Controversy

Speaker Wire is a Confusing Product!

Recently I decided to buy some new speaker wire for my A/V Receiver. According to reports and brochures, the top-rated speaker wire you should use with an A/V Receiver is 12-gauge wire. The 12-gauge wire is useful for long wire runs and also useful on shorter wire runs because the larger amount of copper provides less resistance for electricity (a very good thing). But while doing research and examining products, I became very disappointed by the fact that key pieces of information are usually left out of speaker wire products.

I would like to clarify a few things about speaker wire. Ironically, as the "gauge" of the wire becomes smaller, the speaker wire actually increases in size. This improves the quality of the wire because it decreases the electrical resistance. Taking advantage of high-quality speaker wire can actually help give added life to your A/V Receiver or Amplifier.

One of the primary qualities often advertised by manufacturers of speaker wire is something called "Oxygen-Free" wire. The reason this feature is important is because oxygen can "oxidize" the copper in the wire. When speaker wire becomes oxidized (similar to rusted), it will increase the electrical resistance in the wire. Consequently, the sound quality will decrease and electrical problems in an amplifier may be generated.

I recently learned that one of the biggest problems with speaker wire is the way products are falsely advertised. I'm referring to the fact that a countless number of manufacturers advertise "Copper" speaker wire. But in reality the copper speaker wire has an aluminum core that is only "coated" with copper. If you buy 12-gauge aluminum wire that is coated with copper, it may only offer the benefits of 16-gauge "pure copper" wire.

Believe it or not, speaker wire gets even more confusing! The 12-gauge speaker wire that is recommended by home theater magazines is usually referring to the AWG (American Wire Gauge) standard of measurement. There are other forms of standards that are not universal in their measurements. For example, a manufacturer of speaker wire may advertise a 10-gauge speaker wire, but in reality it may only offer measurements seen by an AWG 12-gauge or AWG 14-gauge wire.

There are also dirty tactics that can be used in the world of speaker wire. Obviously the copper is the most expensive material used in speaker wire. Aluminum is the second most expensive material used in speaker wire, while plastic is the least expensive material used in speaker wire. Some manufacturer's of speaker wire use very thin copper wire or copper-coated wire, but they still advertise their product as 12-gauge.

The reason these manufacturers do this is because they use incredibly thick plastic wire to coat the metal in a cheap way. These manufacturers don't make their final standard of measurement until after the plastic has been placed over the wire. This is a very immoral thing to do because speaker wire is being sold for a higher price as if it were offering the quality of a higher product. In reality, the speaker wire is not offering high quality performance at all.

I still have not been able to find the following product that I truly do have a desire to purchase: AWG 12-Gauge Oxygen-Free 100% Copper Wire

I can tell you two things from personal experience, though. First, the speaker wire company called Monster Cable charges way too much money for their speaker wire product. Monster Cable doesn't even bother to list the gauge on their product! People who have measured the Monster Cable speaker wire have found it to be somewhere between 15-gauge and 16-gauge. I highly recommend that you purchase a different brand, simply because the only thing you are paying for is the advertisements of this company.

RCA actually makes the best speaker wire. This speaker wire is an AWG 14-Gauge Oxygen-Free 100% Copper Speaker Wire. This product is rated incredibly high by all users on websites such as Amazon.com. The speaker wire sold online costs far less than the prices seen in most retail stores. If you do need to buy this product at a retail store, I recommend ABC Warehouse because they are willing to negotiate with you if you buy several rolls. If only RCA were to release this product in AWG 12-Gauge, I would be the happiest camper in the world!

Does anyone know who makes an AWG 12-Gauge Oxygen-Free 100% Copper Speaker Wire?

Jack "Dr. Death" Kevorkian Passed Away -- Should Suicide Be Legalized?

Dr. Jacob “Jack” Kevorkian passed away on June 3, 2011 at the age of 83. Dr. Kevorkian became infamous in the 1990’s because he helped over 130 people die via physician-assisted suicide. Dr. Kevorkian continuously said “Dying is not a crime.” In each of these suicides, it was the patient who committed the final action.

Believe it or not, Dr. Kevorkian was actually known as “Dr. Death” long before he helped people commit suicide. Colleagues throughout California and Michigan had always observed Kevorkian was particularly interested in dying patients. Dr. Kevorkian was a graduate of the University of Michigan. This is probably why he had a desire to settle down in Michigan and ultimately end up with a career writing articles about euthanasia, which were published throughout the world.

Dr. Kevorkian did not truly become famous until the 1990s when he invented a device known as the “death machine.” This medical tool gave consenting patients the opportunity to self-inject an anesthetic followed by a lethal dose of potassium chloride. Jack Kevorkian labeled this machine as the “Thanatron,” since it was named after Thanatos – the figure of death in Greek mythology.

Dr. Kevorkian and his volunteer attorney, Geoffrey Fieger, became well known all over the world because they continuously stood up to government laws, particularly in Michigan. The state of Michigan passed a law in 1993 preventing him from practicing physician-assisted suicides. Geoffrey Fieger constantly attacked Governor John Engler while supporting Dr. Kevorkian.

Eventually, Dr. Kevorkian lost his licenses to practice medicine in California and Michigan. Nevertheless, Dr. Kevorkian continued to help people “End their lives with dignity.” Dr. Kevorkian continuously pointed out that people should not be forced to suffer and live with pain, since they were inevitably going to die anyways.

Consequently, Dr. Kevorkian was convicted of second-degree murder in April of 1999. After serving eight years of a 10-to-25 year prison sentence, Dr. Kevorkian was released on parole after promising he would not aid in any further suicides. From that point on, Dr. Kevorkian devoted his life to oil paintings and jazz music. Occasionally, Dr. Kevorkian would market his work to the public.

I want to make it clear to everyone reading this that I am a Christian and I believe in God. I have a close relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. However, I was very disappointed the way several large so-called Christian organizations were cheering and gloating like hypocrites when Jack Kevorkian died this week. One woman said, “I know Dr. Kevorkian now realizes there is a God, and I can guarantee you he will not be spending eternity with Him in Heaven.”

I just have one controversial question: How can that woman “Guarantee” anything? She is not God, and she is not in a position to judge Jack Kevorkian. If you examine the life of Jack Kevorkian, you will be surprised what a loving and caring man he was. And when you learn what I’m about to tell you, I believe you may change your mind about whether or not you will see Jack Kevorkian when you get to Heaven!

Jack Kevorkian came from a very religious family and was raised to be a Christian by his loving parents. It was at the age of 12 when young Jack started asking questions in Sunday school class. Jack asked the question, “If there is an all-knowing and all-powerful God capable of giving His son the ability to walk on water, He would also have been able to prevent the Turkish slaughter of his entire extended family.”

Jack asked valid questions like this every week at church. But at the young age of 12 he decided to stop attending church because his questions were not receiving acceptable answers, based on his point of view. I believe the fundamental problem is the way Jack Kevorkian only looked at things from his personal point of view. For example, Jack apparently thought to himself, “If I had the ability to walk on water or heal the sick, I would use those abilities to provide health to everyone and prevent millions of innocent people from being slaughtered by a tyrant like Adolf Hitler.”

This form of logic seems reasonable to most people, but once you read your Bible you realize that is not the way God works. Jesus Christ is a merciful God who wants to spend eternity with you. This is the reason why He personally allowed Himself to be tortured on a cross. When the supporters of Jesus Christ saw Him on that cross, they asked questions similar to Jack Kevorkian. They probably asked themselves things like “If this guy really is the same guy who previously walked on water and healed other people, why doesn’t he just heal himself and hop off that cross; then, everyone would believe!”

But the evidence suggests Jack Kevorkian didn’t read his Bible enough to learn it is a relatively violent book – describing various forms of judgment, fights, murders, and torture. If Jack did read his Bible from beginning to end, it’s disappointing that he didn’t become friends with the Lord along the way. You would tend to think that a man capable of understanding the concept that “Death is not a crime” would also be capable of understanding the concept that “Good days would not exist if it wasn’t for bad days.” In life, we often learn from bad experiences just as much as we learn from good experiences.

But this still doesn’t necessarily mean Jack Kevorkian won’t be in Heaven. We don’t know what happened during the last days of Jack Kevorkian’s life. During his last days, Jack Kevorkian probably thought a lot about his life, his family, and his loved ones. We know he was raised as a Christian, and we know God was always on his mind. How do we know that Jack Kevorkian didn’t ask forgiveness of his sins and accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, just as many of his painfully sick patients did?

There’s no question Dr. Kevorkian will be judged for his actions in life. But there’s also no doubt he would spend eternity with the Lord if he felt comfortable being with Him. How do you “Feel comfortable being with the Lord” you ask? Simple; cause the Lord to see you as He sees Himself. The way you do that is by covering yourself in the blood of Jesus Christ. You do that by asking forgiveness of your sins and accepted the work of Jesus on the cross. This is the whole reason why Jesus allow Himself to be tortured that way; He paid the price for everyone’s sins, even though His life perfectly agreed with the will of God.

I want to end this article by telling the enemies of Dr. Kevorkian that they should not be proud or happy that Jack Kevorkian may be in hell right now. Jesus Christ loved Jack Kevorkian enough to die for him. Keep that in mind before you run your mouth. And also keep in mind that the Lord Jesus Christ doesn’t like hypocrites!

Please feel free to share your thoughts on this. Do you believe suicide will be leglaized one day? How about the way hospitals take people off of life support all the time?

FDA approves new HIV drug from Johnson & Johnson

Here is an interesting article I just read:

“(AP) WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration says it approved a new HIV drug from Johnson & Johnson for patients who have not been treated with other medications for the virus.

The once-a-day pill Edurant works by blocking the virus from reproducing. It is designed to be used with other drugs that reduce levels of HIV in the blood.

FDA officials say the approval provides an additional option to HIV patients, who respond differently to various medications.

The FDA approved the drug based on a study showing it was as effective as Sustiva, an older HIV drug already on the market.”

We know HIV medication has exponentially improved since the 1980’s. HIV was originally said to be a devastating punishment from God, targeting people involved in homosexuality and fornication. But from today’s point of view, famous people such as Magic Johnson have been alive for two decades after being diagnosed with HIV. Do you believe this has desensitized AIDS and the fear it once brought to people?

What are your thoughts on the research associated with an HIV vaccine? Is this form of health research something our government should fund? Or should HIV research continue to receive funding from medical philanthropists such as Bill Gates?

Where did Optimus Prime's Trailer Go When He Transformed?

Optimus Prime is one of the greatest characters of all time. Every day, I would get home from school and watch Transformers on TV. And every day I would see the Decepticons come up with a plan to defeat the Autobots. And, you guessed it, every day I would see Optimus Prime play a key role in saving our planet from being conquered by Megatron.

The Transformers come from the planet Cybertron. Every Transformer has the ability to change shape into at least one other type of vehicle, weapon, or device. This helps each transformer gain power, usefulness, and marketability.

I mention the term marketability because all of the Transformers started out at toys. The producers of the Transformers often talked about the pride they felt after being able to take existing toys and place them in an excellent story. Usually, it is the other way around – characters in a TV show being turned into toys.

Unfortunately, some of the transformers experienced fundamental flaws with the way their toys and overall design interacted with the TV show. These flaws were so basic that even little kids realized something was wrong. This often motivated both children and adults to ask questions about why certain things were happening.

The Transformers first appeared on TV in 1984. Now, in 2011 there are still several questions those children and adults still want answered. At the top of the list is the famous question, “Where does Optimus Prime’s trailer go when he transforms into a robot?”

I’m now going to list several of these puzzling questions. I’m going to try and brainstorm the situation in order to solve the problem. I’m going to analyze what works and what doesn’t. Hopefully, we will have some answers that lead to a definitive conclusion by the time I’m done with this analysis.

Now, on to the list of puzzling questions:

* Where does Optimus Prime’s trailer go when he transforms?

* Megatron is the same size as Optimus Prime when the two of them are in robot mode. Optimus Prime transforms into a huge truck. But Megatron transforms into a gun small enough to fit into the hands of his fellow Decepticons. Is this reduction in size achieved with an increase of density? If so, Megatron would be a very heavy gun! Or, does this mean Megatron’s weight decreases whenever his size decreases in order to make it easy for other Transformers to aim him?

* Soundwave is the same size as Megatron and Optimus Prime. Soundwave has the ability to transform into a tape player so small that he fits in the hands of a human being such as Spike Witwicki. This strongly suggests that the density of Soundwave has not remained the same; otherwise he would be far too heavy for Spike to lift. So the question is, “How can Soundwave become small enough and light enough to fit into the hands of a human being and be lifted effortlessly?”

The next subject is really an interesting paradox that has left me wondering quite a few times. Tell me your thoughts on these subjects:

* Megatron has the ability to decrease his size to the point that his fellow Decepticons can use him as a lightweight weapon. However, Megatron apparently does not have the ability to decrease his size or weight to the point that a human being such as Spike Witwicki can use him as a lightweight weapon.

For example, after being dropped, Megatron was on the ground as a gun. As a gun, Megatron was even larger than Spike! Megatron was also so heavy that Spike could barely move him. But it appeared there was no way for Megatron to resize himself to be small enough for Spike to fire.

What I want to know is why Megatron remains heavy when he becomes smaller. And why does Megatron’s size appear to be limited? If Soundwave can become small enough and light enough for Spike to place in his hand, why does Megatron remain heavy?

* Astrotrain was a triple-changer that transformed into both a train and a space shuttle. As a robot, Astrotrain was the size of Megatron and Optimus Prime. It seemed reasonable that Astrotrain could turn into the front of a train or even a space shuttle, since Optimus Prime turns into a huge truck. But in Transformers the movie we see that Astrotrain has turned into a space shuttle so huge that he is carrying dozens of Decepticons! How in the world could Astrotrain transform into something so large? And if Astrotrain had that ability, why didn’t he just keep on getting bigger so that he could kill off all the Autobots?

* Soundwave and Blaster both transform into tape players. It’s true the Transformers crashed on our planet over four-million years ago, but were they really that far behind us in that area of technology?

I’m now going to investigate some hypotheses and theories about why these paradoxes seem to exist. Hopefully, I will be able to come up with some answers now that the questions have been clearly asked. If you have some ideas, please feel free to write about them here.

First, we know that the trailer is a separate part of Optimus Prime. We also know that he does have the ability to walk into the trailer and use it as a form of battle station; although, we only saw this happen a very small number of times. My only theory right now has to do with the fact that the original Transformers TV show was broadcast in a 4:3 ratio. Perhaps if the show had been broadcast in a widescreen format we would have seen that trailer transformed into a battle station next to prime all along in every episode!

Second, we know that several transformers have the ability to change their size when they transform. In Transformers: The Movie, Astrotrain told Starscream that it was necessary to “Jettison some weight” or else they would never make it back to Cybertron. This seems to indicate there are limits on how far a transformer can modify its size.

Third, Soundwave was able to become so small and so lightweight that a human being could place him in his hand for the purpose of deception. Perhaps the reason why Megatron appeared unable to do so was because he never had a desire to allow a human to use him as a weapon. The fact that Spike was able to lift Megatron at all in his reduced size suggests there is a weight reduction ratio that exits when a transformer changes its size. Although Megatron’s smaller size was still heavy to Spike, Megatron probably was still lightweight to other Transformers firing him such as Starscream or Skywarp.

The one problem that isn’t answered by this has to do with the scientific way Soundwave is able to become so incredibly lightweight. We seem to have proven that a mathematical ratio of size and weight exists when a transformer changes its size. However, we sill haven’t proven the way that this occurs. You are welcome to share your thoughts on this issue.

Does the mass of the transformer decrease in some way when size and weight are changed? If so, are dimensions other than space and time involved? Perhaps Soundwave speeds his cassette tapes faster than the speed of light in a circular motion (increasing mass and gravity), contains the reaction with his powerful eject button, and transfers some weight to another dimension – similar to what some scientists believe occurs in a black hole.

But if that is the case, how would Megatron and Astrotrain do the same? Megatron’s specifications on his box say that his technology is based on anti-matter, so this may be possible. And perhaps Astrotrain’s rocket technology is based on a nuclear source of energy, which would explain why he needs to be a triple changer in the form of a train. You are welcome to share your thoughts on this issue.

Last but certainly not least is why Soundwave and Blaster would need audiocassettes over four-million years ago on the planet Cybertron. I think the main thing we need to remember is that Teletraan 1 changed most of the Transformers in at least some way in order to make them compatible with the culture that existed on our planet in 1984. In all likelihood, Soundwave and Blaster probably did not use audiocassettes on Cyberton.

Well, I hope this article has helped you find the answers to some of the questions that all of us have wondered about for a long time. If I did help you find the answers you were looking for or if you found this article fun to read, please make a donation to this website. This website is not free to run, and I do have epilepsy. Any extra income I can get is appreciated.

Sincerely,
Michael Zoran

 

...

Wii 2 – New HD Console Being Unveiled by Nintendo at E3

The Electronic Entertainment Expo, usually referred to as the E3, is going to be particularly interesting this summer! Nintendo has recently let it slip (probably for publicity purposes) that they will be unveiling a new console based on high-definition technology. Reliable sources have claimed that the Wii 2 will be launched worldwide at the end of 2012.

This new Wii 2 console will be fully backwards-compatible with the existing Wii console. Backward compatibility is a feature gamers of the 21st century truly appreciate. It’s very common to hear Wii owners talk about how they love it how their Wii is backwards compatible with Nintendo’s Gamecube console. Presumably, the Wii 2 will also be backwards compatible with the Gamecube technology in the same way that the Wii is.

The Wii 2 is apparently the most powerful HD console ever created, with a design very similar to the Xbox 360. Currently the Xbox 360 has the most powerful GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) and has the ability to display more polygons than any other console –500,000,000 polygons per second. The Playstation 3 console can display up to 275,000,000 polygons per second. This is the reason why Xbox 360 versions of multiplatform software released by third-party game developers often have smoother frame rates and higher resolution than their counterparts on the PS3.

Apparently, the Wii 2 will be capable of displaying games in 1920x1080p resolution on a regular basis. The Xbox 360 and PS3 already have games that run in this 1080p resolution, but they represent only a small percentage of games. In reality, it would make more sense for the Wii 2 games to be based on a native resolution of 1280x720p, which would allow a smoother frame rate and a greater amount of lighting and shading techniques to be used.

Multiplatform games released for all the consoles may see the Wii 2 versions of games use the higher native resolution of 1920x1080p. The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions would be based on native resolutions of only 1280x720p. We have already seen quite a few Xbox 360 games run at resolutions of up to 40% higher than their PS3 counterparts.

For example, Soul Calibur 4 on the PS3 runs at a native resolution of 1280x720p. However, the developers realized the Xbox 360 had quite a bit of power remaining. This motivated the developers at Namco to increase the resolution of the Xbox 360 version by 40% so that it ran at a native resolution of 1365x960p. This is the type of environment we might expect the Wii 2 version to run at a native resolution of 1920x1080p.

Publishers that have seen this new console have claimed that Nintendo has already revealed to them that the Wii 2 will use a new form of controller, rather than an update to the existing Wii controller. Obviously the motion-control technology must still exist, since the Wii 2 keeps the name of Wii and is fully compatible with Wii software. This makes people wonder if Nintendo will be trying to use something similar to the very successful Kinect controller used with the Xbox 360.

What’s really interesting is that the Wii 2 controller is said to have a screen on it. This is something that hasn’t happened since Sega tried it in 1999 with the Dreamcast console. The Wii 2 takes this a step further by making it so the screen is touch-sensitive! The Wii 2 controller is also said to have some other surprises that Nintendo will show to us at this years E3. The first thought that springs into my mind is some form of 3D compatibility with the new 3DS handheld product from Nintendo.

I believe Nintendo is in an excellent position to continue their domination of the global videogame market. In 2005 Nintendo realized that only a small percentage of the market owned an HDTV, which is why Nintendo stayed away from that market. The Wii was less powerful than the Xbox 360 or the PS3, but the Wii sold far more units worldwide due to the fact that the Wii cost less money. Most people didn’t even consider the Wii as a direct competitor of the PS3 and Xbox 360.

Now, in 2011, the HD market has significantly grown, and will continue to grow by the time the Wii 2 launches in late 2012. Nintendo has always done their best to launch a console at the price of no more than $249. With that in mind, the Wii 2 will instantly be priced to compete with the various packages of Xbox 360 and PS3 when it launches in 2012. Considering that the Wii 2 will offer better graphics for a similar price, it seems reasonable that the Wii 2 really will allow Nintendo to remain leader of the videogame industry.

The Xbox 360 console currently can be purchased for as little as $199 for a new unit, but this does not include a hard drive. We do not yet know if the Wii 2 will include any form of hard drive. The Xbox 360 unit with a hard drive costs $299. You can also purchase an Xbox 360 without a hard drive with a Kinect packed in for $299. For $399 you can purchase an Xbox 360 with a 250GB hard drive and a Kinect packed in.

Playstation 3 sells for as little as $299 with a 160GB hard drive. For $349 you can buy the PS3 with a 320GB hard drive with the Move controller packed in. The Move is a motion-sensitive controller similar to what is used in the Wii. The Move has not been nearly as successful as the Kinect, so it remains to see what form of motion technology the Wii 2 is based on.

The Kinect technology is revolutionary and has very little in common with what is used in the Wii. Kinect launched during the fall of 2010 and quickly sold 10 Million units. Kinect is currently in the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest-selling item in electronics history. There is no doubt that Kinect technology will be a part of Microsoft’s plans for a long time to come in areas of gaming, computers, home entertainment, and many other areas of living.

At this point in time it really did make sense for Nintendo to release a new console. Over the last year, the Wii has been declining in sales – each month being outsold by the Xbox 360. Right now, the Wii is often the odd-man-out when multiplatform games are released by third-party game companies. For example, games will be released for PC, Xbox 360, and PS3, but not for the Wii.

Even when games are released for the Wii, gamers often stay away from the Wii version because the Wii version has graphics that are far less impressive than what is seen on the PC, Xbox 360, or PS3. But with the Wii 2, gamers will want to buy the Wii 2 versions of games since they will be the best-looking console versions available. Only expensive high-end PCs will have graphics as good as the Wii 2.

This places some stress on Microsoft and Sony. Both companies are now being pressured into released consoles sooner than they wanted. Sony said from the beginning that they thought the PS3 would have a 10-year life expectancy. Microsoft never said how long they felt the Xbox 360 would be on the market, but they did say they believed this generation would last longer than any other previous generation – which it already has done.

Microsoft referred to the Kinect as a new launch for the Xbox 360. There is no doubt that the successor of the Xbox 360 will remain fully compatible with the Kinect. But we don’t know when Microsoft’s next console will arrive. Xbox 360 is selling better now than it ever has. Microsoft continues to earn net profit with the Xbox 360 and the Xbox Live gaming service.

Sony has a tough decision to make. Unless the PS3 can last 10 years, it is very likely that the PS3 will result in an overall financial net loss for Sony. It cost Sony billions of dollars to launch the PS3, and Sony continued to lose hundreds-of-millions of dollars each quarter afterward. The amount of net profit Sony has only recently started earning is very small; it won’t put a dent in the billions of dollars of loss the PS3 has cost Sony. This is why Sony needs to ask themselves if it would be better to forget about this generation in order to get an early start on the next generation or if it would be better to try and get as much as possible out of the PS3.

From a graphic point of view, it doesn’t make sense for Microsoft or Sony to launch a new console by 2012. The balance between graphic quality and the price of a console – directly related to the cost of launching that console – clearly shows that Microsoft and Sony would be better off living in a world where the Wii 2 has better graphics until about 2014. The Xbox 360 will continue to sell well and generate profit thanks to Kinect and Xbox Live. Net profit is the name of the game in business and Microsoft has achieved this goal with Xbox 360.

With that in mind, I think the soonest we will see a console from Microsoft is 2013 or 2014. Only then will graphics technology have reached far enough beyond the Xbox 360 that it makes sense for Microsoft to start a new hardware generation. Remember, the Wii 2 is a direct competitor of the Xbox 360 and the PS3; the Wii 2 does not start a “new” graphics generation the way the next Xbox would. The simple fact is, that type of graphics technology will not be available for a while.

Sony is a different story due to the lack of financial success associated with the Playstation 3. The PS3 is the least successful Playstation console that Sony has ever released. It was very arrogant of Sony to launch a console for $600. Sony had an amazing amount of momentum heading into this hardware generation. Yet all of that momentum attained from the success of the PS1 and PS2 was lost because they stumbled over their own arrogance.

This arrogance was directly related to Sony’s desire to try and turn the blu-ray disc into the format that replaced DVD. We do not know what format the Wii 2 will use. At this point in time it seems reasonable that Nintendo could include some form of blu-ray technology into the Wii 2 for a low price. However, it wouldn’t be a complete surprise to see Nintendo develop a proprietary disc format of their own. I doubt this will happen though, since many people believe the market failure of the Gamecube was caused by Nintendo’s decision to avoid the DVD format.

My prediction is that Nintendo will play it safe and use blu-ray technology for now. After all, Nintendo is designing the Wii 2 to be direct competitors with the Xbox 360 and the PS3, not their successors. I do believe that once Microsoft and Sony eventually release their next consoles, we will see that blu-ray becomes an outdated format. Developers in this generation have already said that blu-ray discs do not offer enough storage space.

Once the Wii 2 is released, we will see that Nintendo is once again included in the lives of console gamers that want the best graphics. Games will be released for PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and Wii 2. Console gamers that want the best graphics will be purchasing the game for Wii 2.

It also will be interesting to see what type of online services Nintendo will be offering for the Wii 2. Currently in the videogame industry, it is generally agreed upon that the Xbox Live service of the Xbox 360 is a full generation ahead of what is offered by Nintendo and Sony for the Wii and PS3, respectively. But the Wii 2 isn’t meant to put Nintendo into the“next” generation. The Wii 2 is merely meant to pull Nintendo into the current high-definition generation in a way that competes directly with the Xbox 360 and PS3 on a technological level. I believe the Wii 2 will probably use the same form of online service as the Wii.

This year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo will certainly be a very interesting event that all of us are looking forward to!

UPDATE: You can read more about the Wii 2 here.

Gears of War 3 is King of Graphics and Co-Op Gameplay!

Gears of War is generally considered the greatest Third-Person Shooter game series ever released. This has been proven time after time by incredibly high reviews from professional sources and incredibly high ratings from all the reliable fans in the world. Gears of War is the games series that has spent more time on top of the graphics throne than any other videogame series this generation. 

Recently a new game called Crysis 2 was released for the Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 version of Crysis 2 has been called “The most graphically impressive game ever released for any console.” But Gears of War 3 definitely proves that Gears of War 3 is the new champion waiting to be crowned when it launches this September. 

One of the main reasons why Crysis 2 looks so great is because you can see so far into the distance – far further than a game like Killzone 3 on the PS3. The campaign of Crysis 2 is amazing in that aspect. The outdoor environments are filled with realistic types of lighting, shading, reflections, and lens flare that most First-Person Shooter games don’t focus much attention on. Cyrsis 2 obviously uses the newest technology available to developers in modern-day graphics engines. 

Gears of War 3 uses graphics technology based on the newest version of Epic’s Unreal Graphics Engine – the most popular graphics engine this generation. Developers programming Gears of War 3 now have access to all sorts of graphics techniques that were not previously available in videogames. Gears of War 3 is a showpiece designed to illustrate all of the amazing graphic and gaming features developers will now have access to if they use the new Unreal graphics engine technology that Epic has created. 

This is the reason why Gears of War 3 has such an incredibly high development budget and developers are taking their time to make sure everything about the game is nearly perfect. Normally, shooting games such as Call of Duty, Halo, and Gears of War are limited to two years of development time. But Gears of War 3 has been given three years of development time so developers know how to use all that new graphics technology. The thought of the skilled developers at Epic having that much time to work on Gears of War 3 really puts a smile on my face. 

Gears of War 2 used the same graphics engine as the first Gears of War game. Only minor adjustments were made to improve graphics. The reason for this is because the first game was created in about two years, while the second game was actually released with less than two years time of development. Gears of War 3 is the first Gears of War sequel that will be using technology that has been significantly updated.

Gears of War 3 almost looks like a "next-gen" type of game because it is so far ahead of Gears 1 and Gears 2 in so many ways. Gears of War 3 has an incredibly far-reaching line of sight, similar to Crysis 2. When you are playing in an environment where it is possible to see small details from a far distance, you see all of those details in Gears of War 3. 

What’s even more amazing is that weather has an affect on virtually everything. The lighting, shading, reflections and lens flare are just as good as Crysis 2, if not better. But Gears of War 3 takes this a step further by adding storms, lightning, rain, and other environmental affects that are each influenced by moving objects and weather. The reason for this is because the new Unreal Engine has so many graphics modifications and improvements, it is absolutely incredible! 

I studied the new Unreal Engine and everything new to Gears of War 3. Like I said, there are all sorts of weather tricks and graphic techniques to make fire, smoke, wind, lighting, shading, and reflections react perfectly in relation to everything else. For example, now we see Cole's Thrashball helmet has high-gloss reflections and lighting, just like a real football helmet. 

Another example would be how the women in Gears of War 3 have faces and hair with so many polygons it looks vastly superior to other games. For example, I was watching how a new female villain character in Uncharted 3 has an area of the face around the jaw area that is made up of straight lines instead of curves. Having a face that isn’t curved shows there’s not enough polygons available for the character in that graphics engine. It isn’t like that in Gears of War 3 where the female characters have nicely curved faces. 

This can also be applied to hair seen on characters, which is why it is much more noticeable when looking at a female. In Uncharted 3 the female villain looks like she has about four or five patches of texture-mapped polygon hair, similar to a low-polygon PS2 game. These patches of hair are clumped together in a triangular way that doesn’t look realistic compared to the men in Uncharted. In Gears of War 3 the females have nicely designed hair that curves and runs smoothly, even blowing in the wind while fighting during thunderstorms! 

One look at Gears of War 3 and you will see the new Unreal Engine is absolutely phenomenal. This is particularly true when used with the high-power GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) of the Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 GPU is the most powerful GPU ever in a gaming console. 

The way Epic has it set up so you can customize and unlock your weapons in Gears of War 3 is awesome. The thought of having a pink lancer or an orange shotgun really brings a smile to my face for one simple reason: it is fun! This is the Gears of War equivalent to having a Star Wars collection of light sabers with various colors. 

The way Gears of War 3 has 4-player Co-Op in the Campaign mode is fantastic! There are parts of the Gears of War 3 Campaign where you will be fighting alongside all four of your teammates. There will be other times where two of you split down one road and two of you split down another road, and then meet up somewhere. And there will even be certain spots where all four of you split up on your own! 

During these co-op moments, all of you will still be talking with each other on your Xbox Live headset microphone. Even when you are split apart from your teammates, you will be telling your friends what or whom you are fighting against. Just hearing about what your friends are going through, hearing them say things like “Whoa!” and “Man that hurt!” and “I finally got that guy!” is going to add to the fun of Gears of War 3! 

Gamestop is the best place to preorder Gears of War 3. You get the ability to play a beta test of Gears 3 later this month. You will be helping to improve the game! Plus, you will also be able to earn custom forms of weapons, armor, helmets, and other stuff that can be used in the final version of the game when it is released in September! With your input and suggestions, virtually every aspect of Gears of War 3 is going to be nearly perfect! 

And just so you know, those custom forms of weapons, armor, helmets, shields, and other items are actually valuable in the real world! Believe it or not, custom items like those sell for quite a bit of money online! Gears of War 2 launched with a special Golden Lancer if you preordered the game. I’ve seen the token code that allows you to get that Golden Lancer being sold for hundreds of dollars online! 

Gears of War 3 is definitely ahead of the pack! It will definitely be the king of graphics when this year comes to an end, and it will have the best Co-Op Campaign mode any Gears of War game has ever seen. There is even a new mode where we get to play “as” the Locusts and beat up on the COG soldiers such as Marcus Fenix, Dom, Cole, Anya, and the oldest brother in the family, Clayton Carmine (seeking revenge for the death of his younger brothers). 

Gears of War 3 is definitely a winner, so preorder now while you still can! … And let’s hope the character named Clayton Carmine lives! 

Here is a video for you to see for yourself:

 

More Gears of War 3 Videos

Here is a great new video called the Horde 2.0 Briefing. The graphics are unbelievably impressive -- far beyond anything seen on a console so far. The new game play modes add unlimited replay value and significantly increase the strategy level used in the game.

More Gears of War 3 Videos

Japanese Pride

Do you believe that the pride of the Japanese government has hurt the Japanese people in the nuclear crisis?

I'm specifically referring to the way the Japanese government initially made it clear that they did not want any foreign help in dealing with the problems being experienced at their nuclear reactors.

Now the Japanese government is willing to accept foreign help, but only because it is 100% clear the help is needed. In fact, it appears very obvious that Japan doesn't have anything close to the resources needed to deal with this problem.

Do you believe this pride and arrogance has hurt the Japanese people? Would this situation be better right now if Japan would have accepted help initially offered by foreign countries?