Playing around with Windows Movie Maker while bored to death on the New Jersey Turnpike:

[soapbox]2817bed8-f3ef-4334-b3af-e14a247e7166[/soapbox]

The poor video quality really couldn’t get much worse than it is, but it isn’t the Powershot’s fault. The family room was pretty dark, and we didn’t think to turn on the lights. WMM is pretty easy to use, but extremely limited. Once I’ve played around with it some more, I’ll move on to something more sophisticated.

I’ve been finding it harder to sit and blog lately. When I’m not working or sleeping, I’m gaming. Nadia previously mentioned that Phantasy Star Universe has been running our lives. The game has been out for three weeks now, and combined we have logged over 100 hours (she takes the lion’s share of that time).

When not playing that game, I’ve been spending my time with the excellent Gears of War. There isn’t much that I can say about the game that hasn’t already been said, so you may want to check out that link for all the reviews. What I can say is this: I enjoy first and third person shooters, but I am a poor shot. Run-and-gun style shooters like Halo 2 give me a hard time for that reason. GoW is built around the stop-and-pop style of play, where you are supposed to take cover and strategize. If you don’t, your opponents will mow you down. The cooperative play is second to none, and the team-based multiplayer is equally good.

My brother recently left a message on the guestbook asking about the Wii. As a Nintendo fanboy this will be difficult, but I will try to be as objective as possible as I talk about the console.

During this holiday season, the Wii’s primary advantage is its price. Comparing the $249 console to the other systems, ranging from $299 to $599, the Wii is the clear winner. Don’t forget that the typical Wii game will run you $50 versus the $60 of 360 and PS3 games. Quantity is also a big thing. Are you looking for a PS3 and haven’t preordered yet? Good luck. You will have better luck finding a Wii or 360 on launch day, as the number of PS3s that will be available are dreadfully low (yet still higher than the 360 when it launched). Even people who have preordered may not get their system.

What do you get when you save all that cash? Last generation’s graphics and an unconventional controller. The Wii is essentially a slightly more powerful GameCube, so the graphics come nowhere close to what the other two can do. Nintendo isn’t trying to win you over with flashy graphics though; that’s the game MS and Sony are playing. They’ve got another thing in mind for the Wii.

Taken from a response I wrote in an email debate with my brother-in-law last week:

Nintendo is taking a different route, building on what made the DS a success. When comparing the DS directly to the PSP, the natural question is “why the hell would anyone buy a DS?” On the surface, the PSP has the DS beat in every possible category. But the DS has come out on top by reaching out to the non-gamers. Their Touch Generation line of games (Nintendogs, Brain Age, etc) has allowed them to enjoy a level of succes in the handheld market that has inspired them to do the same thing with consoles.

While MS and Sony are pricing their systems clear out of the range of the casual or non-gamer, Nintendo is going directly for them. Using the same ideas that made the DS a success, they are using an underpowered, graphically unimpressive system to get those gamers. They have a line of simple games ( e.g. Wii Sports) to draw them in, while the more serious gamer would get titles like Zelda.

I’m getting the Wii because I know exactly what I am going to get out of it. It will be an innovative and different way to game without breaking the bank. I’ll have access to those Nintendo IPs I enjoy so much like Smash Brothers and Metroid. When I want the gorgeous graphics and traditional gameplay, I’ll boot up my 360.

I hope that helps you make a decision Tito, and to anyone else who values my gaming opinions.

Edit: I would also like to re-evaluate my sales predication for this holiday season, which I made back in July. If we are only talking next-gen consoles, then Wii will take #1, 360 will take #2, and PS3 will take #3. Including last gen and handhelds, the list changes to: #1 DS, #2 PS2, #3 Wii, #4 360, #5 PSP, and #6 PS3.

Last week I had just missed my bus and decided to go to Starbucks for a drink. As I was walking back to the stop, I noticed a homeless man shuffling from person to person with his cup as they made their way to the metro station. At first I was going to continue on to the bus stop, but as I looked at my cup of Caramel Chai I felt horrible that the man was in that situation. I walked back and asked the man if he had something to eat - he said no. I had 2 mini bagles in my backpack so I offered them to him…HE REFUSED!!!!! It wasn’t as if it was a humble refuse, it was more like “I don’t want your stinking bagel” refuse. Dumbfounded by what happened, I shook my head, wished him a good day and made my way to the bus stop.

As we get closer to the season of giving, my heart tends to swell with pain as I think about all the homeless people suffering in the cold with no food or family. What are you supposed to think when a homeless person refuses help that way? It was obvious that he wanted money, but I refuse to give money because in most cases the money is used to fund a negative habit. I would quicker take a hungry homeless person somewhere to eat than give them money to ‘possibly’ feed themselves.

What would you do? What have you done? This situation unfortunately will make me think twice before going out of my way again.