text:
[3/6/12] Starting E3
So the start of E3 2012 is almost upon us. Over the years, we have had
console announcements and surprises, game reveals, trailers, and general
larking about.
This year, it seems important. Why? Many people say the WiiU, and I am left wondering why.
console from Nintendo needs to be the very best. Last years reveal left
us all hoping for more, and what's better, gave us some slight
announcements for games, chief among them LEGO City Stories and Super
Smash Bros. This year should bring a lot more on board for the WiiU, and
I am hoping that LEGO City Stories gets a full reveal.
you might ask? The reason is that this looks to be one of the best LEGO
games of the lot. Full free roam in the style of GTA, with a setting of
a full city based on the popular LEGO series. That is all we know,
apart from the fact it is Nintendo exclusive and will appear on WiiU and
What do I want? Full customisation is a given, and looking at
the City sets, we will have that in plenty. And also, from the sets, we
will have plenty of things to keep us occupied. The point of the game is
something I'd like to be like GTA, but in different sections, almost
like those emergency minigames of GTA but in full. In other words, you
work on a police corps, you have to chase bad guys. But only being a
low-level worker, you don't have a lot of help. By completing missions,
you gain ranks and get more help and better vehicles for the job. You
also earn the LEGO currency, Studs, from these jobs too. And a lot of
them. The money, I have no idea what purpose it could be put towards,
other than looking to GTA and other LEGO games for inspiration. That
being houses and other customisation pieces.
Onto other 3DS games,
Animal Crossing needs a release date and full info around about now.
This is fact. And with Kid Icarus doing well, now seems like a good time
to revive other old franchises as well as unveiling that one wild card
that is the new IP. Luigi's Mansion 2 should also get some of the
limelight here, and also receive a release date. Onto the WiiU, and also
talking about reviving old franchises, it would be great to see HD
versions of old favourites like F-Zero. And while on the subject of old
franchises, give us a full version of Pilotwings, with a fully
explorable no limits [that's time limits] free flight mode. And also
give us a Mario Kart early, with boosted features and more cups.
at Microsoft and Sony, it is already a fact that they won't be showing
any consoles at E3, so it will be all about the games for them. But that
doesn't stop them from playing to their strengths. Microsoft has Forza,
Sony Gran Turismo. Forza Horizon will be revealed at E3, or so it might
seem, so how will Sony comeback from that? Not with LittleBigPlanet
Karting, that's for sure. So the only way they can do that is with
another Gran Turismo game. One that is better than the PSP and PS3
versions. But, if they were to reveal it, it would either mean unveiling
that they are working on the PS4, or release it on the PSV.
revealing it on the PSV might not be such a bad idea. One of the best
racing games of the old times [PS1/2] were the Gran Turismo games, even
if they were a pain to wait for. Since GT4 and GT5, four Forza games
have been unveiled and released and the fifth one is on its way. This
means Polyphony Digital need to rack up a better production schedule.
With the PSV already confirmed to be one of the easiest consoles to
develop for, this means that a new Gran Turismo game could be out by
Christmas this year if they starting working on it secretly after GT5's
eventual release.
Onto other games for the two, Kinect and Move
really need to get a move on in terms proper games, and not some silly
overstretched minigames made into full games.
And as unlikely as this
seems, I want a full HD remake of the Midtown Madness games from
Microsoft. These games are the perfect likelihood of all racing games of
free roam stature, and to remake them, or even revive the series with a
new game, would make me finally invest in an XBOX360. These games are
perfect fun, and with PC graphics cards becoming too powerful to run
older games [we're talking about 2000 and before here] it would be
better to bring this series back.
Not to go on
too much more, but with SEGA to unveil more on games such as Sonic
All-Star Racing Transformed, and other companies unveiling shooters and
action games, I think the 3DS could get some better games for it, and
the WiiU a better launch title list. For EA and Konami, FIFA and PES are
musts, as they are every year. Codemasters going racing games only,
need to impress up with new racing games in order for us to accept the
change was worthwhile.
Now, I am including this in here because it
isn't part of the big three, but LucasArts really should listen to their
fanbase on this one. We've all been crying out for Star Wars
Battlefront 3, and yet we get games like the half-asked Force Unleashed 2
and Star Wars Kinect. Now we've got the announcement of Star Wars 1313,
a game set in the underbelly of Coruscant with you playing as a bounty
hunter. As far as I and the rest of the world can tell, this isn't
listening to the fanbase. Everyone loves Star Wars Battlefront 1 and 2,
and the more daring of the lot like the PSP versions [even more daring
if you liked the DS one], a full number 3 on the series would be
everyone's favourite. But I expect you to wait for next-gen consoles to
really wow us.
And so that concludes this blog piece. But all I
have to say as a last is, Pokemon WiiU. Now that would be really great.
Oh, and tell Square-enix to get on with the new Dragon Quest game, and
at the same time give us an announcement of HD remake collection of
Kingdom Hearts, then announce number 3.
[4/6/12] Microsoft's Conference
One of the two conferences I'm definitely watching has passed. Yes, the
Microsoft conference. It seemed alright, but as predicted by others,
whether directly or indirectly, it was mostly concerned with Kinect.
only managed to join fifteen minutes late to the party, since I hadn't
refreshed Youtube, which was streaming the conference. Checking on CVG, I
saw I had missed Halo 4.
So apart from that, here's my view of the conference, in terms of the games.
Clancy's Splinter Cell BlackList was being shown when I finally got on,
and I must say, the game did look impressive. Not familiar with the
Splinter Cell series, the story of the trailer gripped me, which means
the game must be doing good.
Forza Horizon then got shown. I'm
familiar with racing games. I like them. Forza is one of the series I
have least played, only test playing it occasionally. The trailer for
Horizon though, made me want to buy an XBOX360. It is a great trailer
and shows that the game will be great as well. It's even got a release
Then got shown the sports games. FIFA, Madden, and NBA.
All with Kinect features. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing.
The features were shown off and were perfect in their actions. However,
the basic gameplay of all was still the same, though I expect more to be
shown off at the respective company conferences.
Tomb Raider. One
game that gets a lot of looks, and all for the wrong reasons. Now,
however, the gameplay and story are core. The gameplay is that of
Uncharted, but with better weapons and extra little bits added in. The
story, while I couldn't really understand it, seemed to be engrossing.
The game as a whole was action-packed and quick. Just as a game of this
type should be.
The supposedly new games followed. The first, Ascend:
New Gods, looked absolutely great, but a gore bath. But still, the
gameplay and story looked okay. The next was LocoCycle, and from the
short clip shown, all I could think was 'Tron LightCycle rip-off'.
Looked too similar to it. The next, Matter, was confusing, but through
that, looked like it could be interesting. Set in a sci-fi universe it
followed a probe of some kind hunting.
Konami then showed
Resident Evil 6 with quite a long video of gameplay. The story is
intriguing, and it feels exactly like a Resident Evil game should. The cutscenes that were shown looked absolutely amazing, as did the entire game. This is one to watch in the future for sure.
Then came South Park: The
Stick of Truth. As explained by the creators of South Park, they knew
what was meant to be what, but they didn't know where everything was, so
they had to map where everything is in the South Park universe. And
they explained the story a bit. You move into South Park, and are
wanting to be the fifth kid in the group of four. This story is sure to
get your attention.
Dance Central 3 was shown off by Usher
doing a live performance on stage. Using Kinect, it just looks like a
way of milking money, as per usual with games like that. I couldn't see
any new features involved. Maybe sometime soon though.
last game shown was expected. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. Considering
how many CoD games there are, it actually looked like it could beat
them. New mechanics, a whole new story that seems gripping enough
and centering around those new mechanics. The flying section shown in
the trailer of gameplay was absolutely fantastic, but I'm guessing it
will be hard to get used to.
Other things, just to list and
give brief, connectivity between all Microsoft products with the
SmartGlass feature. BING now recognises voices in 20 different
languages, Internet Explorer is coming to XBOX360 with support for the
SmartGlass feature, and a new music store on the 360 will compete,
possibly, with iTunes.
That's the Microsoft Conference, told by me. Next one will be Nintendo's tomorrow, or if I feel like it, EA's later on.
[4/6/12] EA Conference
Now then. I did manage to catch the whole of EA's conference for E3. Ten
games from ten developers. That was the whole of the conference. But
there was a hitch. Not all of the games were new. Some were just
expansions added onto the game.
Take Battlefield 3, for
example. It's already out. But that didn't stop DICE from showing off
the game again, but unveiling the Premium subscription, in which you
would get five new expansions and more customisation ware. Plus new
weapons and vehicles that non-subscribers won't get.
game that did this was Star Wars: The Old Republic. First it was
explained the impact the game had on launch, then the expansions it has
had since launch, then the new expansion was unveiled. This one was
equally impressive though, as whole new modes are added to it and
a new difficulty rating to get stuck into. A new class was also
unveiled, which means more storylines, and even better for us who don't subscribe to
the game. Starting in July, we can play the game free up to reaching
level 15. Online features will also be enhanced.
Onto the other first person shooters, Dead Space 3 looks to be great. Gameplay was shown which was amazing,
and features drop-in drop-out co-op play. It certainly got my attention
with the gameplay, and to someone who hasn't played the series, it
looks like it would be good to get stuck into.
Next on the list, Medal of Honour: Warfighter, is entirely based on real world missions.
The gameplay looks as good as a first person shooter can get, and the
new multiplayer mode of Global Warfighters is an extensive multiplayer
mode that looks hectic.
CRYTEK showed off the CRY Engine 3,
with its dynamic environment control which was shown with realistic
damage and realistic reactions to getting blown off your feet. At one
point in the gameplay, a helicopter fired a missile at the player, who
got blasted down the stairs on his back and struggled to get back up.
This is what first person shooters should be like. I found it so good
that I want the game, but I usually don't get first person shooters. The
game was then revealed to be Crysis 3.
Now onto the racing
game of Criterion. I was hoping for a Burnout Paradise on the PSV, but
instead Need For Speed: Most Wanted was revealed, but this isn't such a
bad thing. It is open world, which is something I like, and there are
also police scattered around the environment ready to catch you off
guard. The multiplayer uses the autolog feature, that shows your collectible stats to your friends, and even the world. You collect
points during the game, and the more points you have, the more your Most
Wanted level goes up, showing you who is the best racer. Realistic
damage physics also help this game along.
Onto other sports
games, it was confirmed, but no more, that EA and UFC - Ultimate
Fighting Championship, have a partnership that will create a new series
for EA Sports. Nothing other than the partnership was mentioned, though.
FIFA 13, however, had a lot more confirmed for it, even if no release date. The Player Impact engine is improved greatly,
and dribbling and attacking are now at the greatest peak they can be.
Online however, brings even more results. FIFA 12 owners can bring their
players forward and keep their stats, as well as getting bonuses for
doing so. The game is also available on iPhone and iPad so you can play
anywhere. A new iPhone app keeps track of your Ultimate Team stats. This
is part of EA's grand plan to bring all networks and platforms
together. While this is a grand idea, it does present risks, but it is a
great idea nonetheless which other companies could pay heed to.
Other sports games that use this are Madden NFL 13 and the new NBA game.
On the surface, it looks like another game in an endless series. It is
not, however. New dynamics mean the impact engine is the greatest ever
and you always will be in control, even when in a fall, and not have
pre-determined moves take over. Also, the career mode is connected in
all play modes, so whether online or singleplayer, you are playing one
career. And now you don't even have to make a new career if you want to
change position. And online features don't just end there, as you can
make or join a career group of 32 players. And an RPG-like stat system
means you can level up your players to make them stronger on the field.
Games have launched SimCity Social on Facebook, which is like the DS
version and PC versions of old. And another SimCity game is coming to
PC, this one more expansive. It has a massive multiplayer mode which is
just the same as singleplayer. And also, the game is in full 3D and
allows for better customisation options of your city. But what happens
in your city will effect other cities as well. This seems a good way to
take the series forward.
But anyway, I've been talking for
too long now. All I can say is, while I won't be staying up to watch
Ubisoft's and Sony's conferences live [and I feel I'll be missing out
quite a lot] I'll be catching up with them tomorrow. And of course, I
will be watching and giving my views on Nintendo's conference tomorrow.
[6/6/12] Nintendo's Conference
Yes, the conference was yesterday, and yes I did watch it. The reason of
only posting today however, was to analyze what I saw in more detail.
Take Pikmin 3 for example, the first game to be shown. We haven't seen
one of these since the Gamecube era which is nearing eight years ago
now. Strategy gameplay, they involve searching out weird objects [in the
second one] or parts of a spacecraft [first one] with the Pikmin you
have at your command. As well as finding these items, you also have to
find pellets in which the Pikmin take back to their onion spacecraft to
spawn new Pikmin. That is another aim, to amass an army of Pikmin to
help you.
This third game improves everything about the game, including an always on map on the GamePad,
which is the WiiU's main controller with the screen. We also have four
men which we can command, and we can also throw them the same way as the
Pikmin. The GamePad also allows for better control of the Pikmin, and
with the fully zoomable and controllable map, will make the strategy
side of things even better. The story hasn't been revealed, but it has
been said that Olimar, the main protagonist from the original two games,
is not one of our commanders, which leads to some kind of search and
rescue mission.
Then the WiiU's main hub was revealed. MiiVerse is
like the gaming equivalent of Facebook. It shows you who's playing what
and what they have been saying about the game. It also allows for
messages of all kinds to be sent and looks like an interesting concept. I
won't say much more on it, other than the fact it allows you send
screenshots and messages with your Mii's expression attached. These
messages can be typed or hand drawn.
The game that was revealed
to show MiiVerse in action with a game was New Super Mario Bros. U.
After showing gameplay, which looked like the Wii version but with a lot
of new items and Yoshi's available to ride, we was shown a main level
map screen, with comments from people on it, commenting about certain
levels or bragging at their success on a level. The concept of MiiVerse looks to be drawing communication in games together in one.
we move onto Batman Arkham City, which has the WiiU subtitle of
Armoured Edition. All I can say of this is that the features exclusive
to the WiiU are good, and that the game itself looks to have a deep
A sort of surprise followed, in the form of Scribblenauts Unlimited on both WiiU and 3DS.
Creation side is improved as you can now create your own items and
unleash them in the gameplay. It also has multiplayer for the first time,
and the story of Maxwell's book [which brings the items to life] is
said to be unveiled in the game, meaning we could have a proper
storyline in the game.
A montage then followed, showing other
games expected on the WiiU. These games, to mention a few were Ninja
Gaiden 3, Tekken, Mass Effect 3, and Aliens: Colonial Marines.
Fit was then announced, and was said to have new activities, which were
shown in the rather corny trailer. These games were a trampoline game,
some sort of bobsled controlling game, and a fire control game. It was
then the WiiU Fit pedometer was shown, which tracks steps and uploads it
to your game save. Then we found out that we could use just the GamePad
to play the game, if someone else wanted to watch the TV. A good
feature set, but the trailer could have been better.
But then was shown an even cornier trailer. This game SiNG [Working Title]
has one person with the GamePad singing lyrics to a song that appear on
its screen, along with instructions that they have to shout out and get
others to follow. This is horrendous, in my opinion and will probably
only get used occasionally at parties with a lot of people, which
doesn't even warrant a proper game.
After this bad atrocity, we
at least got some good and bad news. The good being some info on the
3DS games. The bad, all the rest wouldn't be unveiled or shown until
tonight at around 02:00, hence why I am posting this today, so parts 1
and 2 can follow one day after each other. Those 3DS games shown were
New Super Mario Bros. 2, which is all about coin collecting by the look
of things. Paper Mario 3DS with the new subtitle of Sticker Star. This
looks good, with stickers taking central precedence, as these help you
get on with the story and are also your attacking moves - so make sure
to collect as many as you can. The third was Luigi's Mansion 2, with the
new subtitle of Dark Moon. As before, we get multiple mansions to
explore, but a new snippet of info revealed says that each will have
their own mission-based challenges and new types of ghosts require
different ways to capture them. A montage of games that will be shown
followed these three announcements. I won't say which ones. That will be
tomorrow, when more info is revealed for them.
Then the massive announcement. LEGO City Stories! WiiU and 3DS! Although, it is now known as LEGO City Undercover,
and with good reason. We will be playing as a cop, Chase McCain, who is
after a criminal mastermind called Rex Fury. On the way we'll collect
new disguises to help us. We'll have access to over one hundred vehicles
including helicopters. Our WiiU GamePad [or 3DS bottom screen,
possibly, for the 3DS version] will be our constant real time map and
communicator. And best of all, free-roaming. Also included, as shown off
in the trailer, will be numerous Nintendo references. In the trailer,
it showed McCain building a Mario Pipe, then going down it. This made
the audience laugh, and I was amused as well. It does look like this
could be the best LEGO game yet, with full voice acting and ambient
sounds in cutscenes and all the comedy we expect from a LEGO game. More
on the 3DS version will hopefully be shown off tonight.
games are plenty, and it seems that they are the only company fully
supporting WiiU. First off was Just Dance 4, which I seriously don't
consider a game. Although that's just me and my free-roam spirit. This
looks okay with a special WiiU mode that has the main person [GamePad]
controlling what the dancers [WiiMotes] do. This again looks like
something reserved for parties. Then was ZombiU. This looked
interesting, with a survival horror type gameplay. The GamePad is used
well for a number of things, like a sniper-scope, a hidden item tracker,
or a door pass. It can also be used as a viewpoint.
Then more games
from Ubisoft were revealed in a montage trailer, including Rabbids Land
and Rayman Legends, the Avengers game, and Assassins Creed 3.
on the Agenda is Nintendo Land, a theme park based game that does for
the WiiU what Wii Sports did for the Wii. Showing the tech off.
With twelve different attractions in a main hub world, possibly with sub
games within them or harder difficulty ratings, from what was shown
gameplay-wise, it does seem to be doing its job. There are multiplayer
games and sigleplayer games, all making use of every useable controller
of the WiiU. More on this, it was stated, would be revealed at the
Developer's Conference.
And so, that is that for part 1. While a
full video stream might not be available for the second part of
Nintendo's Conference, I will be tracking down all that was unveiled to
give my views upon them.
EDIT - Not much was revealed, only that which we knew, and very little new information regarding those games.
The list:
-Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion
-Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon
-Paper Mario: Sticker Star
-Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance - Confirmed demo on the eShop, as well as LEGO Batman 2 and The Amazing Spiderman demos.
-New Super Mario Bros 2 - Features co-op.
And that is in ONE hour! Disappointing.
[7/6/12] End E3 2012
And so that is it for this E3. And I must say, most of it was alright,
but still, there were some things that just didn't feel good enough to
be in E3. Take the number of First Person Shooters for example. There
was more of those featured than any other game genre. And while they
might all have different stories, the gameplay mechanic is still the
People could say that about racing games, but at least
racing games actually differ from one another. Yes FPS' might be
challenging, but so are racing games, depending on what type you have.
So it was a disappointment that only one was shown. However, it was a
good one. Made by Criterion Games, Need For Speed Most Wanted is an open
world racer in the style of Burnout Paradise. This game is definitely
on my buy list.
Oh, wait. There was another racing game
as well. Forza Horizon was only shown with a trailer, but it was a
stunning trailer. I'll watch this one for sure.
massive games that held attention were Pikmin 3 and LEGO City
Undercover. Behind the scenes, LucasArts got involved and showed off the
beginning of its new game - Star Wars 1313. This looks absolutely
stunning, and I can't wait to get my hands playing it. But that might
not be for another year yet. Games closer to hand, however, LEGO City
Undercover is another game I will buy. On the 3DS of course.
while the WiiU might look good, caution is needed for this console. Two
E3 events and, while the hype for the console has been going up, there
is still doubt as to its success, and confusion about what it is for.
And many Nintendo fans are waiting for the bigger hitters, as while New
Super Mario Bros. U might be good, the rest of the line-up, bar Pikmin 3
and LEGO City Undercover, isn't enough to be bragging about a WiiU
purchase. I, for one, found the lack of racing games on the new console
unforgiving. The Wii had a lot of racing games on its launch window.
Five, in fact. The WiiU not having any is about the worst thing
And any speculation of all those WiiU games
coming, WiiU Sports, Legend of Zelda, Mario Kart, were all thrown down a
drain. Not even hinted at being in production, those fans of those
games were in misery.
And not even Animal Crossing on
3DS was even mentioned! And with a speculated Q3 2012 release, no matter
even if that is for Japan, we need more info before that time, so
Nintendo had better surprise us.
Microsoft did have some
good games in its conference though, and that was a relief. And Sony
with its Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale. Ah yes. That was a good
trailer, and we even got a surprise in two new character unveils. Shame
that there wasn't no Gran Turismo. But they showed off Wonderbook, which
uses the Playstation Eye to create augmented reality images in a book
and uses the Move controller. The game that showed this off was Book of
Spells, another Sony-created Harry Potter experience. Looked good, but
still, doesn't look mightily interesting. There was also The Last of Us,
which, you guessed it, came last in Sony's conference. Made by Naughty
Dog, same people behind Uncharted, it looks just as spectacular.
to round up, Sony was the best, followed by Microsoft and Nintendo
joint second. This is because, while both showed some great games, it
was mired in things that weren't as interesting.
[21/5/13] The Xbox Reveal Conference
Now then. I've just been sat for an hour watching the conference.
up first was Don Mattrick to introduce us to the concept and the day.
But before this was a trailer of people from Microsoft basically saying
"We're changing gaming again." I beg to differ.
So Don Mattrick steps
up to the stage, talks a bit about how the original XBOX came to be,
introduction of LIVE, then the release of the XBOX 360 [X360] and an
improvement of the LIVE services. At this precise point everyone knows
what is now coming. He didn't half big it up though.
Come on! It's
the name of a console! You don't have to repeat what we've already just
heard. And so, after a bit more of a big up, the name of the console is
revealed. XBOX 8? XBOX Infinity? No! Of course not! It's the XBOX ONE.
Someone check to see if the guy from Nintendo who thought up the name of
the Wii U still works there. Although to be fair, both names serve
their purpose. The Wii U was basically an improvement of the theory Wii
is the family and U is you. And to make a console based around that.
XBOX ONE [XB1] is basically the concept that your console can do
And indeed it can. In fact, they advertised more on the other features of the XB1 than the games the console is meant to have.
off the line was Yusuf Meidi and the integration of the console, the
controller and Kinect. Just picture this. You say XBOX on, and it does.
It recognises you and auto logs you in. It remembers what you were last
doing and puts you on the tab that you were on last. Using gestures you
can swap between tabs on the home menu, open up something with your
voice, and even use the snap feature of Windows 8. You can even minimise
what you were doing with a gesture and maximise it again with the
opposite of that gesture. Good concept, but does it work in a house? Why
do they never show stuff like that? I've played Kinect Sports before.
Someone walks in, whole game messed up. I've tried to use voice control.
Half the time it won't respond, and most of the time it'll pick up
something I didn't say [in other words, the mention of XBOX in
conversation]. This new Kinect though, is a refinement and improvement
of the first. Full 1080p cameras and a better microphone installed, as
demonstrated with a Skype call. This is just getting even more like
Windows 8 now. And of course, a partnership with ESPN. What good is that
for anyone but America? Basically all it does is unlocks a load of
features and abilities direct from the ESPN website. The same thing was
shown later on with a partnership from NFL [again - who else but
American's really care?]. And the TV can be swapped to without having to
change inputs. Great. Full integration of the TV with XBOX LIVE and
Kinect. Just what everyone without a remote needs. Except everyone has
Next up was Marc Whitten and the specs of this new
machine. Basically, it's nearly identical to the PS4. Blu-Ray, 8GB RAM,
and more specs I don't really care for. The XB1 has three operating
systems. A new, improved XBOX one. The Kernel from Windows. And some OS
which integrates both together and allows for the almost instant
swapping and switching. Kinect is more accurate with even bigger
recognition features in a range of things, including depth, joints,
muscle and... anyone still interested? Basically a lot more motion
control that contributes to this being the definitive version of the
Kinect. The controller is also more accurate, and Smartglass is natively
a part of XB1. In other words "We are leading the world in innovation
and having a slice of Nintendo's cake but charging more for it."
Smartglass was originally intended for this purpose, just like Sony is
experimenting with PS4-PSV cross features and remote play. It doesn't
matter if it's native or not. It's still not going to work as well as a
WiiU, which was purpose built for it. I can understand why they are
doing it, but while the concept is good, I can't help but feel that both
Microsoft's and Sony's versions will cost more than a WiiU [in other
words Smartglass compatible device and an XB1 or a PS4 and PSV].
I'm getting off as anti-Microsoft very pro-Nintendo here, don't worry.
I'm trying to be as unbiased as possible. Basically the online
functionality of XBOX LIVE is bigger than ever with 300,000 servers to
be powering it for the XB1, and a lot more can be done with the online.
Next up was EA and Andrew Wilson, who announced straight away the
partnership between EA and Microsoft. I guess we now know why they
snubbed Nintendo with the advanced online features and extra power and
the Kinect to work with. And EA, it seems, have gone all out with that. A
new engine for the XB1 that allows for the extra features and
recognition of the Kinect to be used in their sports games. The name of
the engine? EA Sports Ignite. Apt. It basically promises more in terms
of depth and detail, as well as animation and physics. More details was
promised for 'soon' including more details on the XB1 only version of
FIFA 14's Ultimate Team expansion. A trailer was then shown [can we
really say pre-rendered] of footage from all four of EA's main sports
games. Can't really say much other than it looked good in action.
Spencer of Microsoft Studios then showed footage of Forza Motorsport 5,
confirmed it as a launch title, and that more info would be revealed at
E3. For a fan of Forza, I can't wait to see more, but everything else
about this console seriously turns me off buying. Spencer then stated
that Remedy had a new Quantum game coming out and showed a traile- um.
Live action of some weird human interaction of a girl who I think was
meant to be the XB1 and a woman aski- actually, I'll just cut to the
chase. It basically showed a load of bullet-time scenes of a boat
crashing into a bridge before revealing the name of Quantum Break.
Actually, I might be being a tad unfair there, since Remedy are number
one at making actual game footage look like pre-rendered
footage. Spencer then said that Microsoft Studios were working close
with game devs to bring a load of exclusive games to the XB1, and
confirmed 15 games for the year starting on the release of the XB1, 8 of
which would be new IPs.
Did we really need more talk of the TV
features? Apparently we did, as Nancy Tellem then steps up to reiterate
what we had seen in the first half of the conference [yes, this is about
forty-five minutes into it now], and then Halo is mentioned, Bonnie
Ross is brought on stage, who then tells us of a Halo live action TV
series being made by Steven Spielburg. Great. Instead of a game, we get a
TV Series. I expect the game will be shown off at E3, and will somehow
tie in to this TV Series. This is then when we got the talk of an
exclusive partnership with NFL.
And then, it was all about Call
of Duty. We get Don Mattrick back on to say a few words of doom and
gloom [considering Call of Duty DLC is always XBOX exclusive, I doubt it
is doom and gloom] and the fact that the new XB1 is launching worldwide
later this year [was that really necessary apart from reassurance?].
Then we was handed over to Activision and Eric Hirshberg to talk in more
detail about it. New engine, new gameplay mechanics, brand new
characters, and a load of extra detail. A dog is your new squad member,
as well as others. Multiplayer is more dynamic with player controlled
and natural disasters. And then, as if to prove this is the best ever
made [really? Does it need to be reiterated even more?] a comparison was
made with Modern Warfare 3 and the new game of Ghosts. And then we get
to the actual footage of the game. And then after that, a screen saying
that more info will be available at E3.
And I hope it is a lot
more. This seriously has not impressed me. I can understand the concept
of it all, but Microsoft were advertising most features as either
'revolutionary' or brand new. Too much emphasis on bigging up Kinect,
but at least we got to see the console. Sorry, did I say at least? It
looks like someone remade a chess board and cut a slab out of it. So,
unless you really are a big fan of Microsoft, come E3, I can see a lot
of the fanbase moving to either Nintendo, Sony, or just keeping their
X360. Unless, of course, Microsoft really impress us at E3.
Oh well. I suppose they can only improve. Not. As if it couldn't be any worse, this was
released by Microsoft almost after the conference. Basically, it says
mandatory installation for games and if a second user wants to install
it, they have to pay.
Add that to LIVE still being behind a paywall
[it wasn't mentioned service charges were being removed] and this is
probably the losing three of all consoles.
Sorry Microsoft. I trusted
you in buying an X360, and am happy with it, but this is just taking it
too far. As one comment on the ONM forum says "Can't wait to pay
£300/£400 for a new TV box."
As that's what this amounts to.
[31/5/13] E3 2013 Start
So E3 is almost upon us again. And this year, it is looking to be bigger
than ever. Both Microsoft and Sony have revealed next generation
consoles, and Nintendo have a lot to show for their next gen console.
The WiiU, while getting some game releases, hasn't exactly been winning
any wars due to lack of competition and lack of must-have exclusives.
That is soon to come though, and this E3 shall prove it. But not in the
way you're familiar with. Nintendo won't be holding a big pre-E3
conference, but will be active on the first day of E3 with a Media
Showcase with hands-on testing, as well as a Nintendo Direct for all us
fans. There's also the Pokémon conference, or whatever it turns out to
EDIT: There is a Konami conference today, and I'll be checking it
out. Not expecting much, but I'll still give a little review of it.
kicks off the pre-E3 stuff though, with it's conference at 17:30
[BST] on the 10th, and we all will be expecting the XBOX ONE to be
there, trying to claim it is a gaming machine. Microsoft have said that
E3 will be all about the games, and I'll give them the benefit of the
doubt. There is also this 'big' XBOX 360 reveal, and I'm expecting
another console which could probably run through the ONE. Then we have
these exclusive IP's, whatever they might turn out to be. I'm not
expecting much, but I hope that some of them are for the 360 as well.
Microsoft's conference had also put to rest these false claims and
confusion surrounding it's console, as well as back-pedal on features
that have received a lot of criticism. I'm also expecting GTAV to be
shown off here as well. Other games that definitely will be shown off
are more of Forza 5 and Call of Duty: Ghosts.
Ubisoft then takes the
helm at 21:00, and it's pretty obvious what will be shown. Having taken
South Park: The Stick of Truth after THQ went into administration, this
will probably be a big feature of the conference, but even bigger would
be Assassins Creed: Black Flag, Watch Dogs and Rayman Legends. Filling
up stock would be Just Dance 5, The Smurfs 2: The Game [if they even
bother showing it off], Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Patriots, Tom Clancy's
Splinter Cell: Blacklist, and Spartacus: Legends. This possibly won't
be all that they show, but it will be a big chunk of it. Next generation
only games can now be shown off since all next gen consoles have now
been revealed.
The same goes for EA, who then hold their conference
at 23:00. The biggest things to expect here would be Battlefield 4 and
Need For Speed Rivals. The majority of sports games will come into it as
well, but may be highlighted before in Microsoft's conference due to
the XBOX ONE only features. Star Wars as a franchise will be mentioned,
as EA have already confirmed they will announce plans for the franchise,
and hinted at Battlefront III. It would greatly please me if EA
announced they had taken up the slack of finishing the Star Wars
LucasArts games that were in production, as that would mean we would be
able to get something playable quickly, though possibly not before
Christmas this year. If we look to last year's conference, we can expect
more DLC and expansion packs of The Sims series to be in with all of
this as well.
Sony have their conference at 02:00 [BST] of the 11th,
at the same time as the Pokémon information. Sony's conference will be
bigger though [unless you are a massive Pokémon fan], and we can expect
more features of the console to be talked about, as well as what the
console will look like. Remember all those games shown at the reveal
event? Expect more information on all of those, as well as Gran Turismo
6, and even more games for the PS4. Don't be forgetting the PSV though,
and more games are needed for that.
EDIT: Thanks to the confusion on
that earlier, it is now known that the Pokémon conference is not the
same time as the Sony conference, but is Wednesday 12th June.
Pokémon event then. Well, we know nothing except that it is obviously
going to contain information on X and Y. I'd also guess at a new Rangers
game to be shown, or a full 3D Battle Simulator similar to the Gamecube
Colosseum/Gale of Darkness duo, on the WiiU.
Nintendo Direct will be
shown at 15:00 [BST] and Mario Kart, a new 3D Mario, and the ultimate
game we've been waiting for - Super Smash Bros. WiiU and 3DS. Remember
all those previous Direct's? Most of what was in them will more than
likely be here. Zelda: A Link to the Past 2, and Wind Waker HD, and the
two Yoshi games. Basically, a lot. And also expect one or two new
announcements. Come on, this is Nintendo Direct. There's always new
announcements. SEGA partnership with Nintendo. When was the last F-Zero
game and who developed it? Right... That's what many people are saying,
and if not that, other SEGA IP's like Yakuza and Shenmue getting sequels
or remakes for Nintendo's consoles as well. Then of course is the fact
that three exclusive Sonic games are coming to Nintendo consoles, and
all three are coming this year. Only two have been announced. That
leaves one more. And where better to announce it than E3 and in another
Direct. With all these Sonic the Hedgehog games, wouldn't it also make
sense for a special edition bundle of Sonic? Both for WiiU and 3DS? This
wouldn't be the first time a Nintendo Direct has been used to showcase
special edition consoles. Then of course, after Nintendo have shown off
all of this, there's the Media Showcase at 17:30 where the gaming press
get to test out the games for delivering their verdict. Out of those
three mentioned, only the Direct is going to be definitely streamed
live. That's not to say that all the other information will stay locked
up in the vaults of E3 though. The gaming press will have the info
readily available as soon as.
Remember last year when I went wild on
predictions? Well then. I'm still expecting the Midtown Madness HD
remakes, and I also want a UK version of Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket
Slime 2. Japan have had it exclusively for a year and a half now, and it
should really be announced for conversion to the west, as America got
the last one as well [and since the 3DS is region locked, the UK had
better get it as well this time]. And also, would now be a good time to
mention Advance Wars? Now that Fire Emblem: Awakening is out and Game
and Wario is set for release, now would be a good time for Advance Wars,
Intelligent Systems' other strategy game. There are plenty of racing
games coming soon, and Animal Crossing has me covered for simulation
games [for the next five years plus]. There is a new Sonic game coming
soon [possibly two] and that just leaves Star Wars and what EA are going
to mention. Battlefront is very likely. But what about a real-time
strategy set in the Star Wars timeline? Or maybe just based on it. If
we've had Star Wars racers, then this can also be a possibility.
Anyway, that's what to expect, and my predictions, for E3 of this year. See you in ten days for the start of the conferences.
[6/6/13] Konami Pre-E3 2013
So the only thing here was for the fans really. Starting with a small
trailer using nothing but red lines, they showed off the three games
they'd be showing off, then moved to a brief history lesson and some of
their projects in schools. Talk then moved to social games, even if not
much was even said about them. Still, the logo's of Domo Jump! and NLB
Live Challenge were shown with a bit of what each game was.
After the social stuff, it then finally moved to the first of the games.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2014
new engine, Fluidity, was named because, well... the fluid motions it
brings to the game. And it was also based on the Fox engine. The
TrueBall Tech means control is tighter and more better in handling, and
the Motion Animation Stability System makes the animations look more
like that of a real football match. Many more features are being
planned, and it was said that the new engine will impress users. A small
trailer was then shown showing off some of what was talked abut.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
they're changing the character of Snake subtly, and with that came a
new voice actor who could fit the darker theme of the game. Kiefer
Sutherland plays the 49 year old Snake, who is exploring 1984. With a
lot of new advances with technology, the team behind it are fully
utilising all they can for facial emotion, meaning less talking and
more... emotional action. Photorealistic characters and locations are in
this game, and that was number one priority, so the game looks closer
to a movie in its cinematics and gameplay.
Catslevania: Lords of Shadow 2
focus of this game is on Dracula's story, and takes straight off from
where the epilogue of the first game left us. The story is more dark and
the game is more free and tighter controlling. And Dracula has three
more abilities. There is better combat, and with all the changes, the
game's engine had to be adapted to fit with it. The game is more open
world with a free camera and feels more open world, meaning no load
times. It is set in a modern day setting, and a demo will be at the
Konami booth during the main of E3. A trailer was then shown showing, I
think I'm right in saying, most of the entire story, or at least the
main plot points. At the end of it, it confirmed the game's release for
PS3, XBOX 360 and PC this Winter.
"And now. We have a surprise for you."
Wait. More Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. Live action comedy sketch
that in my opinion was corny and unfunny, featuring a portly man dressed
as Dracula. No idea why it was there, but I think it was meant to
represent the reality of this game happening or something...
Anyway, that was all that happened at Konami's pre-E3. Now to wait until the 10th for the majority of the rest.
[10/6/13] Microsoft Pre-E3 2013
And so, no matter what you might think of the XBOX ONE. No matter what
DRM issues we have with it. No matter what policies are corrupt with it,
after that conference the one thing we know it will do is sell.
first thing the conference kicked off with was Metal Gear Solid V: The
Phantom Pain, the Konami game that was shown on the sixth. This was a
larger trailer than the one saw on the sixth though, and was the perfect
way to start the conference. Confirming it for XBOX ONE.
Next up was
the things for the XBOX 360. Microsoft aren't giving up support for it,
and now it seems, it wants to copy PS+. Why? Two free games per month
is why. But that's all that was confirmed for it, as well as the new
model of 360 [featuring the exact same pricing model and is supposed to
be slimmer than the elite]. Those two games are Assassins Creed 2 and
Halo 3, coming July to GOLD members. Hundreds of games are said to still
be coming to the 360, and three of those games were shown with either
teasers or full trailers. World of Tanks, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood,
and Dark Souls II. All look interesting to those who like tank warfare,
platformers, and sword fighting action games.
Then it moved fully to
XBOX ONE games. Ryse, a roman war styled game, had a full level of
gameplay footage shown. Killer Instinct, a 2D beat-em up, featuring a
range of monsters and humans. Sunset Overdrive, an open world shooter
featuring a whole lot of gameplay styles.
Then a small history lesson
was shown about McLaren, before the logo of Forza Motorsport 5 was
shown. And then, details of the new AI system. The AI are not fully set;
they learn from the world's driving skills on the game, with a new
system called Drivertar. Then an actual trailer was shown full of
stunning scenery and cars. It was also said that the developers have
gone into the upmost details within the cars, making them look
absolutely realistic.
Moving on, it was stated that Microsoft are
continuing to bring indie games to the XBOX platform, and to the ONE. It
was then announced that Minecraft would be coming to the XBOX ONE,
featuring bigger maps and bigger multiplayer options. Sam Lake of Remedy
then came on stage to talk Quantum Break and show a trailer. Needless
to say, the game looked ace, even through that teaser. Another teaser
was shown for D4, a murder mystery game.
Project Spark was then
announcement. A game where you can make a game. Using voice control and
Smartglass, you can create a world, and then play in it. It's an
interesting concept for a game, and sure appeals to the likes of me. A
lot of stuff can be done with the game, as was shown by the many
different things people that done with it.
Away from the games for a
bit, more talk of XBOX LIVE and Smartglass features. Using Ryse as a
game, Smartglass was setting up a multiplayer game for Killer Instinct. A
game was then played on Killer Instinct, and a message then popped up
saying that footage had been uploaded. This is where we then got to see
the Upload Studio, Microsoft's in-game video recording software. Another
game was played, but this time, it was recorded live with Twitch Live
recording. As for LIVE itself, no restrictions on friend limits with the
XBOX ONE, and Microsoft Points are being exchanged for using real
currency. Also, only one GOLD member needs to be on the console for all
to have access to its features.
Back to the games, and Crimson Dragon
was shown - without its sound. Then Dead Rising 3, thankfully with
sound, and a lot of it was shown in gameplay. Anything and everything is
a weapon. The world is free roam with no loading in game. A lot of
weapons can be fused together to make even more powerful ones.
Distractions can be used to rid large zombie hordes, and using
Smartglass you can even call for additional backup. You can also drive
vehicles, but zombies will still be able to get at you.
Next up was
the completely free roaming The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. It is multi-region
no loading free roam game featuring a dynamic/tactical battle system.
it was the turn of EA with Battlefield 4. Dynamic trailer featuring
land/sea/air battles with in-game footage, and the Second Assault map
pack will be first on XBOX ONE.
Quickly shown was a trailer for
Below, and then announced was five new studios, one of which is called
Black Tusk. A teaser was shown of an unannounced game. It was then said,
"And here's another" leading people to believe another studio; another
game. Instead, it was a new Halo from 343 Industries, who then came on
stage to talk about the series.
November release date with a price of
$499/£429 in 21 markets. Then another exclusive game in the form of
Titanfall. Respawn then comes on stage with a new gameplay footage
Once that was over and done with, the conference ended. Now
then, I can't say it was good, but then again - it wasn't exactly bad.
They focused entirely on games, and improvements. However, no
backpedaling on any of the previous things. Also, was there really any
need to say before each trailer "running in-game"?
I suppose we can
call compromise if they do that sometime soon. But as I said at the
beginning, this thing will sell, simply because of the games. Microsoft
knew what they were doing, and the XBOX ONE will stay in the trending
lists for a lot longer. However, at 2:00 am in the morning, this could
be changed.
[11/6/13] Nintendo Pre-E3 2013
And so we've had our Nintendo Direct goodness for the day. And, as usual, a lot was shown. And boy was it amazing.
a new Pokemon X and Y trailer. Oh it is looking so good, and by the
time of release, it will just be too good to even play. But play it we
must. Two new features, one of which is a new type. Fairy. It is super
effective to dragon. Returning Pokémon Jigglypuff, Gardevoir, and Marill
will take on this new type. Hold on, Marill? Oh well. Anyway, the new
Eeveelution Sylveon also takes this type. The next feature, called
Pokémon Amie [A-Me] sees you feeding and petting Pokémon to bond more
with them. Seems interesting. Oh, and did I mention that the game will
be coming October this year. On the twelfth?
Super Mario 3D World
takes the 3DS' game and makes it better. Four players, stunning scenery,
even more additions to the gameplay, and Cat Mario... A new powerup
that gives the player the abilities of a cat, including scratching
enemies to defeat them and climbing up walls [and the end flagpole].
Playable characters are Mario, Luigi, Peach, and a Toad. The game will
be available in December this year.
Next up, Mario Kart 8. And boy
does it look even better than before. Bikes are back, it looks
like twelve racers are back, new karts and returning gliding and
underwater sections. New is hover mode and anti-grav racing, which leads
to twisting tracks and even driving upside down. As for tracks, it
looks like we have a new Luigi's Mansion track, a new Peach's Castle
track, a new chocolate/candy themed track, some type of city
themed track [City Escape from Sonic Generations-like], a ruins type
track, a desert type track, and it seems returning 3DS favourites
Piranha Plant Pipeway, Meledy Motorway, and the Wii's Dry Dry Ruins. I
cannot wait for it, but we'll have to wait until Spring 2014 to get our
hands on it.
Party games! Wii Party U. 80 new minigames, control
schemes using both Gamepad and Wii Remotes, and brand new board game
styles [of play]. Bad news. It's not coming in the Summer as previously
stated in the January Direct. Same goes for Wii Fit U. Wii Party U will
instead be coming October, and Wii Fit U will be coming December.
has become a centre for quality drawings. So, new Art Academy. And as a
bonus, the Miiverse gets new tools for it. Like coloured pens.
party developers. Small trailers. Assassins Creed 4: Black Flag.
Batman: Arkham Origins [Blackgate - 3DS]. Deus Ex: Human Revolution -
Director's Cut. Disney Infinity. Just Dance 2014. Rayman Legends.
Scribblenauts Unlimited - A DC Comics Adventure [WiiU/3DS]. Disney's
Planes. Shin Megami Tensei IV [3DS]. Skylanders SWAP Force [WiiU/3DS].
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist. Sonic Lost World [WiiU/3DS].
Watch Dogs. All in 2013.
2013 eShop releases [with small trailers].
Ballpoint Universe. Cloudberry Kingdom. Coaster Crazy Deluxe. Duck
Tales: Remastered. Dungeons and Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara. Mutant
Mudds Deluxe. Oddworld: New 'N' Tasty. Scram Kitty and his Buddy on
Rails. Shovel Knight. Spin the Bottle: Bumpie's Party. A World of
And then. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD. Visuals
rendered at 1080p, and it looks amazing. The shaders of the WiiU are
fully utilised to make this version look the best it can be. Tingle
Tuner replaced with the Tingle Bottle so you can post on Miiverse with
text or screenshots, so that bottles might wind up in someone else's
game. The game looks so good, this might just be my first proper Zelda
game I will buy.
The Wonderful 101, the Pikmin-esque game featuring
super heroes battling in a city against an invasion force of giant
robots. New moves can be purchased from the in-game shop with credits
earned from missions, and to activate them and go into 'Unite Mode' by
drawing the symbol on the Gamepad. Five players can also play together,
with Wii Remotes and one with the Gamepad, with each player controlling
their own heroes, and have their own powers. Releases September 15. It
was also said a Direct will be coming soon focused entirely on this game
near to launch. Good to hear.
The new Donkey Kong Country game
looks even more hectic than the previous one, and much more stunning. A
lot more camera angles able to be used, and the visuals are fully
enhanced. The plot is Donkey Kong island has been over-run by Vikings
from the north sea, and DK needs to travel to five islands to stop them.
Co-op is in again, with Dixie Kong available for the second player, as
well as Diddy, who's returning. Dixie has flight abilities which help in
the game. It looks just as hard as previous games in the series. Oh, it
looks a good game for those who like platformers, but since I'm not
really one of them [okay, okay. Mario and Sonic are the only two though]
I'd recommend it to anyone who is. This is - Donkey Kong Country
Tropical Freeze, available November.
Bayonetta 2 now has a new
trailer, showing two characters duking it out, before gameplay footage
of the game. It showcases the range of moves available, and looks
over-the-top in a good way. A vague release of 2014 was given, but more
info will soon be coming our way when E3 starts proper, which I suppose
is now.
Monolith Soft's game, and it looks like we Nintendo fans have
our own version of Titanfall in X. Open world action gameplay, and
mechs that can fly. The graphics are stunning. The action is incredible.
And if this looks good, I'm getting it. I'm all up for open world
And then. The ultimate. Animal Crossing! No. It's Super Smash
Bros 4. We got the 3DS gameplay first, which looks cel-shaded. And then,
we got to the WiiU version. Looking just as good as ever, Pit is
retuning again, as is the usual cast. But, two new characters were
revealed. They wouldn't show Animal Crossing without reason, and that
reason came with a net landing on Mario's head and the words 'Villager
comes to town'. Showing a male villager from Wild World. His attacks
range from the various things in the Animal Crossing universe. And then,
the logo's for both games, then the date. That would seem to be that.
Oh, no it wasn't. We was then treated to the classic New Challenger
Approaching sign. And, up on a mountain, a figure with hair. Which then
turns to a helmet, and then, the silhouette is revealed. Megaman comes
to Super Smash Bros. A new trailer commences with Megaman battling. The
website is open now. Many fans have waited for this game, and no way did
many of us expect such a deep look at this game. I am so going to get
it, as this looks to be great.
Iwata then takes us behind the scenes
at Nintendo's E3 booth with a sneak peak. Mario Kart 8 and Super Mario
3D World are among those that can be played in the booth, as well as
select North American Best Buy stores. And that ended the Direct with
the Pikmin section shown.
[15/6/13] End E3 2013
You might wonder where the other conferences are on this blog. EA's?
Ubisoft's? Especially Sony's? I strictly didn't cover them for the
reason that all of my best bits from them will be covered here.
at the end of this E3, I've had surprises thrown at me. Most of the
games in this coming generation are going to be open world. Racing
games, shooters and zombie survival games. All will be open world.
EA's conference, the bombshell of the entire event was lit. A new Star
Wars Battlefront will be among us in the next few years. But that was
nothing compared to the bombshell that was lit during Sony's conference.
After spin-off after spin-off, Kingdom Hearts III will soon be among
us. Both are my top two favourites in the gaming world. Introduced to
both with their second main games, I have played each series and loved
every bit of it. However, after my PS2 no longer worked, I was without
both main series games. Even after nabbing Battlefront II on PC it
refused to work after so long, but I've got the PSP version, and I've
got all other Battlefront's. Even the PSP versions of Battlefront retain
the same charm as the console versions. The same can't be said for
Kingdom Hearts however. The DS versions weren't coming even close to the
charm of II, and the PSP version came close, and so did the 3DS
version, but there is still nothing that can beat the actual main series
games. And a third, as well as the HD 1.5 remix, are the best things to
come out of the Kingdom Hearts series in ages. I still remember when I
went to buy Kingdom Hearts II for Christmas all those years ago,
unknowing how significant it will become to me, and how much playtime
I'll get out of it.
Also out of the bag was the Playstation 4's
actual look. I suppose is okay, but I always go for practicality over
looks, and the PS4 seems to have a better handle on that.
EA and
Ubisoft have both come up front to say that they will continue WiiU
support once the console picks up in sales. Why exactly don't you
support it with some worthwhile games so you can help it pick up sales?
I'll never understand, but I guess it has something to do with money.
might be a racing fan, but the only thing that really perked my
interest was Mario Kart 8. However, if I do get a PS4, I'll be able to
test Drive Club, which seems to be going free for PS+ subscribers. Yes
Need For Speed Rivals takes Most Wanted's gameplay and adds more to it,
but Ubisoft's offering of The Crew has more to it. But even then, while
Most Wanted was a good game, most of it was wanting more to be added to
it. And while Forza 5 has that AI-learning thing, I think most people
will try to avoid the XBOX ONE at all costs due to those radical
features of used games and DRM nonsense.
Most of the Nintendo games
have me interested. The PS4 is my second choice. I know that Battlefront
and Kingdom Hearts won't be on the WiiU, but I can't choose between the
two, simply because Sonic Lost World is on the WiiU. And Pikmin.
Anyway. Another E3 has come to an end, and if you need trailers for the games, CVG is loaded with them.


text: While Rani Mukerji has been winning applause for her performance in the much appreciated MARDAANI, debutante Tahir Raj Bhasin is one actor who has also stood out exceptionally in the film. In a quick tête-à-tête, Tahir talks about debuting with Yash Raj Films, working with Rani Mukerji and much more. Excerpts:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Pumpkin Pie Crêpes
These delicate crêpes are a great, unique way to use up leftover Pumpkin Pie. Don't be intimidated by crêpes, they are extremely easy to make and not to mention absolutely delicious. No special pan or weird ingredients needed, just a 12-inch skillet, pantry staples and a rubber spatula.
Getting the pan to the proper temperature is the key to these crêpes. If the pan is too hot, the batter set up before it has evenly coated the skillet. If the pan is too cool, the crêpe will be pale, bland and too flimsy to flip without tearing.
Pumpkin Pie Crêpes
Place oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet and heat over low heat for at least 10 minutes.
While skillet is heating, whisk together flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon in medium bowl;set aside.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together milk and eggs. Add half of milk mixture to dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Add butter and whisk until combined. Whisk in remaining milk mixture until smooth.
To make pumpkin pie filling, scoop the pie filling out of the crust and place in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds; set aside. (Heat it in the microwave if desired)
Wipe out skillet using paper towel, leaving thin film of oil on bottom and sides. Increase heat to medium and let skillet heat for 1 minute. After 1 minute, test heat of skillet by placing 1 teaspoon batter in center and cook for 20 seconds. If mini crêpe is golden brown on bottom, skillet is properly heated; if it is too light or too dark, adjust heat accordingly and retest.
Pour ¼ cup batter into far side of pan and tilt and shake gently until batter evenly covers bottom of pan. Cook crêpe without moving it until top surface is dry and crêpe starts to brown at edges, loosening crêpe from side of pan with rubber spatula, about 25 seconds. Gently slide spatula underneath edge of crêpe, grasp edge with fingertips, and flip crêpe. Cook until second side is lightly spotted, about 20 seconds. Transfer cooked crêpe to wire rack, spotted side is facing up. Return pan to heat and heat for 10 seconds before repeating with remaining batter. As crêpes are done, stack on wire rack.
Transfer stack of crêpes to large microwave-safe plate and invert second plate over crêpes. Microwave on high power until crêpes are warm, 30 to 45 seconds (45 to 60 seconds if crêpes have cooled completely). Remove top plate and wipe dry with paper towel. Spread 1/4 cup pumpkin pie filling in each crêpe and roll up. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and serve immediately.
Source: adapted from Cupcake Project
One Year Ago: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
7 Responses to "Pumpkin Pie Crêpes"
What a great idea for a crepe filling! I love crepes. This would be a great breakfast too…yum 🙂
Absolutely delicious!
I smell a yummy brunch ideeeeaaa!! Pretty little icing sugar dusting too!
You are endlessly inventive!
I'm curious…if we don't have an extra pumpkin pie laying around, couldn't we just use pumpkin pie filling? Is there something special about the filling being already baked, like too much moisture or something?
I love crepes and never make them enough!


text:
Im over 50 in perfect health, and workout daily, and lift 3 times a week . I have gone from 209 to 186 in 4 months, and am very happy. I would like to continue to lose a few more lbs but also want to bulk up a bit more while I lift. is it possible to do both?
tell me what product might do this for me or any combo of products,
should i lose the weight I want first, than concentrate on bulking up after. I realise putting on muscle will add to my weight. unfortunately I belong to a gym where the trainers eat natural and sing kumbaya all day, so i have nobody to ask .


text:
What can Conservatives learn from the Liberals decline?
What can the federal Conservatives, Canada's governing party, learn from the decline of the federal Liberals from "natural governing party" to third-party status?
One lesson worth considering is this: When you're the governing party, especially for a long time, you begin to rely more and more on the civil service and taxpayer dollars for everything – including the key elements required to keep your party vigorous, strong and relevant.
Does your party need intellectual capital – a steady stream of policy analysis and ideas? As the governing party, you can always expropriate some of it from your political opponents. But the longer you are in office, the more likely you are to get an increasing proportion of your intellectual capital from the civil service or by the use of taxpayer dollars to fund research projects and policy studies on any subject.
Does your party need trained human resources to help guide and run your political machinery as well as the government? You can get and maintain those resources by placing persons sympathetic to your partisan cause in political staff positions within the government and funded by the taxpayer. You can upgrade their knowledge and skills from time to time by sending them on courses or bringing in training consultants, again at taxpayer expense.
You can even use the civil service itself as a reservoir of potential candidates for elected office – the Liberal Party of Canada, for example, drawing two of its most prominent leaders, Mackenzie King and Lester Pearson, from the civil service.
Does your party need ever-expanding communications capacity to get out its messages? The party itself will have a small communications staff, but, if you're the governing party, you can increasingly draw on the communications offices of 30 government departments and dozens of Crown corporations and agencies to help craft and deliver your key messages, again all at taxpayer expense.
But then, alas, the fateful day comes – as it did for the Liberal Party of Canada – when you're no longer the governing party. No longer do you have access to the intellectual capital-generating capacities of the civil service. No longer do you have access to the human resources and training budgets of a $265-billion-a-year taxpayer-funded enterprise. No longer do you have access to the hundreds of communications personnel and vehicles that were once at your beck and call.
To make matters worse, during the long years as government, most of the alternative sources of these resources were neglected and allowed to atrophy. Thus, the Liberals now find their federal party intellectually bankrupt, lacking in the ability to attract and nourish talented people, and its once-loud voice reduced to a whimper because of drastically reduced communications capacity.
Our advice to our political friends? Build and maintain your "democratic political infrastructure" – the intellectual capital generators for politicians, the training programs for political activists, and the political communications vehicles – when in opposition but continue to build and maintain it, outside of the civil service and through private donations, even after becoming the governing party.
To fail to do so is to court eventual political collapse and impotence from which it may take years, even decades, to recover – witness the current state of the federal Liberals.
Preston Manning is the founder of the Manning Centre and the Reform Party of Canada
This column was published by the Globe and Mail on January 11, 2012


text:
The Gifts of Imperfection
Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You AreeBook - 2010
From the critics
Community Activity
CommentAdd a Comment
I have read another one of Brene's books, so when this one became available at our library I grabbed it up. Although it is listed as a self-help book, I wouldn't say it necessarily offers a step-by-step guide on how to live a "wholehearted" life. Many of the topics (or as she calls them, "guideposts") are things that need to be PRACTICED. It is not a one-time thing that you do and check off your list. These are lifestyles that you should be cultivating and pursuing - such as authenticity, self-compassion, gratitude and joy, creativity, play and rest, calm and stillness, laughter, song and dance. There were definitely a ton of nuggets that I took from this book, many of which I hope to implement in my daily life. I am definitely a perfectionist so this book hit right where it hurt... but was exactly what I needed to hear. I would give it a 9 out of 10.
Love this book. This book helped me to pull back, and get real with myself. It reminded me to focus on what matters and let go of what I can't control.
I've been challenging myself to grow over the past 8 years especially, with an enthusiasm for meditation and right living. This book offers a unique medicine we are not getting from other sources--namely, confronting the "boggie-man" of shame with courage and skill. I enjoy how the author uses so many personal testimonies because after all, that's where the nitty-gritty of growing occurs. In all the little moments we triumph over the epidemic of shame in our culture. She teaches about connection, and what better way to not feel alone in your shame if someone gives plenty of examples about facing it in their own lives. To me this proves that Brene walks the walk and is not just intellectualizing everything. Authentic, beautiful, and powerful. The real deal.
I wanted to underline the whole book...
I am a full time psychotherapist with 34 years experience and 6 years of university training. I regularly assign this woman,s books/tapes to my patience......and I keep a copy of her tapes in both my vehicles.
I really loved this book and connected with it on so many levels. I recommend it.
I had a high expectation but am disappointed. As a professor doing teaching and research, I understand that the author discusses main point through talking about her own experience is to avoid the tendency of teaching the readers. However, she just talks tooooooo much about herself. Also, she repeated mentioned the shame research and how people resist the idea, it also makes me uncomfortable. I do not have any preposition in loving or hating shame research, assuming that I probably dislike this topic and attempting to persuade me into believing her research topic is extremely important, to me, made me tired in reading it till the end.
This was recommend by a colleague. I found it difficult to get into as the author references frequently her own issues. Maybe if you are a perfectionist its a good read.
Age SuitabilityAdd Age Suitability
There are no age suitabilities for this title yet.
SummaryAdd a Summary
There are no summaries for this title yet.
NoticesAdd Notices
There are no notices for this title yet.
QuotesAdd a Quote
There are no quotes for this title yet.


text:
Undergraduate Admission
Graduate Admission
Contact Us
Your unique leadership journey starts at Simmons. You'll define what success means to you, and we'll help you get there.
At Simmons, leaders make themselves. You won't sit back and wait for eureka moments. You won't hope for explicit instructions to land in your lap. Rather, you'll work, discover and evolve.
Accessible and accountable, our administration leads by example. And we hold firm to one purpose: to work for you.
At Simmons, you'll roll up your sleeves and contribute to a unique community of curious, compassionate and ambitious people. Your future starts here.
Whether you're coming straight from undergraduate study or making a change mid-career, our programs will help you make your next move.
Our schools and departments offer specialized resources to support and challenge you. Find yours.
Ready to make your move? Apply now.
Discovering your life's work is a journey. Preparing for it starts at Simmons. Take the first step.
Explore your scholarship and financial aid options.
On the field, in the pool or in the stands -- find the best way to show your Shark Pride!
Find and do what moves you. With over 80 student groups, a campus art gallery, varsity sports, performances and events, there's something happening on campus every day!
You'll find everything you need on campus — from medical resources to keep you healthy to technical support to keep your computer running.
Strengthen your relationship with Simmons today.
Rekindle friendships. Make new business contacts. Connect with kindred spirits.
You can have a transformative impact on our world, starting at Simmons.
FacultyColin Rhinesmith
Assistant Professor
School of Library and Information Science
For Complete professional information,
connect on LinkedIn
Colin Rhinesmith is an assistant professor in the School of Library and Information Science at Simmons College and a faculty associate with the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. Rhinesmith's teaching and research interests are focused on the social, community, and policy aspects of information and communication technology, particularly in areas related to digital equity and community technology. Rhinesmith received his Ph.D. in library and information science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he was an Institute of Museum and Library Services-funded Information in Society Fellow and a research scholar with the Center for Digital Inclusion. You can learn more about him at http://crhinesmith.com.
Colin Rhinesmith's Curriculum Vitae
My research interests are focused on the social, community, and policy aspects of information and communication technology, particularly in areas related to digital inclusion and broadband adoption. Recent research looks at how community anchor institutions promote digital equity in low-income areas through low-cost broadband, digital literacy training, low-cost devices, and public access computing. My work also considers the implications of telecommunication and information policymaking particularly for low-income communities and their ability to access and effectively use technology in their everyday lives. My current research examines how rural libraries address the challenges of Internet connectivity with hotspot lending programs. My work contributes to social justice scholarship in library and information science by focusing on the ways in which community-based organizations work with marginalized communities to promote justice-centered goals.


text:
My first blog post for the month of August…For a moment let's pretend it's Winter and forget all about those hot previous couple of months. This season you'll see me again favouring ripped jeans, white sweater and ankle boots. A cozy coat is a must this fall. The finishing touch? The Classic Q bag by Marc by Marc Jacobs.
P.s: I'm on Polyvore… Polyvoring under the name of thepiehole check me out here.
-Silvia, The Pie Hole


text:
Ngoc Nguyen, the executive chef at Sainte Marie restaurant, died Friday, January 11, according to the restaurant's owner Robert LeBlanc. The cause was a cardiac arrest. He was 33 years old.
Nguyen was born at Charity Hospital on September 29, 1979. The young chef, said his brother Johnny Nguyen, had a history of high blood pressure and other health problems.
Nguyen started working at Sainte Marie as a line cook when the restaurant opened. He rose to be sous chef and eventually executive chef.
On the biography posted on the restaurant's website, Nguyen said, "To me, Sainte Marie is kind of like home. When I come to work, it feels like home. I know everyone and I'm comfortable, so I want guests to have the same feeling."
In an email, LeBlanc wrote, "His story is particularly dear to me because despite all of the mistakes that I made at Sainte Marie, both strategically and in terms of execution, Ngoc always stood behind me and Sainte Marie. He worked tirelessly for over a year to bring about the positive changes we have experienced at Sainte Marie in the last two months and, unfortunately, he will not be here to enjoy the fruit of that labor."
LeBlanc said Nguyen was a shy man, who loved to teach his staff but felt awkward speaking to customers.
"He also wanted to avoid the limelight and really just saw himself as a regular cook," LeBlanc wrote. "He was a throwback chef in that way. What I fear about that, though, is that people may never know his story and how much he influenced people with his work."
Said his brother, "He made his siblings very proud. He had one of the biggest smiles that you'll ever see. He was always funny, sort of a class clown."
Nguyen is survived by his father and mother, Tien and Hien Nguyen, his brother Johnny Nguyen and his sisters Victoria Nguyen, Jennifer Nguyen and Jessica Nguyen.


text:
SOURCE: NV Energy
April 26, 2010 14:05 ET
RENO, NV--(Marketwire - April 26, 2010) - Brokers and developers promoting Nevada to potential businesses just got a new and improved tool to add to their storehouse of attractions for moving to the state. NV Energy has launched its new interactive geographic information system (GIS) building and site database, called Nevada Site Locator.
Besides making site searches easier, Nevada Site Locator generates site-specific demographic and business analysis for enhanced business recruitment, and it can search all 17 of Nevada's counties for commercial land or buildings. It is the state's most advanced and only searchable GIS site selection database that is geared towards assisting businesses, brokers and developers searching for the perfect location, and for the first time it incorporates all 17 of Nevada's counties into its database.
The new Nevada Site Locator was designed and built by FastGIS and uses Google mapping and "on the fly" radius county and business demographics when searching for specific sites or buildings.
"Our Nevada Site Locator provides a cutting edge and dynamic marketing tool for use by our economic development team and by our customers," said Brad Woodring, Manager of Economic Development at NV Energy. "The GIS capability is a significant advancement which allows us to more rapidly and completely respond to prospect inquiries with the most current information. It also helps us leverage our data to attract new investment and jobs to our state."
For additional information, please contact Cheree Boteler at firstname.lastname@example.com or call 1-775-834-3755.
Media Contact: Faye I. Andersen 775-834-4822
Media Contact: Faye I. Andersen 775-834-4822
See all RSS Newsfeeds


text:
Click here to see all items added to My Favorites.
82856 1049018390
In Stock!
Bonnie Fisher's "Blue Star Barn" print captures a tranquil time on the farm, with a great white barn dominating the picture. Print has a faux canvas finish for the look of an original painting, and is surrounded by a 2" frame. Sawtooth hanger.
• "Blue Star Barn" print by Bonnie Fisher
• Large white barn and red farm house
• 2" frame
• Paper backing with sawtooth hanger
• Faux canvas finish to resemble original painting
16"W x 12"H print; 20"W x 16"H frame
Delivery time estimates do not apply to personalized, large or heavy items (over 20lbs.) that require special shipping, items shipped directly from the manufacturer, or out-of-stock items.
Delivery estimates only apply to the contiguous United States. Saturday, Sunday and national holidays are not considered business days for these estimated transit days.


text:
Nursing Dresses for Weddings & Special Occasion
Nursing at a wedding or special occasion is much easier and more convenient in a nursing dress! This way you can breastfeed your baby discreetly without having to go to a private room and undress for nursing access. Choose from our beautiful selection of nursing dresses that can be dressed up for weddings and special occasions. See how it works!


text:
Here are some highlights from the world of opinion, along with the latest editorials from The Oregonian editorial board.
Maria Konnikova details for The New Yorker some of the risks for women who negotiate while seeking better pay or a new job.
Michelle Rhee, former schools chief in Washington, D.C., writes a guest essay for The Washington Post calling the recent court ruling out of California on teacher tenure a win for teachers and children. Meanwhile, The New York Times runs a guest essay from a Berkeley professor who criticizes the ruling and says it could backfire.
Paul Krugman writes for The New York Times about the defeat of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and the death of a movement. Peter Beinart writes for The Atlantic on anarchy in the GOP.
Kathleen Parker writes for the Washington Post Writers Group about the dubious merits of having more people carrying weapons in public spaces.
In The Oregonian
In today's print edition of The Oregonian, two unaffiliated Oregon voters (OK, editorial and commentary editor Erik Lukens and myself) argue over the merits of temporarily joining a political party as a way to participate in our state's closed primaries. He says it's a smart strategy; I call it a political one-night stand. You can take a side through our highly scientific poll.
Also, don't miss:
* Reader letters on the shooting at Reynolds High School and about pumping gas in Oregon.
* A guest opinion arguing in favor of divesting in fossil-fuel companies as a way to stigmatize them.


text:
Although most of Greenland is covered in ice, Erik the Red named it Greenland to attract potential settlers. more...
August 18 , 2005 : The BTK killer was sentenced to 175 years in prison. more...
Learn something new every day
More Info... by email
Nosebleeds, which are scientifically known as epistaxis, are a medical condition resulting from hemorrhaging in the nose. They are fairly common, and in most cases are not serious. Dry air, injury or trauma, and some medicines are often to blame for the bleeding, which usually goes away all by itself. In some cases, nosebleeds can be much more severe, however, and can last for prolonged periods. It is usually a good idea for people whose noses bleed continuously to get medical help.
A lack of moisture in the air is one of the biggest causes of bloody noses. The human nose is filled with blood vessels, many of which are exposed to the outside environment through openings in the nostrils. Under ideal conditions, the nostrils remain moist with mucus. When the outside air is particularly arid or dry, however, the mucus tends to harden or disappear, which causes the nose's membranes to crack and harden and the blood vessels to burst, which leads to temporary bleeding.
Dry air is most common indoors during the winter months, as heaters often take moisture out of the air. Mountain and desert climates are also culprits year-round. Using indoor humidifiers and drinking plenty of water are usually the best ways to counteract these conditions.
Nose injuries can also lead to bleeds. The nose is quite sensitive and tends to bleed fairly easily when hit, bruised, or fractured. Excessive nasal pressure, such as that experienced in high altitudes or on airplanes, can also lead to nosebleeds. Respiratory allergies, persistent nose-picking, and high blood pressure may be causes as well.
In some cases, nasal bleeding is caused by prescription drugs, particularly those that prevent the blood from clotting normally. Anti-inflammatory medications and aspirin have also been linked to nosebleeds when used for prolonged periods. People who regularly take these medications may experience regular, heavy nosebleeds as a normal side effect of treatment.
A number of diseases and conditions may also cause nasal bleeding. Heriditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia and Wegener's granulomatosis are two of the most common examples. Sarcoidosis and Von Willebrand disease, cancer of the neck or head, or nasal polyps are rarer, but nevertheless well-documented.
Internal deformities such as a deviated septum or misaligned nasal ducts can also lead to bleeding. Neither of these conditions is serious, but can lead to mucus drainage problems over time, as well as nosebleeds that are persistent and recurring.
Many women experience nosebleeds as a side-effect of pregnancy. As the body changes to grow and nourish a fetus, the blood vessels often dilate and become more sensitive. At the same time, the mucus membranes are often working overtime. Nosebleeds during pregnancy are usually more bothersome than worrisome, and most will go away on their own with time.
In most cases, applying direct pressure to the nose can stop the bleeding, though there is some controversy when it comes to where, exactly, pressure should be placed. According to some experts, it is best to apply pressure on the bridge of the nose, while others believe it is best to focus on the fleshy area. Similarly, some experts feel it is best to tilt the head forward in order to drain the blood out, while others believe it best to tilt the head backward in order to minimize the amount of blood lost. In most cases, trial and error is the best policy — individual sufferers should find what works best for them, then stick to it.
Nosebleeds are rarely serious, but persistent or recurrent bleeding can be a sign or many different treatable medical conditions. People who experience regular nosebleeds that are heavy or that do not let up after a few minutes would be wise to seek professional medical advice.
Post 21
Don't pick your nose. It can cause nosebleeds, which is most probably the cause of younger kids getting nosebleeds.
Post 20
For as long as I can remember, I've been getting nosebleeds. Most of them are 10-20 minutes, but others have lasted longer. I guess what my question is is what could be causing them and what can I do to stop them?
Post 19
I'm 14 years old and rarely get nose bleeds. However, I got them three days in a row. I am not sure whether it's because of the heat and I'm playing basketball four hours each day. I was in the shower last night and all of sudden felt blood dripping down my body from my nose. This morning I woke up and it started gushing blood. Then, I feel it in the back of my throat! Help!
Post 18
I have been getting nose bleeds for 23 days once or twice a day. I put tissue in it and it stops. What can I do to stop this from happening?
Post 17
I get nose bleeds for three to five minutes most mornings when I wake up. It does scare me as I'm only 15. I only have blood coming from one nostril. Is that natural? I don't know whether to go to the doctor or just leave it. I would appreciate any help or advice.
Post 16
To all you guys with unknown causes of bleeding, it's really wise to get the endoscopy done for your noses! I was also having bleeding a week ago and it wasn't stopping, but I was trying to stop it by pressing on my nose, putting ice on my nose and all, and it finally stopped with a big clot of blood hanging outward from my nose. I knew that if I pulled off the clot then the bleeding will start again so I didn't, and I went to an ENT. I reached there after an hour and he removed it and it didn't bleed. Then he looked inside my nose using speculum but nothing was there, so he did an endoscopy of my nose and he saw a small bleeding polyp on the lateral wall at the inferior turbinate, so the next day I had it removed surgically. Until now, I am good.
Post 15
I too have been having nosebleeds since I was 13. I have a hereditary disease HHT or Osler Weber Rendu syndrome. Check online for more info. My nosebleeds are not as frequent or last as long now that I make sure I take selenium 100mcg a day. Hope this helps.
Post 14
I get a small nosebleed practically every day. Most of the time they stop after 5 to 10 minutes and other times they last for 15 - 20. Been to the doctor, and he says my cartilage is crooked and I have a uni-nostril. What can I do?
Post 13
can stress cause nosebleeds? i always hear doctors tell my mom that stress is one of the main causes for a lot of stuff. and i was just wondering if it could be true for nose bleeds too?
Post 12
Never had a nose bleed in my life! Now at 67, I've had two in the last two weeks. First one wasn't too bad, the second one was very heavy blood flow and lasted for an hour. Nothing different in my life, have always taken aspirin for pain and I'm not on any prescriptions. Any ideas?
Post 11
nose bleeds always stopped my headaches. kind of wish i didn't get my nose cauterized.
Post 8
i am getting nose bleeds very frequently. i drink every day and take aspirin high blood pressure medication. i also work at a place the atmosphere is very dry.
Post 7
i am 75 years old. my nose bleeds every time I eat?
Post 6
My husband gets a headache followed by a nosebleed that looks as if a water faucet has been turned on flowing blood instead of water. When he uses tissue to stop the bleeding, it looks like there are chunks of flesh coming out of his nose and it last for about 45 minutes to an hour. This has been going on every other week about 2-3 days out of the week. is there anything I can do to find out what is going on?
Post 5
Help! I've had minor nosebleeds almost daily for 10 days. No notable triggers- no blood thinners or aspirin, no injury, no known allergies. Do have mild high blood pressure, but take meds for that.
2 days ago, I woke up, felt blood running down throat, went into bathroom, had minor bleed for 5 min or so; it stopped. *Then* it started full force, gushing so badly it took a while for me to get to phone to call 911. (Always from right side of nose). Ambulance rushed me to ER. (My bathroom looked like a crime scene). Took 5 *hours* to stop. Pressure didn't work; they packed it twice w/medicine, still didn't stop till they cauterized it. Lost a
lot of blood. Blood pressure was high in ER, but at home later that day & yesterday, BP was very low.
Today it's back up, a little high. Feel very wiped out... Don't know what caused it- very nervous about this happening anytime, anywhere & my business has me driving all over the state, working an hr or so away from home. Any ideas anyone?
Post 4
I find that sitting upright in a chair with back perfectly straight and head directly forward is the best way to stop a nosebleed. At the same time I use a small towel or handkerchief that has been soaked in cold water, ring out the excess water, and apply this to the bridge of my nose and forehead, while gentle pinching together the fleshy part of my nose.
Post 3
Also tipping your head forward makes the pressure the vein lower so the blood can clot.
Post 2
My nose has been bleeding every 1-2 days and last for about 1h-1h45m. What is the cause of these?
Post 1
My four year old son gets nose bleeds about once every two weeks. All of a sudden he just starts gushing blood and it doesn't stop for at least twenty minutes. What is this caused from and how do i alleviate the stress for him? it scares him more than anything
One of our editors will review your suggestion and make changes if warranted. Note that depending on the number of suggestions we receive, this can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Thank you for helping to improve wiseGEEK!


text:
Data science competitions
I want to join a competition →
I want to run a competition →
to save the world
What we do
DrivenData brings the transformative power of data science to organizations attacking our world's greatest challenges.
We find real world questions where data science can have positive social impact, then run online modeling competitions for data scientists to develop the best models to solve them.
To see what this looks like in action, read more or check out our competitions!
Our partners
Social impact organizations are tackling hard questions where harnessing data can make a huge difference. But they often struggle to access the tools and the talent.
Driven by a desire for quantifiable impact, organizations are gathering more and more data about how they operate and who they're helping. If this sounds like your organization, reach out to us or read more about how we work with organizations.
Our members
Data science professionals, students, and researchers are constantly on the lookout for interesting, real-world projects.
We engage experienced and aspiring data scientists to solve pressing problems for mission-driven organizations. Competitors get experience with real-world problems and a proven track record of results.
If that sounds like you, check our our information for data scientists, or jump right in and join a competition.
Advancing Data for Good
DrivenData Labs
Competitions aren't right for every problem. For more flexible data and machine learning needs or sensitive data sources, we have our own team of experienced data scientists to take the case.
Learn more about some of our recent projects and working with our team.
Reproducible data science
Since starting this platform, we've seen a lot of data science in the wild. As the field develops, it's becoming increasingly important to organize data science work so that it's easy to reproduce and build upon. We've done a lot of thinking, writing, and speaking on this topic.
Check out our latest or try out our open source project structure: cookiecutter data science.
Open source solutions
The impact of a data competition shouldn't end when submissions close. For example, Concept to Clinic is a new kind of collaborative data challenge to build open source tools using machine learning to help radiologists identify lung cancer.
At DrivenData all of the prize-winning solutions from past competitions are openly available on GitHub for anyone to learn and build from.
Join our mailing list
If you just want to hear about what's new with us follow us on twitter and sign up for our mailing list!


text:
NRL Satellite Facility - Waldorf, Maryland
Built: 1962
Closed: 1993
Opened: 1967
Demolished / Renovated: 2007
Location Age: 50 years
Abandonment: 14 years
Current Status: Demolished
Location Genre: Military Installation
Located In: Waldorf, MD United States of America
ocated in Maryland, this area was once a Nike missile base (W-45 NIKE-1 Battery No. 7) until it was deactivated as a functional silo in 1962. From 1962 until 1993, the area was used by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory's Microwave Space Research Facility Program. Most of the existing structures were completed in 1967, and included a parabolic *dish antenna, transmitters, and a low-noise receiving system. In addition, the facility was also equipped fully for satellite tracking, data processing, and communications modulation experiments. It was used extensively during the Vietnam War as part of a special operation called "Compass Link," established by the Defense Communications Agency to pass high-quality target photography from Vietnam to Washington, DC.
Compass Link was established using two DSCSI satellites providing two hops: Vietnam to Hawaii, and Hawaii to Waldorf, Maryland. From Waldorf the imagery was transmitted by land line directly to the White House and the Pentagon. Source: "From the Sea to the Stars". Chapter 2, Satellites for Strategic Defense
The facility was decommissioned by the United States Government General Services Administration (GSA), and was publicly auctioned off in 1998, then repurchased by a private investor in early 2000s.
The right to demolish and scrap the dishes and other structures has been auctioned on Ebay on March 13, 2005, a bidder won for $136.20. As of late 2007, the large dish has been removed from the base and is being cut for scrap.
|The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Ntwadumela For This Useful Post:
Drumstickshredder, Faline, Seven Of Nine
My Rank: PRIVATE
Poster Rank:7542
Join Date: Aug 2009
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Re: NRL Satellite Facility - Waldorf, Maryland
Amazing. Maryland is full of such mystery and beauty.
Re: NRL Satellite Facility - Waldorf, Maryland


text:
Know more about this business than we do? Cool! Please submit any corrections or missing details you may have.Help us make it right
Be the first NJ.com user to add photos or videos of Sunny Dry Cleaners
I've been going to Sunny Dry Cleaners for over 10 years. I once brought a karate uniform to them that I had taken to a dry cleaners closer to my home, where they had yellowed the uniform. Sunny Cleaners got it bright white again. They always do a great job and are the nicest people ever.
Sunny Dry Cleaners can be found at Manalapan Rd 491. The following is offered: Laundry Services. The entry is present with us since Sep 9, 2010 and was last updated on Nov 14, 2013. In Spotswood there are 5 other Laundry Services. An overview can be found here.


text:
For your convenience, you can pay your deposit securely online with PayPal. After filling out the information below, you will be taken to PayPal. Once there you can log in to your PayPal account if you have one, or safely pay with your credit card by clicking the link on the left side of the page. Please note: fill out the participant's information on this page, and the cardholder's information on the following page.
The deposit is US$500 for all LanguageCorps programs, except the Online TEFL Certification, which is US$300. When you have successfully submitted your payment, you will receive an online confirmation, followed by an email from LanguageCorps confirming receipt. If you do not receive a LanguageCorps email within 48 business hours, please contact our office.


text:
M2933: Developing Business Process and Integration Solutions Using Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006
Book Now - 1 Delivery Method Available:Scheduled Online Onsite
Elements of this syllabus are subject to change.
This five-day instructor-led course provides students with the knowledge and skills to efficiently and effectively integrate systems, employees, and trading partners through orchestration in a highly flexible and highly automated manner.
Target Audience
This course is intended for solution architects and developers who are responsible for developing Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 business process and integration solutions.
Training Partners
We work with the following best of breed training partners using our bulk buying power to bring you a wider range of dates, locations and prices.
Before attending this course, students must have: - 1-2 years experience developing distributed applications. - Background in Microsoft .NET Framework concepts and technology. - Hands-on experience with Microsoft Visual Studio 2005. - Working knowledge of Microsoft SQL Server. - Working knowledge of XML. - No prior BizTalk experience is necessary.


text:
So I've finally done it, I've started my blog.
I've spent
two years many months thinking about colour schemes, fonts and making extensive editorial calenders. Each time I would find some "logical" excuse for why my ideas where not good enough and each time I would end up putting off my blog for yet another month. I can't even begin to describe the number of posts I have written, re-written and deleted because "I could have written it better" and the number of photos I've taken, retouched and discarded because my hair "didn't look just right".
The other day, I came across a wonderful image (which I subsequently pinned on Instagram, as you would)
This image is so poignant to this time in my life that I think it should be my mantra.
I've decided to follow the words, "shhing" my mind and its perfectionist tendencies and just going with it.
My blog is made now and as imperfect as it is, I am happy that I've finally started something I've wanted to for a long time.
So, let the blogging journey begin!