Hiatus & Disclaimer

I just got my first third-person comment, so I'd like to repeat this: this blog is mostly the product of hard-working net journalists from Gizmodo, Kotaku, and many other websites that invest time AND money into providing us with great information. If you like what you see, I implore you to check out their sites.

And as for the hiatus, expect more to come. A very helpful comment just rode in on the wings of angels from David with a suggestion pertaining to Snarfer. (Thanks again!) So, needless to say, I'll be posting more. (The forums on Snarfer.com got shut down and I don't know why yet. Strange.)

Dungeon Runners Dead by the End of the Year [The Short Goodbye]

Dungeon Runners Dead by the End of the Year [The Short Goodbye]: "

It's a 'crap sandwich' - bad news between two slices of nice - says Dungeon Runners' producer. While the game goes dark New Year's Eve, they'll try to throw as many bones to its fans as they can until then.

Stephen Nichols, putting it bluntly, says 'the game just isn't profitable.' Though the game's creative team has some ideas for how to inject life back into it, 'they're expensive to implement and pretty risky. Those two facts, coupled with the recent loss of some key developers, make achieving the success we seek pretty much out of the question.'

They're just a three man team now. (They were five.) So Dungeon Runners is caput when the big ball plops on Times Square. Until then, they put together some parting gifts for the Dungeon Runners community.

First, those with paid memberships as of Sept. 16 get 30 days free in City of Heroes: Architect Edition and Guild Wars: Prophecies. Nichols added that 'any of you guys that need refunds for multiple-month membership purchases will be taken care of.'

The other slice of bread in the shit sandwich? 'We're going out in style,' Nichols said, 'with a few changes to the game for the coming 'End Time.'' That means more frequent mythic loot drops, cut rate prices at the King's Coin vendors, and quintupling XP gains 'to help you finish the game before year's end!'

And what would be a grand finale without a fireworks show? 'We're adding a huge nuke to Townston that will blow up on New Year's and take the game down with it.'

Dungeon Runners is Shutting Down [Dungeon Runners, thanks Jason J.]"

This is a damn shame. This was a good game. A pure hack n slash with shitloads of loot. And to top Diablo, YOUR WEAPONS DIDN'T BREAK. The Golden Age of Gaming is nearing its end, I fear. We'll have to settle with Final Fantasy MCMXLVI Online and Wii Fun Party 5.

What Have We Done?!

Holy mother crap. I think humanity has gone too far. This is a list of most (MAYbe all) the sites/services/quagmires you can send things to:



Do we really need ALL of these?! Is this not madness? True, I just used this method to add another comic, but FORTY SIX is a tad overboard.

*EDIT*-Ok people. I started posting comics but there's WAY too many good ones. I'd be here a solid week. You can't have that much time dedicated to you, sorry. Here's a list of all the webcomics I read on the hourly:

• VG Cats
• 2P Start
• Ctrl+Alt+Del
• PC Weenies
• Penny Arcade
• Dilbert

Hate Apple? Me Too.

It's a hatred so black and vile I cannot pronounce the words to express it , lest I summon Gilgo'oth the Hope Slayer. However, I found some like-minded people who still have the ability to express it in words. Enjoy their works, for they are awesome:

Anti-Apple Website: A parody of an Apple website. Click on the tabs on the top. Which are coded in HTML. Instead of Flash. So you can nav-ee-gate! Amazing.

The Case Against Apple by Jason Calacanis: Blog entry, well thought out.

10 Things We Hate About Apple by PC World: This even addresses the "iEverything" crisis.

15+ Reasons Why I Hate Apple... by Satish: Great post AND some nice pics down below.

Apple Sucks YouTube video: Hilarious even to this day. Search YouTube for more. Please.

There's tons more people out there that still have more than 2 brain cells banging together that will regail you with tales of anti-appleism. Google now. (Coming soon: "Hate Linux? Me Too.")

Just A Reminder

As you could probably tell already, there's a lot of articles on here I just post from Google Reader. These pseudo-columnists spend money on traveling and time on finding this stuff. To be honest, I started this blog (ugh. never thought I'd have one...) for the sole reason I could keep all my favorite articles indefinitely. So if you like what you see. get Snarfer or some other feed reader, and start your own RSS addiction. If you need more info, either ask me or look for an article like this on the web.

Medicare Would Rather Buy $8000 Computer than $150 iPhone App [Politics]

Medicare Would Rather Buy $8000 Computer than $150 iPhone App [Politics]: "

Say that, all things equal, you could fix a problem for $8000 or fix the same problem for $150. Which would you choose? Clearly, you are not Medicare.

Proloquo2Go is a text-to-speech iPhone app that's meant to aid those with autism, cerebral palsy, ALS, Down Syndrome—pretty much anyone who has a disability that makes speaking a difficult venture. It costs $150.

But Medicare/Medicaid restrictions won't pay for this software or the accompanying iPhone because the iPhone is not a uni-functional device. (A person with autism might play games on it, after all! Or call a doctor!)

One family's alternative, as documented by the NYTimes, is a government-funded $8000 desktop computer that can have no other function than text-to-speech. No emailing doctors. No browsing the web for medical research. So, this pricey clunker sits at home while the family pays out of pocket for the iPhone app that can operate in their real, mobile life.

Medicare acknowledges the situation. They have heard of the iPhone, as they explain in their official statement on the matter: 'We would not cover the iPhones and netbooks with speech-generating software capabilities because they are useful in the absence of an illness or injury.'

But with the nation's eyes on our healthcare policies, there's never been a better time to reassess such archaic thinking. All things equal, a company like Apple or RIM will always make superior hardware to that of some boutique electronics company, and they'll do so for pennies on the dollar. Even more importantly, these better distributed hardware platforms will be rewarded with greater enthusiasm and expertise from software designers—the real innovators in today's design-heavy electronics industry.

I'm no health care expert, but it's obvious that reform in this sector would be a win-win. Taxpayers would save money. Government programs would aid more individuals. And those being helped would simply be helped better, with more options and ultimately in a way more specific to their particular problem.

But the government can't subsidize a semi-open platform that would drive both technological innovation and market competition. That's crazy talk! [Proloquo2Go and NYTimes]

"

Front Mission Evolved TGS Trailer Explodes [Clips]

Front Mission Evolved TGS Trailer Explodes [Clips]: "

Square Enix has released the Tokyo Game Show trailer for multi-platform mecha game Front Mission Evolved.

The game is set 50 years after Front Mission 5. While that title was developed by Square Enix, Front Mission Evolved is being developed by Double Helix Games, the studio responsible for Silent Hill: Homecoming.

Release date for Front Mission Evolved has not been announced yet.

"

PAX Conventions?

I used to love Penny Arcade. But now they're getting WAY too big. They have conventions and groupies and even Bill Amend (artist of FoxTrot) doing a guest strip? They've blown up, and for that, I can't follow them anymore. Why? Cause I'm sure in a year or so, we'll see them on a reality show. Not only that, but "Tycho's" posts have way too many $10 words for no apparent reason. I support the independent game retailers, so I guess my mentality carries through across the board.

VG Cats is still one of my favorites. Here's some highlights to enjoy (click on the pic for a larger image):