I’m still incredibly unexcited for the Avatar movie and I don’t give a damn about the game. My anti-Avatar stance has me digging anything that pokes fun at it, including this cute clip from The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien. Check it out!
Final Fantasy XIII Suntory Elixir Commercial
Here’s the latest commercial for the Final Fantasy XIII “Elixir” beverage by Suntory. Yes, Japanese videogames get their own beverages — reason #348 you should be jealous of Japanese gamers. And also, for relaxing times…make it Suntory time.
Just for kicks, here are some old Elixir shots from my archive. Check ’em out. There’s some cool stuff below the fold.
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Random Rants: The Four Biggest Problems with Boxing
Saturday’s fight between Paul Williams and Sergio Martinez was one of 2009’s best. It was a highly competitive scrap between two amazingly skilled pugilists. I scored the bout 115-113 for Martinez, but there were enough close rounds that I could easily see a close decision going to Williams. I had no problems with Lynne Carter scoring it 115-113 for Williams and Julie Lederman scoring the fight a 114-114 draw. The third official judge, Pierre Benoist, scored the fight 119-110 for Williams — that’s just some pathetic scoring right there. According to Benoist, Martinez only won one round the entire fight, which is laughable to anyone that actually saw the contest. While the overall scoring wasn’t as bad as Ali Funeka getting jobbed out of a title the previous Saturday, Benoist’s scorecard illustrates one of boxing’s biggest problems. Let’s take a look a the four major reasons boxing isn’t as prominent as it was in the ’70s and ’80s.
1) Inept and/or Corrupt Judges — Boxing is one of the few sports where an athlete can put on a superior performance and lose. Using the recent Ali Funeka vs. Joan Guzman fight as an example, it was pretty clear that Funeka beat the crap out of Guzman for 75 percent of the fight. For some reason, the bout was scored a majority draw. Fights like that are such a turnoff to fans. Why would you want to watch someone put forth the effort of a lifetime only to have it decimated by three blind judges? Sadly, this is probably the least of boxing’s problems.
2) Sanctioning Bodies — The WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF are generally recognized as the four major sanctioning bodies in boxing. Each group has its own champion and rankings. For the most part, each organization sucks. All too often these groups post questionable rankings and declare unworthy mandatory contenders for their champions. Sometimes they’ll create “super” champions, recognizing a title holder that has also won a belt from another group; this means that a weight division can have two champions — a “super” champion and a regular champion. Ultimately, it’s just a lame ploy to extract more sanctioning fees from more boxers.
Adding even more confusion is that fact that many people recognize Ring Magazine’s champions as the legitimate ones. So yeah, the sanctioning bodies or so inept and corrupt that a magazine has to sort through the muck to tell the people which boxers are really the best. That’s more than a bit ridiculous…but wait, there’s more!
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Signs Point to Ric Flair Signing with TNA…and it Makes Me Sad
I just watched Ric Flair’s “retirement” match with Shawn Michaels from WrestleMania 24
Don’t get me wrong. It’s absolutely Flair’s right to make a living any way he sees fit, but he’s not “The Nature Boy” anymore. He hasn’t been for a long, long time. Although I haven’t followed all of his career, I’ve watched a great deal of it. From the NWA to WCW to WWF to WWE, I have no doubt that Flair is the best wrestler of all time. His matches with Harley Race, Kerry Von Erich, Sting, and (especially) Ricky Steamboat were brilliant. He was also able to carry limited wrestlers (Lex Luger) to excellent matches. In the ring and on the mic, nobody was better than Flair and I can’t imagine anyone topping him.
It makes me sad that there’s a whole generation of WWE fans that know Flair as this old guy with a fake tan and loose skin. They see him as this guy that hits his opponents in the balls and pokes their eyes. If Flair works for TNA, there are going to be even more fans that will see this watered-down version of Naitch.
When Yankee great Joe DiMaggio retired in 1951, his brother Tom said, “He quit because he couldn’t be Joe DiMaggio anymore.” Flair can’t be “The Nature Boy” anymore and I wish he’d take a cue from the Fuel song WWE used for his retirement run: “Leave the Memories Alone”.
Just Cause 2: Vehicular Stunts Video
Here’s a nifty video of the upcoming Just Cause 2
R.I.P. Eddie Fatu (aka Umaga)
Eddie Fatu just passed away from a heart attack at the age of 36. WWE fans know him as Umaga. Longtime wrestling fans remember him from the Island Boyz, Samoan Gangtas, and 3-Minute Warning teams. Fatu was part of the legendary Anoa’i wrestling family, which includes The Wild Samoans Afa and Sika, Rikishi, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. He was one of my favorite big men for the last few years and it’s sad to see him go so young.
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Slated for May 25, 2010
When I wrote about the Japanese release date for Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, few of you showed interest. Well, Konami has announced that the game will be released in North America on May 25, 2010. Are any of you interested now? It’s MGS! It’s Kojima! It’s Snake! Or is the fact that it’s a PlayStation Portable game kill your interest? In the immortal words of Information Society, “I wanna know…what you’re feeling. Tell me what’s on your mind!”
I Have American Idol Fever…and Adam Lambert Continues to Fail
American Idol is one of my guilty pleasures. I can admit it and I’m not ashamed that I enjoy it. With all the season eight contestants’ albums out and Adam Lambert making news for his performance at the American Music Awards, I’m super psyched for season nine to start in January. Until then, I’ll have to make do with Lambert’s problems with the media. Here’s a funny clip from VoteForTheWorst:
Adam Lambert continues to fail miserably. In the wake of his AMA performance, ABC canceled his Good Morning America appearance. Now they’ve canceled his Jimmy Kimmel Live appearance and his appearance on Ryan Seacrest’s New Years Eve. DOUCHE FAIL. We hate to say we told you so, but we’re P R E S C I E N T as always.
Also, make sure to call 818-460-7477 and leave a message for ABC to ask them to cancel Adam Lambert’s interview with Barbara Walters as well. And also thank ABC for canceling all of his subsequent performances after the AMAs. Good taste, ABC. Good taste.
Honestly, I think Lambert is getting a raw deal because he’s gay. Yes, he put on an erotically charged performance at the AMAs…but so what?!? The show was on late and I believe he has a point that it was overly scrutinized because of his sexuality.
Anyway, I’m curious to hear your thoughts on the matter and to see if there’s anyone that enjoys American Idol too. There are going to be a bunch of AI articles coming in January. You’ve been warned.
Btw, Lambert’s album cover totally reminds me of Poison’s Look What the Cat Dragged In. Does anyone else see that? Here’s a picture of the Poison cover for reference.
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White Knight Chronicles International Edition Dated for 2/2/2010
Sony has announced that White Knight Chronicles International Edition will be released on February 2, 2010. Here are some additional details from associate product manager Cristian Cardona:
- Over 50 disc-based online quests. You can complete these quests solo, or cooperatively with up to three other players to gain extra gear and experience. (That’s just on the disc. Wait until you hear what else we’ll have at launch!)
- Voice Chat. Need we say more? =)
- The Georama. Build an online village for your character where you can invite friends to complete quests online and purchase unique items and gear.
- Live Talk. Leonard and his companions will have side conversations during gameplay, adding a little more character to your travels through the world of White Knight Chronicles.
Sony also showed of the box art for the international edition. Hit the break to check it out.
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BioWare and EA Announce Gift of the Yeti Facebook Game
BioWare and Electronic Arts have announced Gift of the Yeti, a free Facebook game that allows gamers to earn money to go towards the purchase of Dragon Age: Origins and for the Child’s Play Charity. Here’s a blurb from the press release:
In the Gift of the Yeti game, players have a chance to help a sick Santa by delivering gifts on his behalf. Facebook friends can compete to beat each others’ high scores. The backstory of the Yeti will unfold through a clever Advent day calendar, with each day revealing a new piece of the storyline. Gift of the Yeti also allows players to choose from a variety of different gifts that they can send to their friends to invite them to save the day for Santa, and support the Child’s Play organization.
A bunch of my friends have been sucked into various Facebook games, but I’ve yet to lose myself to one. Gift of the Yeti will get its chance to own me, simply because it’s a BioWare product. Plus, Like Matt Damon and LeBron James said in Entourage, “It’s for the kids!”
Any of you going to give this game a shot?