. A mixture of Tomb Raider and any good first person shooter. This one has the potential to be one of the most cinematic games ever, and carries the feel of a hollywood summer blockbuster. (PS3/Fall 2009)
2. The Last Guardian - From the team that made Ico and Shadow of the Collossus for the PS2 comes the third game in the trilogy. Perhaps the most ridiculously amazing graphics I've ever seen. Looks like it focuses on the relationship between a young boy and his cat-like dragon friend. Don't know what else to say... but I will own it.
3. The Beatles: Rock Band - You've probably heard about this one by now, but the opening cinematic got me excited all over again. Perhaps the best opening cinematic I've ever seen in a video game in all my life.
4. Heavy Rain - Another game that looks more like a movie than a game. Focusing on a murder mystery surrounding 4 main characters, this game looks to push storytelling and graphics to the limits. If Uncharted 2 can be described best as a playable cinematic summer blockbuster, Heavy Rain would best be described as a playable Film Noir. This one has been in development for almost 5 years, and it's coming next spring - only to the PS3.
5. Modern Warfare 2 - The sequel to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. This might possibly be the most intense looking FPS I've ever seen. Snowmobile chases, exploding castles, gunfights in the streets of Rio de Janero... this game looks to trump Modern Warfare in action by a significant level... a feat that doesn't even seem possible after playing through Modern Warfare 1 again. If you've played and enjoyed any other Call of Duty game, this one will find a way into your collection. If it's not Wii Sports Resort, my guess is that this will be the biggest selling game of the year - if not bigger than that.
6. Split Second - I'm not generally into racing games, but who wouldn't love a game where you have the ability to destroy the levels as you are driving around in them. That's the premise of Split Second - a TV game show where drivers race around tracks while avoiding the destruction of the world around them. Imagine racing around the terminal at LAX only to have the entire control tower explode and come crashing down towards you, forcing you to instead race down the actual tarmac while avoiding landing airplanes. Now imagine being able to control that destruction yourself in an attempt to beat your opponent. I love destroying things, so sign me up! Coming early next year.
7. God of War 3 - This one will probably end up being the biggest selling PS3 game yet. Set in mythical Greece, you once again take on the role of the angriest man on Earth - Kratos, as he heads to Mount Olympus to take on the Gods and Zeus himself. With over-the-top action, amazing graphics, and a following of millions, this should be the action game to beat in 2010.
8. Alan Wake - Here's another game that has been in development for at least 5 years. Some people didn't think it would ever come out, but this year's E3 proved everyone wrong. Not only is the game almost complete (it's coming out March 2010), it looks and plays absolutely amazing. Alan Wake is a writer who heads tothe small rural town of Bright falls to end a long slump of writer's block. Slowly but surely, the events in his novel begin manifesting in his real life, and he must set out to find the cause of these events. Dubbed a psychological thriller, this one looks to appeal to adults looking for a story driven game.
9. Brutal Legend - It would be almost impossible not to include a game involving Tim Schaffer, Jack Black, and Heavy Metal. As Eddie Riggs (voiced by Black), you are transported to a parrallel world where you must join up with Ozzy Osborne (voiced by Ozzy himself) and use the power of rock and roll to save the world. If you've ever played a game by Tim Schaffer (you'll need to be an old school Lucasarts fan, unless you were one of the three to play Psychnauts on the Xbox), you know you're in for something special. A great concept, a great developer, a great cast (did I also mention Tim Curry), and great music. Sold.
10. Mass Effect 2 - I played through Mass Effect. and when I was finished, I felt as if I had just finished a 1000+ page novel. The storyline, characters, and dialogue system were leap years ahead of any other RPG out there at the time, even if the action portions felt a bit repetitious and underdeveloped at times. Let's not even mention the elevator loading screens. Well, two years later, it looks like Bioware has made the "Empire Strikes Back" of RPG sequels - darker, bigger, and sporting an entirely re-vamped action system. Any quips we had with the first game seem to be resolved - and then some. Many critics considered this the game of E3 this year.
11. Halo 3: ODST - A new Halo game. Made by bungie. New multiplayer maps. Enough said. Yeah, it may not be the most original game coming out (it still carries the Halo 3 title), but Bungie's track record with first person shooters practically guarantees that this game will sell a bazillion copies. 4 Player Co-op, as well as the addition of two new weapons (including the original Halo's pistol) should help convince anyone who was thinking they have had all the Halo they can stand.
12. Scribblenauts - Perhaps the first portable game to receive numerous "Best in Show" accolades from various game critics. The premise is simple - A side-scrolling platform game where you play Max - a character who is simply trying to make his way through the game's 220 levels. Max can literally "summon" any object by merely writing it on the bottom screen. When I say any object, I mean anything. The game's develepers spent 6 months researching words, and when the game is released, you will be able to summon over 10,000 objects, each with it's own unique properties. Unicorns? Check. Waffle Iron? Check. God? Check. People at E3 tried to stump the computer, but 99 times out of 100, whatever was written on the bottom screen was instantly conjured in the game in the screen above. I can't even begin to imagine to implications for the game, but I know it's one of the few DS games that will make it into this 34 year old's library. Awesome stuff.

There are quite a few notable runner-ups that I would like to mention as well: Final Fantasy XIII (360 & PS3), Splinter Cell: Conviction (360 & PS3), New Super Mario Brothers Wii, Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii), Metroid - Other M (Wii), Assassins Creed 2 (360 & PS3), Halo: Reach (360), and Zelda: Spirit Tracks (DS). Also, a super special shout-out to The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition - a remake of one of my favorite PC games of all time (see above picture).

Oh... and one final prediction - Wii Sports Resort will sell approximately a trillion units, and Nintendo will own part of Japan by 2011.

Until next time!

How do you listen to music?

My wife and I were talking over dinner last night about music, and we've come to the conclusion that we are very different in how we not only perceive music, but also in how we listen to it. Strangely enough, our musical tastes are very similar, but when we got to talking about what she "hears" in a song versus what I "hear", I realized how different our experiences with the same songs were. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the actual act of listening to music can be such a varied experience, depending on not only who you are, but where you are, what you are doing, and perhaps most importantly, what you are not doing.

When my wife listens to a song, the first things she hears are the lyrics, and after listening to a song a couple of times, she has already memorized half the lyrics. I operate completely differently. The first thing I hear in a song are the instruments, the types of sounds heard, and perhaps most importantly to me - the melody.

Without a doubt, my first impression of a song is always the strongest, although it is fair to say certain songs have a tendency to grow on me over time. I'm sure this happens with everyone else too. Back to the point though, the very last thing I hear when I listen to a song initially are the lyrics. Point of distinction - I hear the voice, but I hear it more as a melody, and less as lyrics... at least initially. There always comes a point, especially when listening to music that I truly enjoy, where I will finally make an attempt to understand the lyrics. Sometimes it involves reading the book that accompanies the CD's to find them, and other times you can just understand the lyrics easily by listening to the music. It depends who's singing, and how easy they how to understand. Try deciphering a Bob Dylan or Radiohead song on the first attempt.

The relationship between music and lyrics is thoroughly inter-twined, and the importance of one element may rely entirely on the existence of the other. How do you hear music? Do you break a song down into it's respective instruments, and listen to the ways the different sounds and rhythms interact with each other? Perhaps you don't hear the different instruments, but rather hear the song as a collective "whole", rather than the sum of it's parts. Or perhaps you focus entirely on the lyrics, and find the actual music to merely be a backdrop to the thoughts, ideas, and stories being expressed within the song.

Of course, every musician and band has their thoughts and opinions on the matter, and this becomes a determining factor in the shape of their music. There is certainly no right or wrong answer here... it's more of an unconscious reaction than anything else... at least in my opinion. I could literally go on and on about this subject, but in my attempts to create some sort of "order" to this conundrum, I have also spent 4 and a half months without any other entries, which is, to quote my friend Eric, "pathetic". Indeed, Eric. Indeed. Instead, I will merely pose the question "How do you listen to music?", and perhaps it will make you stop and think for a second.

Finally... Wheaties for K.G.!

Being from Orange County, it's no surprise that I was rooting for the Lakers in this year's NBA playoffs. The playoffs had, to some extent, taken over my life. All I could think about at work was the impending game, and the anticipation grew greater and greater with each round of the playoffs. The series against Denver was surprisingly entertaining, but failed to create the level of excitement that came when they faced off against the Jazz. A week later, it was the Spurs, and the Lakers pulled off a couple of the most amazing NBA playoff comebacks in recent history. It all lead up to what most people were hoping would happen - a classic battle in the finals versus the Boston Celtics. Who could ask for more?

As it turns out, it was a win/win situation for me. Of course I wanted the Lakers to win. They have always been my favorite team, whether they've got Kareem, Shaq, Kobe... even that bearded Slovakian Vlade (I pronounce it like Blade). They had a great season, and a great playoffs... until the finals, that is. Thankfully, I'm also a fan of Boston. Therefore, I'll always have enemies. In all honesty though, if I hadn't been a fan of Boston, I would have been after game 6. They owned the game from the second quarter, and where they went from there, well... you know the story. Let's just say that when you're 3rd string is doing reverse alley-oops on the Lakers starting lineup, your future is looking bright.

Anyways... to my point. By the time the finals were actually over, I was not only apathetic to the Lakers, but I actually found myself genuinely happy for Boston. Sue me, but how can you not be happy for Kevin Garnett? I have never seen anyone so humbled by the win. My favorite moment of the night was when he gave Bill Russell a never-ending hug and said to him "I got my own ring now... I hope we made you proud". Moments like these are what sports are all about to me. Only my opinion, but there's a guy who has earned his ring. I also have to give credit to Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and little Rondo. They played some ridiculous basketball, especially in game 6, and as a result, I can't help but feel like they deserved to win. It helped that it was such an ass kicking as well, because I already gave up on the Lakers in the middle of the third. To all you Laker fans out there who hate me now (even though no one is reading this), you know you did too. By the time the game was over, I had already experienced so many feelings of anger, sadness, and betrayal by my home team that the only thing left to do was be happy for the team that truly deserved to win. So congrats to you, K.G, and the rest of your team for making it to the "top of the world". You deserved it this time. You got your ring, and now I can go back to rooting against you without feeling so guilty.

Unnecessary necessities!

"Whoa man, you haven't ever seen Raiders of the Lost Ark?"

"You've never heard Dark Side of the Moon? That's insane!! You shouldn't even be alive!"

Certainly we've all been called to task once or twice for our ignorance of some seemingly important piece of pop culture history. You felt scared, alone, and of course, cold. Perhaps you grew up in a cardboard box deep underground, or perhaps you just never had the benefit of having a friend with nothing better to do than look for the best of the best in the realm of media, music, and fashion... and then force it all down your throat. I'm here to tell you it's alright. I will be that guy for all of you, except without the forcefulness, or really any sort of highly informed background. And to be honest, I can't really help with the fashion either. I'll leave that to someone else, whilst I remain in a pair of beige shorts and a T-shirt made in 1995. Everyone should own a pair of beige shorts. They are simply amazing.

Back to my point though - if you've never heard the choral sounds of Sigur Ros, or you haven't seen the styling genius of Billy Mitchell - read on. If you're unaware of what Honey Nut Cheerios mean to Omar Little, or you've never Karl Pilkington talk about Dinosaurs - read on. And for heaven's sake, if you've never seen Chest Rockwell blend a margarita - read on. I will make sure that you're given a proper road map to follow if you want to be watching the best film and television, listening to the best music, reading the best publishings, and shopping at the best places (offline and on).

In my own perfect world, I'll be doing this somewhat regularly... picking my favorites within the realm of film , television, music, the web, games, clothing, shopping destinations, etc... and then putting them up on the pedestal where I hold everything dear. If you choose not to follow my advice, you will probably survive, at least for a while. Eventually though, the emptiness will eat you from the inside out, and you'll probably end of alone, scared, and of course, cold. It's probably better to play it safe and take my advice now, before you risk infecting yourself with permanent stupidity by watching another episode of "Small Wonder". Do you know what is worse than staring straight into the sun? Staring straight into Harriett. All you fans of Vikki the robot - you know what I'm talking about.

Well, I suppose I can't have a section devoted to recommendations without actually having something to recommend. This time - I'll throw out a few "no-brainer" movie recommendations. Hopefully, you've seen all these, or at least heard of them. In the future, I'll try to bring a little bit of everything to the table - some you've all heard of, and some you might not have. So without further ado, here is my first list of unnecessary necessities:

Movies everyone should see before they die (Part I)

• Amelie (adorable French girl goes on a kindness rampage...)
• Die Hard (guy from Hudson Hawk gets glass in his feet while running up and down in a building)
• The Shawshank Redemption (innocent guy gets man-raped in prison, then escapes to go live with the Moor from Robin Hood)
• Seven (decaying man rises from his bed, and scares the crap out of Brad Pitt and me)
• A Fish Called Wanda (diamond robbery goes foul, and ketchup sniffing ensues)
• This is Spinal Tap (this one goes to 11... need I say more?)
• Dead Poets Society (teacher teaches English, gets fired, then leaves. Somewhere towards the end, I lose my shit and get goosebumps time)
  

These are a few of my all-time favorites. I'm not going to bother with deep descriptions on these - chances are you've already heard of them, and probably even seen them. If there's one you missed however , do yourself a favor and catch up. There's something in this batch to make anyone smile, laugh, cry, or possibly shart. Well, hopefully not the latter. Happy viewing!

Rob Fukuzaki and the beginning of existence...

Okay, I guess this marks the beginning. After 33 years of unending verbal rants and poignant, yet diarrhetic disquisitions ranging from "I just pooped in my pants" (circa 1978), to " I think I drank too much... and I might have just pooped my pants (circa 2008), it's time for me to bring my thoughts to the masses... via the magical entity that is the blog. Finally, a place where I can say what I want, and get my thoughts out, without actually having to look around to see just how many people aren't listening!! It's going to be amazing!!! Listening to me can now be an act of choice... so congratulations to all the people who aren't reading this as we speak.. you're already ahead of the game!

I'm not sure who will listen, but the fact remains - I've got a thing or two to say about the real issues going on in our lives... like the problem of coaster rings... and really, really loud power blowers. Seriously. I mean, we've figured out ways of making automatic machine guns silent, but we can't figure out a way of blowing leaves off the sidewalk without creating a Sonic Boom? And who drinks 128 oz Sodas these days? What's the story with those tight Emo skate pants? Who authorized that? "Two and a Half Men" is the highest rated sitcom on TV... but I don't know anyone that watches it? How does that work? And does anyone else think that Rob Fukuzaki should rule the known universe?

In time, I hope to address all these issues, and hopefully a few more. From the first African-American presidential hopeful to the world's best green waffles, there's a place here for everything. I invite you to join me as I attempt to make a little more sense of all the nonsense. It should only take minute.