Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Movie Review: The Hobbit (Part I)

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On April 22, 2013

In Movies, Reviews

film_reelMy [rating: 3]

Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen

Synopsis: Based on the actual first book of the Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit tells the story of Bilbo Baggins’ fateful journey that took him across Middle Earth with a band of misplaced dwarves to retake The Lonely Mountain. This is the journey that explains how the One Ring came into Bilbo’s possession. The One Ring, that changed the face of Middle Earth 60 years later.

Biggs’ Review: I didn’t venture out into the theaters to see this movie mainly because I couldn’t fathom how Peter Jackson managed to turn one book into three movies. I suspected (and still do) that he is just trying to squeeze out every last dime he can from The Lord of the Rings franchise. Be that as it may, I am glad that I got around to seeing The Hobbit. Overall, it was still a pretty good movie. I did feel like it didn’t quite have the same “epic” quality the other movies had. Granted it could be that its been close to 20 years since I have read the book.

The music, as always, was fantastic, which is what I have always enjoyed about the movie versions of this franchise. Obviously, the books are always better so I would recommend reading the book if you haven’t already. I’m not sure if I will actually buy this movie (or movies when the final two are available) but I’d say its worth checking out if you want something LOTR-esque.

The MMO Times: Launch Day!

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On April 16, 2013

In Gaming, MMO Times, MMORPG

mmotimesheaderIssue 71: Last week was launch week for a couple of titles (or expansions) that I have been talking about often. I’m sure you are aware by now that these titles are Age of Wushu and SWTOR’s first expansion. Read on to see additional details about their respective launches. I haven’t picked up the SWTOR expansion yet. I want to but I’m still trying to justify the cost since so few of my friends are still playing it I lack the motivation.

If you are playing the SWTOR expansion, I’d like to hear from you. I’ve already received some great feedback from the folks on Google+. Actually, if you are partaking in any of the new things talked about in this issue I’d be curious as to your impressions. Age of Wushu went live, some new raid content for TSW, we have some more Infinite Crisis news and more!

On a final note, I want to express my heartfelt sorrow for those victims of the bombing at the Boston Marathon. Its despicable that someone is capable of such atrocities. My thoughts and prayers are with all the runners and the communities affected by this tragedy.

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Alas, Poor Microsoft

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On April 15, 2013

In General Cogitation, Microsoft, Technology

windows-crackI was reading this article over on ZDNet and, while its a pretty scathing article about Windows 8, the author does make a couple of valid points. It isn’t a secret that I am not the biggest fan of Windows 8. I do run a Windows box at home and I’m quite content with Windows 7. I also have a Mac and a Linux box so my allegiance belongs to nobody.

At any rate, here is the biggest point the author makes, which I believe is the reason Windows 8 is a total flop: “This isn’t a matter of judging a book by its cover; the user interface (UI) is everything for computer users. If the UI alienates users, you lose them. It’s as simple as that.” This is exactly what has happened to Microsoft with Windows 8. The “tiled” desktop is the cause of the out of control, downward spiral of the Windows 8 OS. I said that would be its downfall since the first time I tried it out. You can’t make a dramatic change to the UI and just expect the users to be OK with that. It’s as if Microsoft forgot what their target market was.

Perhaps Microsoft was trying to create some kind of cohesion between their tablets and the desktop, and I get that. However, you can’t take a tablet interface and slap it on a desktop and expect the experience to remain the same. These allegations that not enough touch-capable PCs exist is laughable. It shows that not only is Microsoft out of touch with its users, they are also out of touch with the industry. You have to coordinate a paradigm shift between hardware and software, you can’t brute force such a change.

I feel like Microsoft has become the proverbial unyielding, crotchety old man in the corner talking about how things use to be in the old days. Microsoft’s whole business strategy is archaic. If they want to survive in today’s constantly evolving technology they need to adopt a more collaborative strategy and focus less on brute force. They’re not the top dog anymore.

/cheers

Perhaps “Overly Sensitive” Is Better

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On April 10, 2013

In Fulmination, Soapbox

gus_facepalmI’m a big fan of country music. I’ve attended more country music concerts then I have any other genre of music. I think one of the best artists in the industry is Brad Paisley and I still believe that. Which is why I think this brouhaha over his latest duet with LL Cool J is just ridiculous. If you have followed Brad Paisley’s career in any capacity then you know that he is known for making witty and clever songs. He’s never made a song where he’s intentionally berating or bashing anyone of any race, creed, gender, etc with the possible exception of “rednecks”.

The fact that people latch onto the term “racist” and yet nobody gives a rip about the abundant use of the word “redneck” just shows how obtuse and single-minded people are. Maybe “overly sensitive” isn’t the correct description either. Perhaps “Abundantly Stupid” is a more fitting description of how myopic society has become. It’s also entirely possible that trolls have gone main stream and just like to pick little fights because (to steal a quote from The Dark Knight) “some men, just want to watch the world burn.” I think political correctness has changed from a righteous cause to an excuse to stir up petty arguments.

I’m sure this whole ordeal has already blown over, and I’m posting a day too late but its aggravating how utterly foolish people have become. By the way, I picked up Brad Paisley’s, now infamous, new album last night on iTunes. It’s called Wheelhouse for those that want to support a great artist! It’s an excellent album!

/end soapbox

The MMO Times: Blizzcon is Back!

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On April 6, 2013

In Gaming, MMO Times, MMORPG

mmotimesheaderIssue 70: A moment of silence for the loss of LucasArts … as Disney continues its effort to deconstruct my childhood. I’ve covered this topic in a separate post so lets focus on more fitting and jovial topics. So whether you are plundering The Throne of Thunder or questing in Cairo, here is some news for you while waiting for queues or maintenance to complete.

There is some exciting news regarding Blizzcon which I know we are all pumped for its return. Actually there is more Blizzard news too, regarding their secret new project. More features coming to Age of Wushu (theoretically), more Neverwinter beta news; I mean after a slow trickle of news post-PAX East, its good to finally have several topics to read about. Enjoy!

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Biggs On: Star Wars vs Star Trek

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On April 6, 2013

In Biggs On, General Cogitation

Star-Trek-Enterprise-vs-Star-WarsOne of the biggest causes of nerd quarrels is the debate about which franchise is better; Star Wars or Star Trek. While from a fictional perspective these two are vastly different, they do have at least one thing in common. You can not deny that both have extremely loyal fans (some probably border on creepy). Personally, I’m probably a Star Wars nerd and a Star Trek fan.

I’ve loved the Star Wars movies (all of them) since the first time that I saw them. I’ve seen the movies enough times that I can probably recite just about every line. I’ve purchased a years wages worth of collectibles. I’m probably borderline obsessive. The amount of useless minutia I know about the Star Wars movies and universe would paint me in a pretty pathetic light, whereas what I know about the Star Trek movies probably isn’t any more then what I might know about any other movie.

There is no doubt that I do love Star Wars far more than Star Trek and while I will defend the former as the better franchise I admit there is something the Star Trek universe is far better at. The stars from the popular movies and TV series are probably some of the most sociable celebrities on the Internet. You can expect a joke or witty post from George Takei on a fairly regular basis on Facebook. You will see tweets from William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Brent Spiner, Jeri Ryan, and more quite frequently. These folks are often the highlight of my day.

I have to admit, these folks really give the Star Trek name a sense of community. I really wish the Star Wars fans had the same kind of extraordinary ambassadors. Most of the time Star Wars fans are bashing George Lucas (who, despite his faults, is responsible for creating the films and they wouldn’t exist without him) or criticizing one another because they did, or did not, like the prequels.

We definitely need more Shatner’s, Takei’s, Ryan’s, Nimoy’s, Wheatons, etc who are not afraid to connect with their fans. These folks were already icons but by sharing their nerdy enthusiasm I think it further enriches the community. My only ask of these wonderful people is that they never stop what they are doing both socially and professionally. All of you, even those I failed to mention, enrich our culture and our lives.

If Mr. Nimoy would allow me a small liberty I bestow the appropriate blessing, with all sincerity, to “Live Long and Prosper”.

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