How I Decided On Getting A PS3

Posted: December 15, 2011 at 8:20 pm

I just got my brand new Playstation 3 unit today. Finally, I can get to play those highly-rated and much hyped-about console games which a PC Gamer could only dream of playing–specifically Final Fantasy XIII, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and Killzone 2 and 3.

I actually did a lot of thinking before deciding on the PS3 since, as most gamers are well aware of, there are actually three competing consoles that rule the market these days: Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Sony’s Playstation 3, and Nintendo’s Wii. I actually didn’t have trouble eliminating the Wii since, well seriously, just looking at the screen resolution will convince you that Nintendo hasn’t yet moved on to using the next generation graphics for their gaming console (the graphics are hardly at par with the Playstation 2).

Between the two remaining consoles, though, I made the decision based on the following:

1. Cost – Not only for the console but for the games as well. Considering these, the PS3 costs less in the long run since its games are significantly marked down compared to the 360′s. Not to mention that console package for the PS3 currently sells at just P16,000.00 ($375.00) while the 360 kinect package costs P24,000.00 ($562.00).

2. Innovation – Sure, the 360 has kinect, but just add around P4,000.00 ($90.00 to $100.00) for the Playstation Move package and you’ll be playing your PS3 just like a Wii in no time. Moreover, for shooters such as Killzone 3 and Resident Evil 5, the Move is way better than Kinect.

3. Games – Well, in this category, it all really depends on the buyer since both consoles offer exclusive hot games not found on the other. An example would be Killzone for the PS3 and Gears of War for the Xbox 360. They are both even on this, in my opinion.

4. Performance – If we take into account CPU & GPU speed, Screen Resolution, Wifi capability and other factors which are just a bit way too technical for the average gamer to understand, well, I’d say PS3 wins this category. I won’t bother going deeper into it, but in the end, most PS3 games look way better at Full HD (1080p) compared to those of the 360′s which are, well,  almost Full HD (720p).

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Night Huntress Series

Posted: December 4, 2011 at 4:53 pm

I was just finishing the third book to the Night Huntress series when I realized I should at least mention it on my blog. Yep, reading Night Huntress has become my favorite past time nowadays, and its Bestselling Author Jeaniene Frost has turned me into a fan. I actually stumbled into her works after reading Devil To Pay, a spin-off novella featuring characters from the Night Huntress series of books. Since I pretty much enjoyed reading it , I became curious thinking that if just a novella were that good, then the main series must be great. I wasn’t disappointed, because right now, I’m still looking forward to reading the rest of the books. In fact, I also plan on reading other spin-off novellas to the night huntress world and other works of Ms. Frost

The first book, Halfway To The Grave, introduces us to the heroine Catherine Crawfield, or Cat, a modern day dhampir (half-human, half-vampire) who is on a personal vendetta on hunting down and killing all vampires since, according to her mother who was allegedly raped by a vampire, all vampires are demons. Everything changes, though, after she meets Bones, a master vampire who immediately falls for her the first time they meet. Although you might be quite offended by some parts of the book (which quite frankly may be easily misinterpreted as smut), the story as a whole is very engaging. There’s a lot of action and mystery and you’ll get to know some of the most intriguing characters in vampire lore. If you liked Vampire Academy, you’ll certainly love this series. (Note on the book cover: Don’t be put-off by it, there’s a reason for Cat’s kinky outfit)

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Skyrim: An Oblivion Game Gets Better

Posted: November 15, 2011 at 9:10 pm

When Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim  first came out and I saw all the pictures and reviews, I didn’t give the game much notice thinking it was just another Elder Scrolls game. After playing it for a while, though, I found myself slowly sucked into it  and immersed in what is easily one of the most intriguing fantasy worlds of RPG’s. Skyrim takes place in the world of Oblivion, which was also the title of the previous Elder Scrolls game. But unlike in the previous game, objects and characters are more detailed and movements more natural. Playing the game also feels more relaxed, leveling up your character is easy, and you’re given more freedom to either explore or to proceed with the main story. If you plan on playing it, though, I’d recommend that you take the time to explore,and not rush through  the game. Believe me, it’ll be more enjoyable.

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Welcome to Angry Bird Land

Posted: November 13, 2011 at 8:00 am

Just a few days ago, I got home from the office to find this curious sign which my 8-year old daughter pasted on our master bedroom door–”Welcome to Angry Bird Land!” It took me a moment to wonder at how true this is, since even before entering, I could already hear the distinct sound of screaming birds, snorting pigs and a lot of loud crashing and explosion, courtesy of my daughter playing the now very popular Angry Birds. I realized that appreciating this game has become one of the things which all three of us–me, my wife, and kid–have in common. The game has become so popular, I read from online that it had recently passed the one billion mark for most downloaded game! Well, this can be quite possible, considering that the game comes in all sorts of formats. In fact, one could find Angry Birds on our 2 desktop PC’s, my PSP, my wife’s laptop, and even her new android cellular phone. You can easily download versions of it online for free. Be warned, however, the game is just screaming addictive.

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PC Upgrade, Yay!

Posted: November 6, 2011 at 9:21 am

Just recently upgraded my PC since the old rig was acting funny–whenever it’s gets turned off for a few hours, when I turn it back on again it reboots at least 3 times (sometimes longer) before stabilizing. I didn’t mind it at first, but it soon became quite irritating especially at times when I needed to use the computer right away (like, in an emergency?!).

Okay, so after trying to replace everything on it save for its processor (believe me, I tried almost everything), I finally decided to invest in a new CPU, and after a lot of weighing for pros and cons, here’s what I got:

Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-2100 CPU @ 3.10GHz
Memory: 4 Gigabytes Kingston DDR3
Harddisk: 520 Gigabytes
Video: NVIDIA GeForce 9600GT (512Mb, up to 2 Gb under Windows 7)
Sound: VIA HD Audio
Display: 20″ LCD Monitor

Well, I just have to say these specs are just decent enough to play the most demanding games nowadays. So far, I’ve tried it on COD Black Ops at highest settings with no noticeable lag on on the fps. Also, I just finished playing The Witcher 2 at high settings and I just have to say that its performance was superb!

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Not So Great Read: Turned by Morgan Rice

Posted: October 24, 2011 at 7:13 pm

This is a classic example of how you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover (the cover looks good, by the way).

This book is about a teenage girl, Caitlin, who just turned eighteen, and had recently transferred to an urban  school in New York City (If my memory serves me right). Anyway, she begins experiencing unusual symptoms, such as having superhuman strength and also a huge craving for human blood.

I had high expectations at the beginning, but then as the story progressed, I wondered if I made a mistake. Development of the main character was only mediocre by my standards (This from a guy whose read Twilight, Vampire Academy, and The Last Immortal Series). Caitlin, in my opinion, probably needed more depth in order for her to be believable, much less, lovable. She seemed a bit dumb most frequently in the story. I mean, she always asks herself repetitive questions, the answers to which are obvious enough (such as, you suck human blood–therefore , you’re a vampire, duh!).

And another thing is, when the main character gets to be referred to as “the one” or “the messiah” of “vampire lore”, I mean–how old is that? Originality is clearly not one of this book’s better qualities. I won’t be giving out spoilers in case some of you might want to try reading a bit. However, don’t say I didn’t warn you. This one will certainly drag you on (and by this, I mean that’s it’s such a drag)  until you’ll realize it’s already the last page, and you’ll probably say something like–huh, is that it?!

I found the story really lacking and, in some parts, the book focuses too much on the romantic daydreamings of its not so bright protagonist. Although it’s tagged as “Book #1 of the Vampire Journals”, you can safely bet that I won’t ever be doing a review on Book #2.

Posted in Books and Ebooks | 10 Comments

Great Reads: Thirst Series by Christopher Pike

Posted: October 11, 2011 at 6:03 pm

In the last month, I’ve grown to be quite the fat bookworm (figuratively speaking, of course), especially after I gave a shot at reading a seemingly unremarkable book entitled “The Last Vampire” by Christopher Pike. Man, was I totally hooked on it. I loved the book, or more accurately the series of books, and it’s hard not to love the main character, Alisa Pern, a.k.a Sita...Bloody, Sita (just wanted to say that, haha :-) ).

Anyhow, I want to make it clear– this is not one  of your typical twilightish vampire novels which have begun cropping up ever since this genre became the hit of the season. For one thing, it doesn’t drag you with overly details of self-conscious monologues which are typical of S. Meyer’s books (not that I hated them, mind you). And unlike A. Rice’s novels, it doesn’t dwell on endless broodings of its protagonists over life and death, or other such philosophical musings for that matter. No, it just offers you lots of action, intrigue, humor, and an overall exciting adventure on the tale of the beautiful blond Alisa, who thinks she is the last vampire on this planet.

One important thing you should be aware of is that the author wrote the Last Vampire series of books from 1994 through 1995. It was only in 2010 that the same books were republished under a new name–Thirst, which are currently composed of three books: Thirst No. 1 and No. 2 are a compilation of earlier 6 novels, while the latest, Thirst 3 is actually the 7th installment to the series which just came out this year. Despite the 14-year gap in the series, Mr. Pike clearly has not lost his Midas touch, so to speak, as the latest installment stays very true to the heart and character of the original books.

I have to say, I very much enjoyed the series up to Thirst No. 3: Eternal Dawn, and cannot wait to feast my mind on the next installment. This is such a great read that I’d highly recommend it,  and Mr. Pike is easily one of the best storytellers of our time.

Other great books by the same author which I have read are:  Sati, a story about a very surprisingly unusual young girl; and The Immortal, about teenage girl whose life gets complicated when a vacation to a small Greek island triggers visions and memories of life as a goddess.


Posted in Books and Ebooks, Opinion | 7 Comments

The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan

Posted: October 6, 2011 at 3:50 pm

Another good read from Rick Riordan, his second installment of the Kane Chronicles titled The Throne of Fire. I’m still reading this one and hope to finish this week. It’s really interesting with lots of humor. As what my wife said, if it’s from Rick Riordan, it must be good… and I seem to agree with her.

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Game Impressions: Dragon Age 2 (PC)

Posted: September 29, 2011 at 2:04 pm

I recently begun playing Dragon Age 2, the sequel to last year’s RPG hit from Bioware, and if I could describe it in just one word, I’d say Spectacular.

As with the first game, you’re allowed to fully customize your main character, choosing sex (male or female), affinity (warrior, mage, or rogue), and even facial features among other things. One difference I noticed which made the sequel a lot better was how you get to hear you hero talk during conversations throughout the game. This actually improved the cinematic experience, which was already great in the first game. Graphics has also been greatly improved, although you can’t really pump up settings to the max unless you’re using Windows 7 (you’ll need Direct X 11 to play at the highest settings, which is only available in Windows 7). Nonetheless, graphics, sound and and overall gameplay experience is far superior as compared with other RPGs of the same genre. The game played quite smoothly on my desktop (check out The Rig for my PC specifications).

One thing though, don’t be fooled into thinking that playing at the Casual Level will make it an easy game. And a bit of advice if you’re going to play the game–don’t start with the Deep Roads Expedition Mission until you’ve gathered your most powerful allies and built up a high level of experience for your characters, unless you intend to get your butt seriously whipped later on (believe me, I say this from experience, hehe). Overall, the game is highly addictive and will certainly provide you with hours and hours of gameplay and exploration. Highly Recommended. ;-)

Explore a vast new world in Dragon Age 2

Posted in PC Game | 4 Comments

New Photos of Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen

Posted: September 26, 2011 at 11:25 pm

Check out these hot new photos of Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen in the upcoming 2012 movie, The Hunger Games (Photos taken from Entertainment Weekly).  Note her transformation from the blond and curvy character in Winter’s Bone to the spunky, lean and tan Katniss–I am so looking forward to the movie! (Check out previous blog entry on Hunger Games for more info)

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