Jailbreaking is Legal now.....when I don't wanna do it....

Well that's that now. Apple seems to have actually lost a court battle!!! According to Wired the Federal government has ruled that there is nothing at all wrong with jailbreaking a perfectly good iPhone.


I'm not really one to mess with the firmware of stuff but I was seriously close to jailbreaking my phone the other day when I missed the HandyLight app scandal. I really, really want tethering but I don't want to pay 20 bucks a month for it....anyway. I never did and I'm fine with it but there is a huge number of people that have and will continue to JB their phones (iPads and iPod Touch as well).


Back when the phone debuted jailbreaking was how people would get the iPhone on T-Mobile or internationally. Nowadays that's the last reason they have. Cydia and apps like it are gateways into apps of a....disreputable nature. Not only can you gain access to cracked App Store apps but you can also get apps that Apple doesn't approve through their stringent criterias.


"Regulators agreed, declaring Monday that “the activity of an iPhone owner who modifies his or her iPhone’s firmware/operating system in order to make it interoperable with an application that Apple has not approved, but that the iPhone owner wishes to run on the iPhone, fits comfortably within the four corners of fair use.”' - Wired


'Nuff said right? Well, Apple has its mouth shut right now, not being able to be reached for a comment on the matter but hey, Steve has made a deal with the Devil so if anyone can repeal this, he can.

--Armand

O' Bungie, how I love thee...

Bungie is a company that is well known for pleasing their followers in more ways than one...XD. They've always put out quality games, content and updates that appease the masses and never seem to disappoint. The Halo 3 Beta was the start of something new, showing gamers that their incesant ravings in forums weren't just that; they were actually being paid attention to. The Halo: Reach Beta followed suit and the masses are saying that this will be epic.

Getting to the point, Bungie loves their gamers as much as their games. They produce pretty cool swag, from hoodies to action figures and even the good old Master Chief themed Xbox 360 back when Halo 3 debuted. Now with Reach on the horizon, Bungie took it upon themselves to make Microsoft's new baby, the "slim" Xbox 360 into something actually worth having.

 

Sporting a sweet brushed silver exterior with Bungie's designs all over the console and controls, the Halo Reach Limited Edition Console is definitely a buy for me. But its not all about looks; Bungie also added an easter egg here and there: on start up you'll hear the invisibility that you've come to know and love start up and when you eject a game you hear the horrifying sound of your shield having to charge up. Toss in a copy of the game and what more to you need in life? A k/d spread as good as mine XD.

All in all, I know for a fact that I'm getting this, and possibly a Gears one if its cool enough.....I'm gonna have four 360's now....hmm...

--Armand

Way to go Blogger.com.......

Well it turns out that not only am I kind of stupid for not checking on this but Blogger.com is horrible for not doing it in the first place. Apparently the last month and a half of my posts were never posted at all. Not only that, half of those didn't even save T_T. All of my E3 reporting is pretty much useless now as well as all my World Cup rantings......oh well......I suppose it can't be helped....fuckin' Blogger...

Tomb Raider is Awesome. Kardashian Freaks Aren't.

Please dear Satan do no let Kim Kardashian be the next Lara Croft. Or God. Buddha. Zeus. Zeus won't let that happen. Whatever omnipotent being is reading this I implore you: either kill her or stop the director with some sort of divine intervention.

Not only is it possibly going to star a no-talent bimbo, it probably will be shot in 3D and be a more "comic strip version of Lara."

Seriously. I can't even fathom the amount of destruction this will do to the credibility of not only the Tomb Raider series but for game-movies in general.

God I hate reality TV and their "stars"....

Lack of News....and Attention Span....

Yeah yeah, I have not been around. I have no idea why actually, I just seem to not focus on stuff.....bunny suit. ANYWAY yeah, I'm going to attempt to post more. So there.

-Armand

Keyboard Hero?

Well, not exactly a "Hero" game but you know its coming now; the hint is kind of blatantly laid out there: ^

Along with that, it definitely looks as if vocalization is going to be making its way from RB: Beatles to RB3. I don't have a particular opinion about this because I normally never sing (unless its GH: Metallica).

I dunno, I'm kinda fed up with music games.....GH Aerosmith, Van Halen, RB Beatles, Band Hero (it has like 6 songs by that fuckin' Taylor Swift chick among other poor song choices.)

I'd definitely have to see the design of said keyboard as well as the song list before I even consider picking this up.

-Armand

Killzone 3 Drops....Literally. With Jet Packs

Killzone + jet packs + 3D = Motion sickness patches and long hours on my PS3. Sony "officially" name dropped Killzone 3 even though we all knew it was coming; we didn't see jet packs coming though.

It may just be me but everyone wants airborne shooting combat-goodness now a la Halo: Reach (and now KZ3).

To be fair, Jetpac did it first:

-Armand

Pac Man is an Old Dude

Yeah, he's old. He's had the munchies for just over 30 years now. He's so old in fact that Google did a tribute to our favorite yellow game character which you can waste precious work hours on here: Pac-Man 30th Anniversary.

I myself, during my extended absense, took part in several hours of gameplay myself but according to RescueTime, a company that creates productivity software, estimates that more than 4.82 million man-hours were spent playing Google's first interactive logo. That's a lot of time. That's...if I did my math right, just about 550 years time accrued in just two-three actual days. Keep on munchin' buddy, keep on munchin'.

-Armand

A WTF Moment Brought to You by the Mama Franchise...

What's better than playing the Gardening or Cooking Mama games? Playing Babysitting Mama of course!!!

No seriously, Babysitting Mama. And it gets a little less ridiculous and a bit more disturbing from there; you actually get a plush baby doll that you have to....place...a Wii Remote into....in the butt....Yeah....

All weirdness aside, the game will have you insert the Wii Remote into the baby and partake in over 40 activities ranging from feeding to changing it as well as bouncing and rocking. I dunno. I'm not ready for kids nor am I ready to shove a Wii Remote up some doll's rear and shake it. Nooooooot gonna happen.

-Armand

Reach has a Release Date!

Yeah. September 14th. This Year. I'm going to destroy everything. Seriously. I played about 500 matches of the Beta, mainly Arena but a lot of Grab Bag and some Invasion + Generator Defense. Definitely liked the Armor Lock and Jet Pack abilities along with the Pulse Rifle and Needle Rifle. Elite play is sick and I can't wait for more.

I can only pray for more weapons, abilities and game types along with a better way of making and keeping rank in the Arena (I started Gold, dropped to Silver, dropped again to Steel, went up to Bronze and then again to Silver all while playing consistently the entire time.)

Here's hoping!

-Armand

Annnnnnnd We're Back!!!

Sorry about the long absense but now I'm back and ready to write! What did I miss...?

Well.....sorry about that....

Yeah....I've been playing the Halo: Reach Beta.....a lot. I honestly haven't done anything else but eat, sleep and play the Beta. Seriously, its that awesome. Once its over I shall return with a vengeance. Till then, watch out for me, I'm the SOB EMPing, Sticky-ing and Supercombine-ing your team all day and night.

FYRE 300 - TRY ME BITCHES.

-Armand

God of War Getting a New Prequel!!!

Kotaku: God of War getting another game; God of War: Ghost of Sparta.
Me: WOOT!!!
Kotaku: It's going to be another prequel, following the events after the original God of War.
Me: Dude, awesome!
Kotaku: Its going to explain his past, the tattoo, the scar and his family.
Me: OMGFTWBBQ!!!
Kotaku: Its going to be on the PSP.
Me: Oh......well I'll get it for the story I guess....

Yeah, pretty much just like that. The latest of the God of War series has made its debut: God of War: Ghost of Sparta; following in the footsteps of God of War: Chains of Olympus, it'll be on the PSP and PSP Go. Now, I love portable gaming; I'm a huge Pokemon fan, as well as the Marios, Patapons and all that stuff. I just don't get into mainstream titles that get made for handhelds.

God of War: Chain of Olympus was a great game which I played for hours on end; it remained true to the series, sticking with the story and didn't disappoint in the gore department either. I just didn't like the overall game. To me it didn't capture the essence of Kratos, his power and rage. The controls felt to close together and just didn't go over well with me. I'm used to the dual joystick mayhem of 500-600 combos on the higher up enemies using everything from my blades to my hammer, spear and magics; you just couldn't go ape-shit like you could on the console.

Maybe this new title will redeem how I feel about main titles on handhelds, but even if it doesn't I'll still shell out so I can engross myself in the amazing story telling of God of War.

-Armand

Activision....You Guys Just Suck Now....Seriously

We've all heard about Call of Duty: Black Ops by now. We all know that Treyarch is the one developing it. We also know that Britain tends to get things at a slightly more expensive price tag. We also know that Activision really, really sucks. What does this have to do with anything? Call of Duty: Black Ops that is developed by Treyarch, produced and distributed by Activision and sold all over the world, including the U.K. is going to have a price tag of £55 which is roughly $84.00 at the current exchange rate. Why is it that a game I purchase for a simple $60.00 after taxes is probably $30.00 more after taxes over in the U.K.?

Because Activision sucks. This isn't the first time they've done this though; Modern Warfare 2, the crown jewel of Activision was also set at that price point and....well it sold well. Infinity Ward's titles have always blown up in sales, persons paying to get their hands on a great game; after perusing the net however, people are generally fed up with Activision and I believe this is the beginning of their downfall. I predict that they won't reap nearly as much as they're expecting with this game, over advertise and over price it and will see record loses in their best selling franchise.

But of course...there are the die hard fans of the series that will put out any price to play the game, even if only to return it after the first day. People will pay insane amounts of money for a game, especially one in a series such as Call of Duty. I myself shelled out the $120 for the Prestige Edition of Modern Warfare 2, (as well as the Limited Halo 2, Limited and Legendary Halo 3, Special Edition Halo Wars, Special Edition Halo: ODST in the past), and last week reserved my Legendary Halo: Reach......I'm always willing to shell out for a series that I've put so much time into. Not in this case though. Activision has burned away what little respect I had for them (it drained more and more after Band and DJ Hero), and now I doubt I will even give "Modern Warfare 3" or Black Ops a second glance in the stores.

-Armand

Doubtful About Rock Band's Integrity....Much Less the Rest of America

I'm all for listening to new music, (as long as its not some incoherent rambling about why their pants won't say up), and experiencing new styles and takes on a genre. I also very much enjoy the music games Guitar Hero and Rock Band. What I can't seem to get my mind around though, is why the band No Doubt won't stop showing up on Rock Band's song network. There are literally 30+ No Doubt songs on the network now. Why? Why not some more AC/DC or Zep or Marilyn Manson or Ted Nuget? Ozzy? KISS? Metallica? A7X or Dead Kennedys? I would rather the ENTIRE discography of The Killers on there than No Doubt.

Let me just for the record state that one, I do mean all of this and two, no I am not some "depraved" or "demented" metal head that only listens to Death Metal. While I do enjoy the heaviest of Metals any day of the week, in addition to the bands above, I also listen to Motorhead, Rage, LP, Lamb of God, Slipknot, Job for a Cowboy, IWABO, as well as saxophone solos and the Classic Composers such as Beethoven and so many more. I have a very, very diverse music library full of pieces I believe further the progression of the human mind and soul as well as convey emotions that people would normally lock you up for expressing. Now that we have that out of the way.....

I don't care what anyone says, that goddamn coked-out cheerleader does not and has never played any form of rock; it is in fact in the same alley as someone like Lady Gaga, and in my brutal opinion, they both need to be put down. Invading my ear canals and kicking my eardrums in with low grade chum quality lyrics and sounds; this "pop" crap has to go. I'll be damned if anyone actually considers this popular. I've actually punched someones left front tooth out for trying to get me to listen to that "Holla Back Girl" or whatever the Hell its called. I am also sick and tired of people who aren't old enough to be potty trained crooning to me about how much they're in love and that their lives are empty without their insignificant other. Justin Bieber or Beiber or whatever your name is: STOP IT! STOP trying to create music. It sounds like a pack of hyenas getting neutered with flamethrowers. All "pop" music should be buried or burned and its creators should have their mouths sewn shut and hands cut off and they should be considered Untouchables and shunned from society with the do nothing but "party" celebrities like Paris Hilton and all the other bimbos that keep appearing on the cover of every goddamn magazine like they just cured cancer.

Is this what you want influencing you? Taking your hard earned money and years of gathered knowledge? ->

I didn't think so.

I'd wager that if this country restricted "pop" and "rap" and "Rn'B" music that crime rates would fall and people would actually have an IQ with double digits. If the "party girls" of Hollywood were all just put down instead of giving them reality shows and awards for doing what a brain dead monkey with no arms or legs could do, I figure people would actually legitimately become more in-tune with what's going on in the world. Maybe we could actually start colonizing other planets and riding the world of hunger if all those goddamn twats would donate just part of their exorbitant incomes to science and the furthering of our species. Stop shitty music from entering the brains of people and I can guarantee that you won't have another generation of Paris Hilton's or Britney Spears' or whatever-her-name-is from No Doubt or the woman who's name is actually less creative than something my 3-month-old cousin came up with yesterday.

I don't want to see your Pokerface, I refuse to stay in your "5 star" hotels, I have no interest in whatever a Holla Back Girl is, I am not in preschool so I know how to spell banana and I'm no where near wanting to have some pre-pubescent twat-waffle singing to me about the love of my life when he can't even count past his toes. I would celebrate the day that these people were shot. I would commemorate the death of shit-music and people. I'd use my life saving to build a statue to erect in every city square showing the death of pop and stupidity and the beginning of the new Renaissance.

I dunno. Maybe I'm just crazy. But the next time you turn on the radio, think twice about your station setting. The next time you're about to turn on E! or TMZ think twice about it. Rock. Discovery Channel. Easy ways to lengthen your lifespan and make you smarter than the guy on the bus who's pants are down past his ankles while bouncing around and nodding to a drunken and often coked up "artist" with no self respect or respect for others. You'd probably even become smarter than that 14-year-old girl who's stealing plastic sunglasses she can't even see out of so she can match her shirt thereby making her existance complete when the 21-year-old guy she's crushing on rapes and kills her in the back of a van with his buddies who are blasting the Jonas Brothers to attract more. Yeah. Think about it. All of this could've been avoided if Rock Band just chose better songs to list in their music store.

-Armand

COD: Black-Ops Takes You Globe Trotting...

According to GAME's Website in the UK, Black Ops will take you from Cuba to the Artic to, (yeah, totally called it), Vietnam:

"Now you will witness the birth of the Elite Special Forces and take part in off-the-record missions using unconventional weaponry to get the job done! From Cuba to the Artic and the jungles of Vietnam, Call of Duty: Black Ops features stunning cinematic graphics and intense gameplay that puts you right at the heart of the action!"

Meh....I never really liked games where you have to be covert....one or two missions I can handle but if this game is going to be like Tenchu or something with all the sneaking and stuff, I'm going to pass. If its not like that then I'll give it a second look; for the moment however, I'm writing it off.

-Armand

Sony Just Can't Keep A Secret....

As a huge fan of the sandboxy-ness and gameplay of inFamous, I've patiently been awaiting its sequel since beating the game a few weeks after it was released back in May of 2009. Sony.....well, Sony isn't the best at keeping secrets a la PSP Go or Killzone 3. Just recently though "infamous2thegame.com" has shown up as reserved by Sony for "unannounced purposes." Really? Unannounced? Whatever man, its coming out and I would put money on seeing a teaser at E3 this year.

Come to think of it, LittleBigPlanet 2, Killzone 3, Resistance 3 and inFamous 2 should all be making debuts at E3 this year....Hmmmmm....someone needs to work on their secret-keeping skills over at Sony. Just waiting to hear about Kingdom Hearts 3 and Final Fantasy XIII Versus and Uncharted 3 and I'll be a happy man...

-Armand

8-Bit Never Gets Old.....

8-Bit Rebellion is a nifty little iPod Touch/iPhone/iPad game that I talked about a while back when I first heard about it. After buying it for only $4.99 USD I was amazed by the depth and level that they incorporated the music and personalities of the individual band members into the game; each member had his own little area of the city such as Chester's Casino or Shinoda's Art Gallery. There are 8-bit versions of their hit songs playing and you can unlock the full ones to play in game.

If you have their actual music on the device you're playing on then you get more unlockables in the game as well as trophies/achievements. Beating the game allows you access to a never-before released track from the group; from what I've heard, its pretty awesome. There's plenty of gear (I'm the Master Chief knockoff), posters and furniture to collect as well as leveling up and just pounding on baddies who work for PixxelKorp (the evil company attempting world domination through crappy music and brainwashing). Load times are pretty much non-existant and the controls are wonderful. I hate iGames that have crappy control schemes or rely on the accelerometer too much. This game has wonderful and simple controls that you can either keep invisible or show up as a mini D-pad; which in this game actually doesn't get in the way of the actual gameplay.

I'm roughly halfway through the story now and I can honestly say this is funner than some of my Xbox 360 Arcade games. There's plenty of people online who're willing to help you out as well as fans who just want to talk LP. Overall I definitely give this game a 4.5/5 and I will definitely change that if they add to the story through updates or even just add side missions every now and then. Great game, really great game...

-Armand

Oh Hi, Forgot About You...(The Unwanted Studio Has a New Game)

Well, here comes Treyarch! In my opinion, they're capitalizing on Infinity Ward's take on non-WWII and just putting a little more edge on it, (the trailer debuts today, I'll give my thoughts when I see it). But its been accidentally leaked, dated and well, probably going to have some Vietnam in there I'd say; Treyarch does love to beat dead horses.....with mallets and maces....for their last few games....oh well. Hey, if its in Vietnam does that mean I get to kill Vietcong Zombies or something? Maybe its the Cold War days and I get to shoot Mikhail Gorbachev in the dome? Ohhhh the possibilities....

-Armand

Bungie Defends Its Honor

Bungie has put out a statement about their recent (and unexpected) partnership with Activision Blizzard:

"The story of Bungie is wild, winding, and full of majestic wonder. We’ve treaded many pathways over these last nineteen years. But for all the twists and turns we’ve taken, we’re still doing what we set out to do from the beginning, back when the whole of “Bungie Software Products Corporation” consisted of two friends operating out of a basement in Chicago:

Making kick ass games that we want to play."

"And as Bungie has grown, the industry’s best and brightest have been totally accretive to our own creative margins. It’s no secret that while the full might of our studio has focused on making Halo: Reach, another core team, led by our co-founder and Studio Creative Director, Jason Jones, has already begun laying the groundwork to bring our newest universe, stories, and characters to life.

Today, we’re poised to open a new chapter in Bungie’s history—one that begins with a partnership between Bungie and Activision and ends where we always knew it would, with World Domination. Our Next Big Thing now has a concrete path, leading from our studio to the platforms of our choosing. The business formalities are behind us. Our Constitution remains unchanged. We are still Bungie, still independent, and now we are free to bring our stories to an ever bigger audience.

Next up, the most ambitious game we’ve ever made, Halo: Reach. Built upon ten years of experience developing the Halo franchise, we’ve assembled the best team, the best technology, and the best talent to ensure that Reach is the game our fans deserve. Strap in and buckle up tight, we’re sending our baby out with a bang.

Once the smoke clears, all the pieces will finally be in place for Step 7. Don’t worry, though. We won’t let World Domination go to our heads. We’re gonna keep making kick ass games on our own terms, and since you’ve been so supportive throughout the years, we’d love to bring you along for the ride."

I really don't know what's going to come of this but after reading Bungie's message I can't help but feel kind of secure about what they're doing. Oh well....

-Armand