Monday, January 01, 2007
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
IGNIS IS IN! I RULE, you sux0r, race!
HahgahahahahahAHaHahahaha
*keeps laughing frantically, I'm insane, remember?*
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Insanity, anime and a small country
Insanity is one of the ailments that plagues man. It's strange that, otherwise balanced, productive and amiable people, can lose their minds, and cease to function in society. All medical technologies and knowledge aside, we still do not know why people go koo-koo.
Here's part of the answer: Japanese merchandise and import delays.
As you all know, the single purpose of the existence of anime is to brainwash helpless otaku and to pave the way for large, faceless corporations to sap these suckers of the little financial assets they have.
That is the usual scenario. In the figurine world, this is amplified to new and uncharted levels. Instead of large companies (like Bandai), the publishers are smaller (but not less evil) and release their merchandise in small quantities, and without restocking after 1 or 2 shipments. Combined with (undoubtedly through evil, underhanded) agreements with ruthless webshops that heat things up with preorders, user reviews (written by their own staff) and box/real-life pictures.
The worse of it all is import tax and delays. Since I live in an utter anime-less corner of the world (Belgium), I have to solely rely on these webshops. But because I refuse to risk having to pay import tax, I prefer Belgium-based shops, who usually get supplied by European importers. Although they are slightly more expensive than the Japanese webshops, import tax and shipping result in favour of local dealers. But here's the thing: since demand for anime stuff is really, really, really slim in Belgium (most people here think that all anime is Pokemon), deliveries are really unreliable and in small numbers. Also, since it's Belgium (it's the size of a postal stamp), European distributors will supply to Germany, France, UK..and leave us little schmucks hanging.
The reason for this rant?
Announced for 8/2006, released 10/2006, arrived in Europe mid 11/2006. But not with me yet. Argh. *going insane*.
Here's part of the answer: Japanese merchandise and import delays.
As you all know, the single purpose of the existence of anime is to brainwash helpless otaku and to pave the way for large, faceless corporations to sap these suckers of the little financial assets they have.
That is the usual scenario. In the figurine world, this is amplified to new and uncharted levels. Instead of large companies (like Bandai), the publishers are smaller (but not less evil) and release their merchandise in small quantities, and without restocking after 1 or 2 shipments. Combined with (undoubtedly through evil, underhanded) agreements with ruthless webshops that heat things up with preorders, user reviews (written by their own staff) and box/real-life pictures.
The worse of it all is import tax and delays. Since I live in an utter anime-less corner of the world (Belgium), I have to solely rely on these webshops. But because I refuse to risk having to pay import tax, I prefer Belgium-based shops, who usually get supplied by European importers. Although they are slightly more expensive than the Japanese webshops, import tax and shipping result in favour of local dealers. But here's the thing: since demand for anime stuff is really, really, really slim in Belgium (most people here think that all anime is Pokemon), deliveries are really unreliable and in small numbers. Also, since it's Belgium (it's the size of a postal stamp), European distributors will supply to Germany, France, UK..and leave us little schmucks hanging.
The reason for this rant?
Announced for 8/2006, released 10/2006, arrived in Europe mid 11/2006. But not with me yet. Argh. *going insane*.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Ero ero peto peto
Yeah, i'm back :D
This time i'm gonna talk about Petopeto-san, the latest anime i've seen :). it's about a petopeto youkai (a sticky monster :p), in the form of a little girl. her "special power" is to sometimes by accident stick to other people (which is her way of seducing people, hence she's an ero monster :D). she calls herself an ero- ero youkai.
It's a very light, funny little anime (13 eps) that maybe hasn't got a killer story, but i really enjoyed watching it :). It's got a good bit of humor, but what really got me was the great characters. Petoko (her nickname) isn't the only monster. The setting is a world where people and monsters coexists (and thus the anime handles the issue of racial tensions), i really liked how the other monsters were portrayed, their actions, abilities, how other people interacted with them, it simply all made perfect sense!
I think this anime shows that with a good eye for detail and a good sense of humor you can already make a very decent anime that's a lot of fun to watch. it may never be one of the best anime's ever, or get superb reviews, but fur such a small scale production i really liked the result, and i really recommend it if you want to watch a small, light anime where you can just sit back, relax and enjoy what you're watching :).
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Why PC pwns PS3 -- part 2
PS3 has arrived on Japanese and American shores. Lines of frienzied users have braved the night to get their grubby mitts on the latest black box of Sony.
After reading the initial specs, I was willing to do this. Now, I just pity the fools. Picture courtesy of Dannychoo.com
Initial letdowns are inherent to any console (XBOX360 disc scratching, PSP/NDS dead pixels,..) and the PS3 doesn't dodge this bullet either. There are a number of defects amongst launch units, these being the most important:
Incomplete backwards compatibility for PS1/PS2
Scattered reports of overheating issues
HDMI failure
Broken/unsupported upscaling for DVD, BD and PS1/PS2
The latter is of course a huge bummer. PS3 is not able to upscale 480p DVD movies or PS1/PS2 games to 720p, 1080i or 1080p. FYI, for all pc users out there: 480p is 640x480 or 720x480 (depending on aspect ratio). 720p is 1280x720, a resolution supported by the majority of recent flatpanel televisions. 1080i is 1920x1080 interlaced, with the actual vertical line count being 540 pixels, and lastly there is 1080p, or 1920x1080. P stands for progressive: something unusual for TV sets, but common for all pc monitors.
This all means that your shiny, $600 PS3 will still make your entire DVD collection and your PS1/PS2 stock look lame on that fancy $2000 HDTV you bought. Of course, this is rather logical, the pc can't magically add pixels or detail to lower resolution video material either. But because Sony had always implied that the PS3 could, it's still a bummer.
What's worse, PS3 games, or at least the launch titles, will have resolution issues as well. The majority of these games are programmed to run on 720p. Ok, no problem you'd say. The problem is that many older generation HDTVs (amongst which many plasma and rearprojection televisions) support 1080i rather than 720p. And here's the booboo: PS3 doesn't scale from 720p to 1080i. What happens is that the shiny new launch games will run in..480p. Read: PS2 resolutions. I can imagine people getting a tad infuriated after having spent hundreds of dollars/euros on stuff (PS3, tv,..) and then being swindled like this.
Ultimately, this is probably a driver (or in console terms: "firmware") issue. RSX (nVidia's PS3 graphics chip) probably has an early set of drivers, in which resolution switching and compatibility with tv sets isn't properly implemented yet. In the worst case scenario, RSX may simply not be able to switch resolutions, and then people are really screwed over. It's like a Ferrari being forced to look like a Datsun.
A Datsun Cherry. Yes, it's this ugly.
The moral of this entire charade? For the same price, you get a GeForce 8800 GTX, which delivers faster, better and fully scalable graphics for a better platform (ie, the PC). You don't have to deal with constant letdowns, ignorant consumer hotlines ("Did you try to turn your console on and off?") or obnoxious forums full of fanboys ("Hah, Wii pwn0rsR0x0rs yoo sOnY bi***es"). If you want a different resolution, simply adjust it in Windows/Vista. If you want to play an older game, there's no fuss or worrying about "backwards compatibility" (or at least it's fixable with easy solutions). In short, you simply plug things in and play. And that's what it's all about, right?
PS3 killer
After reading the initial specs, I was willing to do this. Now, I just pity the fools. Picture courtesy of Dannychoo.com
Initial letdowns are inherent to any console (XBOX360 disc scratching, PSP/NDS dead pixels,..) and the PS3 doesn't dodge this bullet either. There are a number of defects amongst launch units, these being the most important:
Incomplete backwards compatibility for PS1/PS2
Scattered reports of overheating issues
HDMI failure
Broken/unsupported upscaling for DVD, BD and PS1/PS2
The latter is of course a huge bummer. PS3 is not able to upscale 480p DVD movies or PS1/PS2 games to 720p, 1080i or 1080p. FYI, for all pc users out there: 480p is 640x480 or 720x480 (depending on aspect ratio). 720p is 1280x720, a resolution supported by the majority of recent flatpanel televisions. 1080i is 1920x1080 interlaced, with the actual vertical line count being 540 pixels, and lastly there is 1080p, or 1920x1080. P stands for progressive: something unusual for TV sets, but common for all pc monitors.
This all means that your shiny, $600 PS3 will still make your entire DVD collection and your PS1/PS2 stock look lame on that fancy $2000 HDTV you bought. Of course, this is rather logical, the pc can't magically add pixels or detail to lower resolution video material either. But because Sony had always implied that the PS3 could, it's still a bummer.
What's worse, PS3 games, or at least the launch titles, will have resolution issues as well. The majority of these games are programmed to run on 720p. Ok, no problem you'd say. The problem is that many older generation HDTVs (amongst which many plasma and rearprojection televisions) support 1080i rather than 720p. And here's the booboo: PS3 doesn't scale from 720p to 1080i. What happens is that the shiny new launch games will run in..480p. Read: PS2 resolutions. I can imagine people getting a tad infuriated after having spent hundreds of dollars/euros on stuff (PS3, tv,..) and then being swindled like this.
Ultimately, this is probably a driver (or in console terms: "firmware") issue. RSX (nVidia's PS3 graphics chip) probably has an early set of drivers, in which resolution switching and compatibility with tv sets isn't properly implemented yet. In the worst case scenario, RSX may simply not be able to switch resolutions, and then people are really screwed over. It's like a Ferrari being forced to look like a Datsun.
A Datsun Cherry. Yes, it's this ugly.
The moral of this entire charade? For the same price, you get a GeForce 8800 GTX, which delivers faster, better and fully scalable graphics for a better platform (ie, the PC). You don't have to deal with constant letdowns, ignorant consumer hotlines ("Did you try to turn your console on and off?") or obnoxious forums full of fanboys ("Hah, Wii pwn0rsR0x0rs yoo sOnY bi***es"). If you want a different resolution, simply adjust it in Windows/Vista. If you want to play an older game, there's no fuss or worrying about "backwards compatibility" (or at least it's fixable with easy solutions). In short, you simply plug things in and play. And that's what it's all about, right?
PS3 killer
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Why PC pwns PS3
I've always been a PC gamer. Yes I own both a PSP and a PS2, and plan on buying a PS3. But I started off with a 80286 and have been a loyal PC enthusiast for as long as I can remember. I remember when I played Flight Simulator on my dad's lap, learned English because of the CD-ROM talkie versions of Day of the Tentacle and Sam & Max Hit the Road, spent hours playing 4 hour, dialup FFA Starcraft games (in which Racemaniac nuked me several times, and where backstabbing was hideously frequent) and was scared to death when that first headcrab jumped me in Half-Life. So many memories.
But right at the launch of PS3, nVidia and Intel come out with stuff that instantly debunk the XBOX360 and PS3 "next-gen" label. Pff, next-gen. PC invented that word! Next-gen graphics card: makes sense. Next-gen Nintendo? That's just Mario or Zelda looking better and you monkeying with a remote in front of a TV. But I'm missing my point.
The 8800 GTS/GTX are the two new graphics cards of nVidia, and the first to implement DirectX 10. This is the new API (application programming interface) of Vista, Microsoft's new reason to rob you of your Christmas bonus. While I won't delve into the technicalities of it (check here: http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/11/08/geforce_8800/index.html), it means that future games will look better, and your current games will run smoother than reality in HD resolutions (1920x1440). Because one picture says more than a thousand words, here's a pic:
Starcraft. Starcraft..just saying it hits me with waves of nostalgia
Okay, I admit, PSP is the single best portable multimedia device ever (screw you, iPod bi***es) and PS2-3 has Final Fantasy (omg FFXIII).
Okay, I admit, PSP is the single best portable multimedia device ever (screw you, iPod bi***es) and PS2-3 has Final Fantasy (omg FFXIII).
Anime-faced girl elf with gunblade in Final Fantasy? Winner.
But right at the launch of PS3, nVidia and Intel come out with stuff that instantly debunk the XBOX360 and PS3 "next-gen" label. Pff, next-gen. PC invented that word! Next-gen graphics card: makes sense. Next-gen Nintendo? That's just Mario or Zelda looking better and you monkeying with a remote in front of a TV. But I'm missing my point.
The 8800 GTS/GTX are the two new graphics cards of nVidia, and the first to implement DirectX 10. This is the new API (application programming interface) of Vista, Microsoft's new reason to rob you of your Christmas bonus. While I won't delve into the technicalities of it (check here: http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/11/08/geforce_8800/index.html), it means that future games will look better, and your current games will run smoother than reality in HD resolutions (1920x1440). Because one picture says more than a thousand words, here's a pic:
PS3 next-gen, my a**
Adrianne Curry ("Who'll be America's Next Supermodel") will grace nVidia's latest techdemo. Yes she's pretty hot. Yes this is a real-time render. Yes, I've already used half a box of tissues to dispense of drool (the other half is for..other usages).
Intel threw its bomb a few months ago, with the Core2Duo. Shedding the mistakes of the Pentium D series, they've integrated Centrino's mobile platform into their desktop line and strapped some afterburners on its back for fun. Ghz-wise, it's a step back. The midrange 6600 is 2.4 Ghz, but it's 100-250% faster than my (very old) P4 2.6, especially in games and video. Last spring, Apple decided to finally get real and get Intel processors. Perhaps Core2Duo blew them away.
Due to the AGP/PCI-X hoax, I'm reasonably screwed. I'll need to switch cpu, vga, motherboard ànd memory. But if spent wisely, I can get a killer system for 1000 eur - $ 1350. And ultimately, this is an alley I've been ever since I started playing on/using my pc, or even technology in general. The true bottleneck is not pixel pipelines, not transistor-amount, even not the IQ of the capi-de-tutti-capi egghead at the processor plant. It's the size of ones wallet.
Adrianne Curry ("Who'll be America's Next Supermodel") will grace nVidia's latest techdemo. Yes she's pretty hot. Yes this is a real-time render. Yes, I've already used half a box of tissues to dispense of drool (the other half is for..other usages).
Intel threw its bomb a few months ago, with the Core2Duo. Shedding the mistakes of the Pentium D series, they've integrated Centrino's mobile platform into their desktop line and strapped some afterburners on its back for fun. Ghz-wise, it's a step back. The midrange 6600 is 2.4 Ghz, but it's 100-250% faster than my (very old) P4 2.6, especially in games and video. Last spring, Apple decided to finally get real and get Intel processors. Perhaps Core2Duo blew them away.
Due to the AGP/PCI-X hoax, I'm reasonably screwed. I'll need to switch cpu, vga, motherboard ànd memory. But if spent wisely, I can get a killer system for 1000 eur - $ 1350. And ultimately, this is an alley I've been ever since I started playing on/using my pc, or even technology in general. The true bottleneck is not pixel pipelines, not transistor-amount, even not the IQ of the capi-de-tutti-capi egghead at the processor plant. It's the size of ones wallet.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
1/8 Kotobukiya Belldandy
This is Race's latest score: the very nice 1/8 Belldandy by Kotobukiya. He received it from HLJ, and it was sent through EMS (whose purpose I needed to convince him of) to Belgium. The lucky bastard didn't have to pay any taxes on it, so he got the whole deal for under 50 eur.Pictures were taken by me. Race doesn't have the 1337 skillz required for macro photography :p But he supplied me with some anime and (some desperately needed) blank DVDs ^_^. So, arigatou ne.
The box art is pretty standard, although the inner backdrop features a forest background, which is very appropriate.
The figure itself stands well over 20cm, and what immediately catches anyone's eye is the lovely dynamics on her hair and dress, both wonderfully layered and sculpted. It's funny how a relatively boring character (cuz let's face it, Belldandy is nowhere near as cool as her half-demon sister) can be brought to life with a little windeffect. Most importantly, this figure embodies everything Belldandy stands for: kind, innocent and free-spirited. Kotobukiya's production is spot on, wonderful detailing in all areas, no noticeable errors whatsoever, perfect paintjob.
All-in-all, a great figure, especially for Ah Megami-sama fans.
Full review will follow later *looks at Racemaniac*.
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