Foo Fighters Closing Out Blizzcon 2011

Blizzard has announced that the Foo Fighters will be the musical guests at Blizzcon 2012. The all-things-Blizzard fan-festival usually ends with a star-studded performance. Past guests include Ozzy Osbourne, Tenacious D, Jay Mohr, and Level 10 60 70 80Elite Tauren Chieftain. Here’s a clip from the…

Blizzard has announced that the Foo Fighters will be the musical guests at Blizzcon 2012. The all-things-Blizzard fan-festival usually ends with a star-studded performance. Past guests include Ozzy Osbourne, Tenacious D, Jay Mohr, and Level 10 60 70 80Elite Tauren Chieftain. Here’s a clip from the official press release:

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced that Foo Fighters will headline the closing concert of this year’s sold-out BlizzCon, taking place October 21-22 at the Anaheim Convention Center. While tickets to the convention are currently sold out, viewers can watch at home by ordering a BlizzCon Virtual Ticket, offering comprehensive live coverage of the event (including Foo Fighters’ performance) globally over the Internet and also on DirecTV in the United States.

One of my favorite shows of the year gets even better! I love Blizzcon. Blizzard is an incredible developer and publisher. The company has some of most passionate fans in the world. It’s brilliant watching thousands of people come together to celebrate Blizzard’s excellent games. Add the Foo Fighters on top of all that?!? Awesome!

Any of you making it out to Blizzcon this year? Are you psyched to watch Foo Fighters perform at Blizzcon whether you’re there or watching on DirecTV?

Cable Companies Moving to “A La Carte” Model?

A lot of us have dreamed about cable companies moving to an a la carte model. We’ve dreamed of lowering our cable bills by only paying for the channels we actually watch. It looks like that dream just might come true. A perfect storm of a dreadful economy and improved digital offerings (Hulu, Netflix, etc.) just might push cable operators to break down and finally go a la carte. According to Reuters:

U.S. cable operators are privately working on a plan to force programmers to unbundle their networks and allow customers to subscribe to channels on an individual basis.

The plan represents a complete reversal from cable operators’ long-held opposition to what is known as “a la carte” programming. Over the last decade, the cable industry battled ferociously with regulators to protect the right to bundle programming, arguing it offered customers the best value.

But executives now say the change is a necessary response to shifting dynamics such as higher carriage costs and using the Web to watch programs, as well as a weak economic recovery that has forced many consumers to cancel cable television subscriptions.

This would kick all sorts of ass! I currently have more than 400 channels through (crap bag) Time Warner Cable. At most, I watch 20 of them. This includes variants of the same network (HBO East, HBO West, HBO Family, etc.). I would love to not having to pay for the rest of the crap. My wallet would love it. My eyes would love it. It would be the best thing to happen to television since TiVo.

Having said all that, cable companies move at a glacial pace. If an a la carte model was adopted, I wouldn’t expect it any time soon. (I’d love to be wrong about that.)

If your cable company went with an a la carte model, how many channels do you think you’d subscribe to? Which ones would you want? If you don’t have cable, would an a la carte system make you subscribe?

Source

Amazon Prime Subscribers Get Winnie Cooper and Other Fox Shows

First off, this post is totally an excuse to post pictures of Danica McKellar. I totally had a crush on her when she played Winnie Cooper in The Wonder Years. Where was I…oh yeah, Amazon has announced a partnership with Fox. The collaboration will bring several classic Fox shows to Amazon Prime subscribers. In a statement to customers, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos wrote:

I have big news for Amazon Prime members — we’ve just signed a deal with Fox to add a broad selection of movies and TV shows to our unlimited instant streaming service later this fall. The new additions from the Fox library include 24, Arrested Development, The X-Files, Ally McBeal, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and — available on digital video for the first time — The Wonder Years. We now have deals with CBS, NBCUniversal, Sony, and Warner Bros, and adding Fox will bring the total to more than 11,000 movies and TV shows available for unlimited instant streaming.

As an Amazon Prime subscriber, I’m excited by several of these additions. Arrested Development is awesome. There are some Buffy and X-Files episodes that I enjoyed. Of course I’ll be watching The Wonder Years to remember the days when Winnie Cooper was the most beautiful girl in the world.

Any of these programs interest you? Does the Fox partnership make an Amazon Prime subscription more valuable to you? Would you replace Netflix streaming with Prime’s free two-day shipping and streaming programming? Did you have a crush on Winnie Cooper?

Journey (thatgamecompany) Coming in Spring 2012

Thatgamecompany creative director Jenova Chen has announced that Journey will be available in Spring 2012. Oh happy day! As many of you know, I loved Flower and am a big fan of thatgamecompany. I’m thrilled that the game has a more precise release date.

Anyone else looking forward to this one?

Source

T-Mobile Fight: HTC Amaze 4G vs. Samsung Galaxy S II

T-Mobile has officially announced two phones that will hit its network in October 2011: the HTC Amaze 4G and the Samsung Galaxy S II. Both phones feature Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 processors running at 1.5GHz and both can access data on T-Mobile’s zippy HSPA+ 42 network. They look like outstanding products, but each has key strengths and weaknesses. Let’s check ’em out!

HTC Amaze 4G — The Amaze is very similar to the HTC Sensation 4G that was released earlier in the year. It uses a lot of the same parts and design, but with the addition of a much better camera, a bigger battery, a faster processor, and a faster data radio. The Amaze uses the same excellent sensor and optics found in the MyTouch 4G Slide. Although its 4.3-inch screen is smaller than the Galaxy S II’s, it packs a superior 960 x 540 resolution. It also comes in a sexy white version that has me drooling.

My big fear with this phone is that its screen is similar to the Sensation’s. I really wanted to love the Sensation, was put off by its dull Super LCD screen. It looked like old tech that didn’t truly take advantage of the high resolution. Sadly, HTC Sense 3.0 is used instead of the newer HTC Sense 3.5. The Amaze is also thicker and heavier than the GSII; I prefer the weight, but some people like phones to be as light as possible.

The HTC Amaze 4G will be available on October 10 online and in stores October 12 for $259.99 after a (stupid) $50 mail-in rebate. A two-year contract is required to get that pricing.

Samsung Galaxy S II — Released around the world in Spring 2011, the Galaxy S II is finally coming to America. A GSII variant is already available on Sprint, while the AT&T version hits in October. The big sell on this phone is its 4.52-inch Super AMOLED Plus screen. The screen tech offers bright and vibrant colors, while also being more efficient than LCD displays. The GSII also features Samsung’s TouchWiz 4.0 interface, which is much better than its predecessor. This is a big and beautiful phone that’s also very light.

On the downside, its resolution is only 800 x 480. On a screen this big, text can appear jagged and graphics can appear pixelated due to the low pixel density. Like previous Samsung smartphones, the body is primarily plastic, which makes it feel cheap compared to phones that use more glass or metal. Some people feel that this isn’t a true Galaxy S II phone since the Exynos processor was swapped out for the Snapdragon S3 in order for compatibility with T-Mo’s HSPA+ 42 network.

The Samsung Galaxy S II will be available on October 10 online and in stores October 12 for $229.99 after a (stupid) $50 mail-in rebate. A two-year contract is required to get that pricing.

Bottom Line — I’m hoping to get review units in soon. I want to see each phone’s quirks and measure the performance of HSPA+ 42 before I get too excited about either one. That said, I’m fairly confident that both will be great products. If you take a lot of pictures, want a smoother Android experience through Sense, and like your phone to have some heft then the Amaze 4G is probably for you. If you want the best screen tech currently available, a larger display, and feather-light weight then the Samsung Galaxy S II will be more to your liking.

One thing to keep in mind is that a Google Nexus phone featuring the next version of Android (Ice Cream Sandwich) will be out by November. Another consideration is that there will also be phones with 1280 x 720 resolutions released in the next few months. The Amaze 4G and Galaxy S II should be strong products that will serve you well for a few years, but they will be surpassed in a few months. Tech is fun (not fun) like that.

Et Vous? — What do you think of the HTC Amaze 4G and the Samsung Galaxy S II? Which phone looks better to you? As for me, I love the looks of the white Amaze 4G, am intrigued by the camera, and prefer Sense over TouchWiz. That said, I’m sure that Verizon LTE will outperform T-Mobile HSPA+ and the next Nexus is rumored to be heading to Verizon, so….

Coffee Talk #403: Google+ vs. Facebook is About Search

It’s frustrating talking about Google+ with my friends in the videogame business. Most of them are missing the big picture. Most of them can’t think of it in terms other than Google+ vs. Facebook. Certainly Google+ competes…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the Yankees jobbing to Tampa Bay to stick it to the Red Sox, Facebook and Spotify sitting in a tree, or remembering your favorite indie-pop bands from 2001, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

It’s frustrating talking about Google+ with my friends in the videogame business. Most of them are missing the big picture. Most of them can’t think of it in terms other than Google+ vs. Facebook. Certainly Google+ competes with social networks like Facebook and Twitter. It even competes with messaging services like BlackBerry Messenger and the upcoming iMessenger. While it’s fun for writers, analysts, and consumers to talk about these “wars”, that’s really not what Google+ is about. Ultimately, it all comes down to search.

Remember way back in 2007 when Microsoft invested $240-million in Facebook? At the time, Google was concerned about two of its biggest rivals teaming up. Remember earlier this year when Microsoft’s Bing search engine got a huge social boost powered by Facebook “likes”? That’s when Google’s biggest fears about the partnership were realized.

Although it has its fingers in many pies, at the end of the day, Google is a search company that makes the vast majority of its money serving ads. Google was not pleased that the most popular social network in the world was helping Bing serve up more relevant results and serve more relevant ads. This is what Google+ is really about — the socialization of Google search.

As someone with nerd friends in Silicon Valley and the videogame industry, I have a lot of friends and acquaintances that actively use Google+. More importantly, they actively use the “+1” buttons found on numerous articles. When I search for something on Google that’s tech or game related, I usually see articles that my friends have recommended. This is enormously powerful! I’m more likely to click on a link that my friends recommend than one without that seal of approval.

While some people at Google would love to see the Google+ installed base surpass that of Facebook’s, I’m sure that most don’t see it as a realistic possibility. I’m also sure that a lot of them don’t care. This is not a head-to-head race. Google+ is growing at a rapid rate, as is the use of “+1” buttons. Google executives are just fine with collecting more user data, making search results more socially relevant, serving up more relevant advertising, and swimming in ad dollars. That’s way more important than getting into a numbers contest with Facebook. I’m just surprised that my gaming friends don’t get that.

I’d love to hear what you think of the Google+ vs. Facebook “war”. How do you feel about the socialization of search? Do you want the search algorithm to do all the work? Or do you like having your friends influence your search results?

[Also, don’t forget to drink your Ovaltine click on the +1 button for any RPad.tv articles you enjoy. It really helps!]

Meanwhile, Over at Padvance….

Here’s a selection of articles I wrote for Padvance last week. If you have a chance and are interested in the topics, please check ’em out! From cases that turn your iPhone or iPad into a 70-inch monster to Gameloft getting cozy with sexy Sony tablets to Logitech remote-control wizardry, there’s some neat stuff happening at Padvance.

Padzilla! — This case (using the term in the loosest possible sense) turns your iOS device into a 70-inch tablet. It’s useful for presentations and living in absurd excess.

Logitech Harmony Link — Logitech makes some of the best and most powerful remotes on the market. This device combines a hardware hub and an app so that you can use your iPad as a wondrous remote control with a personalized programming guide.

Nvidia Kal-El Packs a Fifth “Companion Core” — Although I was disappointed to learn that Kal-El doesn’t have a weighted companion cube, I was psyched to learn about the fifth companion core on this upcoming Tegra chip. This should help the Tegra line match or exceed the power efficiency some of its competitors enjoy.

Sprint Capping Mobile Hotspot Use Starting October — This is a bummer. Sprint was the last of America’s “big four” mobile carriers to offer truly unlimited data service. Starting October 2, 2011 it will be capping mobile hotspot use at 5GB per month.

In-App Purchasing Earns 72% of App Store Revenue — Very interesting stats on Apple’s App Store revenue. Freemium with in-app purchasing is huge!

Citigroup Survey Finds That the iPad is More For Play Than Work — This survey was headed up by someone named Captain Obvious.

Gameloft Optimizing Five Games for Sony Android Tablets — Sony’s sexy Tablet S and unique Tablet P get some special treatment from Gameloft.

Amazon September 28 Press Event — This is almost definitely for the Android Kindle tablet. The timing is right. It’s in the publishing center of the world. Lay it on me Amazon!!!

Playing Around with the New Facebook Timeline

I’ve been playing around with Facebook’s new “Timeline” feature for the last few days. It’s definitely bold and different, but I’m not yet sold on it. Although it’s arguably Facebook’s biggest initiative since the social network launched, I have a feeling that it’s going to pan out similarly to other new feature introductions — some people are going to love it and some people are going to hate it, but few people will leave Facebook because of it. Here are some random thoughts from my three days with Timeline.

– I hated Timeline for the first few hours. This was hardly surprising. Hundreds of X-Men comics have taught me that people fear and hate what they don’t understand. I definitely didn’t understand Timeline at first. Using it was jarring and overwhelming. Hell, just looking at it was confusing. I didn’t know where anything was and in many cases I wasn’t sure where to look for it.

– As I got more familiar with Timeline, I became fascinated by it. It’s definitely a new and different way to look at and organize personal information. I found myself thinking, “You know, if I used Facebook for purely personal reasons, this would be totally neat!” Unfortunately, I don’t. I decided long ago never to walk in anyone’s shadow that I was only going to have one Facebook account. Several of my friends have personal and work Facebook accounts. That’s definitely the more practical thing to do, but I also think it’s slightly pretentious. Because I mostly use Facebook for interacting with readers, promoting articles, and keeping tabs on videogame industry peeps, I limit the personal info I put on the service. As an atypical Facebook user, I won’t get as much out of Timeline as someone that uses Facebook primarily for personal enjoyment.

– Sorting through my birthday wishes was outstanding for getting used to Timeline. At this point, I was accustomed to where everything was. Getting a steady stream of birthday wishes got me used to how information flowed. This made Timeline click for me. I can see myself having a sad February day in 2012 and clicking on September 2011 to cheer myself up with my birthday wishes. I can also see myself randomly clicking on a month and year just to remember what happened. It’s like the “pensieve” from the Harry Potter movies…but with tech instead of magic.

– Today I tried to upload old photos to see how they would behave in Timeline. After uploading a batch of pictures from the Spike TV 2003 VGAs, I was disappointed to see that they didn’t pop up in the 2003 section of my Timeline. This is absolutely stupid. The meta data is right there in the files. The pics should automatically be placed in 2003. I didn’t see a way to manually do this either. There’s a chance I’m missing the menu for this option. There’s also a chance that this feature will be implemented later. Either way, it’s moronic that this isn’t done automatically.

– Three days later, I’m not sure if I like Timeline. I’m having fun playing around with it because it’s new, but I’m still not sure it’s better for the way that I use Facebook. It’s certainly bold and interesting, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good. Obviously I’m stuck on Facebook and can’t leave. It’s too powerful for networking, marketing, and outreach purposes. That’s where you come in! If you’re already using Timeline, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. If not, let’s revisit this on September 29 when it starts rolling out to everyone.

Star Wars: The Old Republic Launching on December 20, 2011

BioWare and LucasArts have announced that the highly-anticipated MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic will arrive on December 20, 2011. The launch date is fascinating. Major game releases typically stop in early December. A lot of my industry friends are thinking, “Sorry family. I’m abandoning you this Christmas.” Others are surprised that the game is coming out for the holidays, simply because MMOs are typically “me” purchases and not gifts.

I think it’s a brilliant time to launch an MMO. A lot of people have time off at the end of December and the beginning of January. That’s the perfect time to create SWTOR addicts! I can see lots of people giving the game a shot while they’re off from work or school. They’ll return to the office or the classroom and dream about their SWTOR life all day.

Of course I could be wrong. The pull of family and friends might be too much for the Force. What do you think about the unusual launch date of Star Wars: The Old Republic? Is it a great time to create subscribers? Or will the game lose out to Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa joy?

Source

Monday Housekeeping: Caps and Comment Wars!

RPad.TV baseball caps are now available! Right now you can pick them up in four colors. They’re a great way to keep your head cool, hide a bad hair day, and show off your allegiance to RPad.tv. If you’re interested in picking one (or more) up, my vendor has a few coupons that are good until September 28, 2012:

Coupon Code: OhYeahHat
Discount: Save $3 off an order with a subtotal of $14.99+

Coupon Code: StevetheMachine
Discount: Free Shipping on Super Saver, Standard, Canadian or International orders with a subtotal of $75+

If you happen to pick one up, please send me a photo of you rocking the cap. I’d love to post it on the site!

In other site news, as an impartial observer I’ve noticed that RPadholics BigBlak and N8R have yet to duke it out in Mortal Kombat. In the immortal words of Hurricane Helms, “What’s up with that?!?” The word on the street is that N8R considered destroying BB’s village like Sato in Karate Kid II. He also thought about interrupting one of BB’s public appearances and calling him out like Clubber Lang in Rocky III. Ultimately, he settled on declaring a comment war!

This week I’d like you to get all Twilight and think about if you’re on Team BigBlak or Team N8R. Support your combatant’s comments by giving ’em a thumbs up. Right now BigBlak has a three-point lead on N8R, but what will the standings be at the end of the week? Like Captain Planet and Don Cheadle always says, “The power is yours!!!”