Kilobits

Its been a while...

noreply@blogger.com (Pavan Rajam) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:13:00 +0000

Almost two years really. A lot has changed since I last bothered to post anything on this page. We're now college students, and its been an interesting year for the industry. Anyways, let's just get right down to what I've been playing:

Batman: Arkham Asylum

You've probably heard all of the gushing reviews and praise for this game, and much of it is well-deserved. Rocksteady has done a fine job of transplanting the essence of Batman from the comics, movies, and TV shows to the format of a game. This is particularly noticeable when you look at the talent they brought in on this project. First off, Paul Dini, known for his work on the emmy-winning Batman animated series from the 90's, was brought in to do all of the writing and it shows. Bringing in Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill to reprise their roles as Batman and the Joker, also helps bring Dini's writing to life. It's going to feel familiar to anyone who's watched the animated series, and overall it complements the games atmosphere.

As far as the gameplay goes, there is definitely variety, but not to the point that the consistency of the quality is compromised. Everything from the combat system to the platforming, to the detective modes, and the various gadgets feel very fluid, and well implemented.

My only complaint is that the boss fights are rather repetitive and lack much variety, and that the final boss battle is very underwhelming when compared with the rest of the games. It's a shame that such a great experience ends on such a flat note, but on the whole it's not bad enough to ruin the entire experience.

Burnout: Paradise

It's been nearly two years since Burnout hit the 360 and PS3, and for some strange reason I'm playing it again. Why? Blame it on the Steam Holiday Sale. At only $7.49, I went ahead and repurchased the game on the PC. Put simply, it's Burnout Paradise on the PC with the added ability to tweak your video settings and what-not. Visually the game looks great running on my mid-level 15-inch MacBook Pro (4GB Ram, 256MB nVidia 9600M GT) even on the lowest settings, and the controls are pretty responsive on the keyboard, though a controller is probably the best way to pay the game. As I said earlier, it's basically Burnout Paradise, which is already a great arcade racing game, on the PC with all of the performance benefits that entails. And for only $7.49, you really can't go wrong.

That's it for today. I've only just started to get into Assassin's Creed 2, and I still need another day to formulate what I want to say about Left 4 Dead 2 and Modern Warfare 2.

Ratchet and Clank Future Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 00:21:00 +0000

Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is an amazing return to form for the Ratchet and Clank series (one of my personal favorites) after the disappointing Ratchet: Deadlocked; which, while still being good, lost most of the things that put the franchise on the map. It's also one of the single best games in the PS3's library and an experience not worth passing up.

The first thing you'll notice are the beautiful visuals this game has to offer. And believe me, as great as they are in the screens, they're even better in motion. Insomniac has learned a lot from their previous effort, Resistance, and it shows. The game ends up looking almost exactly like something Pixar would cook up. The best part? There's almost no slowdown.

This game also brings back the incredible humor that made the series so memorable, and in even better form. The jokes supplied in the game are done surprisingly well and will most likely manage to make you at least chuckle. The voice overs are just as well done, too. It's not the funniest game of the year (for that, you'll have to go to the awesome that is Portal), but you'll have a few good laughs.

The gameplay is relatively unchanged from the series standard, which is a good thing in this case. It still controls like a charm, possibly even more so. The obligatory Sixaxis motion controls are rarely used and (mostly) well implemented. The only problem is the camera, which isn't even that bad.

The weapon selection, one of the series' trademarks, is probably the craziest I've seen in a game in quite a while. Yes, you've got your generic pistols and rockets and crap. But you've also got hilariously off-beat weapons like:

Slinkies that kill people
Grenades that make enemies go all John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever
Guns that shoot buzzsaw blades
A gun that shoots a hive of flesh-eating nanobots

The only real flaw I can think of is the story. It seems rather off compared to the off-beat adventures in previous titles and it has another dreaded cliffhanger ending. Seriously, if I see another cliffhanger...

Overall, if you own a PS3 and have not at least tried out Ratchet and Clank Future, your gamer license will be revoked indefinitely.
Rating: 9.5/10

Playstation Network Game Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 02:21:00 +0000

Brandon here. As you all know, each new-gen system has it's own online service for smaller, independently developed titles to shine. Microsoft was first with the 360's Xbox Live Arcade. The service got a huge boost from games like Geometry Wars Retro Evolved. Of course, Sony fought back with the PlayStation Store which, among other things, features downloadable games like Go! Sudoku and Blast Factor. Nintendo initiated a somewhat similar service called the Virtual Console for the Wii which has emulated versions of Classic Nintendo, Sega, and TurboGrafx-16, MSX, and Neo Geo titles .

The downloadable game battlefield has bloomed over the past year or so. I'm here to review two of the newest downloadable titles out there on the PlayStation Network.

Super Stardust HD

Developed by Housemarque, this title is a re imagining of a little-known arcade title in the vein of Geometry Wars or Blast Factor with Asteroids mixed in for good measure. The graphics this title boasts are simply amazing, especially for an $8 arcade title. Basically, you're trying to destroy Armageddon-sized asteroids that break into smaller and smaller shards.

The controls are suprisingly easy to wrap your head around, but have a whole different layer of complexity for more hardcore players. The three weapons with different rates of fire and effects on asteroids help add depth to an already deep game. A particular favorite of mine is the flamethrower-like Gold Melter.

Verdict: If you own a PlayStation 3 and haven't purchased this game yet, you simply must.

9/10

Calling All Cars

David Jaffe, the visionary mind behind God of War, has shifted his focus from Greek epics to downloadable games for the Playstation Network. Calling All Cars doesn't go too ambitious and recognizes it's small-scale roots. You're trying to catch criminals and bring them to jail before the other players can. If you're going solo, Calling All Cars won't exactly hook you for long. If you're playing with a couple of friends (or online), this game is simply divine.

That said, it would have been nice if Incognito had included more weaponry and levels to play in. Perhaps downloadable content could be the answer....

Verdict: If you don't have online or friends to play with, it would be best to skip this one. Otherwise, buckle up.

7/10 (add 2 points if playing with friends)

E3 Press Conference Review: Sony

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 21:25:00 +0000

E3 Press Conference Review: Sony

Sony’s embarrassingly bad press conference last year alienated dozens of would-be fans. Phrases such as “RIIIIIIIIIDDDDGGGGEEEEEE RRRAAACCCEEEEERRRR!”, “So here’s this giant enemy crab”, “real-time weapon changing”, “you attack its weak point for massive damage”, and the dreaded “five-hundred and ninety nine US dollars” became commonplace in gaming lore. It all went downhill for Sony from there.

So, for this E3, Sony needed to really get it’s act together or face impending doom. So did Sony cut to the chase and save itself from extinction? In a word, yes.

Unexpected Suprises

The first and probably biggest new surprise was Sony’s announcement of a redesign for it’s beleaguered Playstation Portable. On the surface, the so-called redesign didn’t appear to be any different at all, but the system is now smaller and lighter and has a vastly improved battery life (not to mention high definition video output).

Even more unexpected was the announcement of two different packs for $199 each. The first is the entertainment pack, which includes a silver PSP, a copy of Daxter, a 1 GB memory stick, and a Family Guy collection UMD. The Star Wars Battlefront PSP pack includes a special Star Wars PSP and a copy of Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron.

In addition to the Free Radical-developed Haze (also shown), Epic Games’ Unreal Tournament III was announced to be a PS3 and PC exclusive title this holiday season. Unlike Haze, however, the PS3 version can import mods to the game made by PC users.

Sony announced a new puzzle game for both the PSP and PS3 called Echo Chrome. The player will have to negotiate a series of stairs and mazes that are Escher-esque in design. The title features simplistic graphics, but won over many viewers.

Sony announces that there are fifteen first-party exclusives currently coming out for the PS3. As well, NCsoft, the developer of such games as Guild Wars and City of Heroes/Villains, was announced to be making a series of PS3-exclusive MMORPGs.

Two new major titles were announced for the PS3. The first is Infamous (left) , a new sandbox game by Sucker Punch which lets you cross the line between being a superhero or antihero. Gran Turismo 5: Prologue (right) was also announced and shown at the conference.

The Playstation Network is getting a series of new games including the beautiful Wipeout HD, SOCOM: Confrontation (online-only), Warhawk (shown here), PAIN, Everyday Shooter, a sequel to Blast Factor, High Velocity Bowling, and Go! Sports Ski. Warhawk, SOCOM, PAIN, and Wipeout will all be available via retail.

Playstation Home was further delved into this E3. New features are introduced, such as compatibility with cell phones and the ability to meet up with friends and launch games directly within Home.

Updates

Naughty Dog’s Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune made a big splash with it’s incredibly smooth graphics, as did Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, Folklore, and Heavenly Sword.

The much-anticipated Killzone 2 (below) made an appearance at the conference. Though the game had already been announced a day earlier, the game still impressed many showgoers with graphics that looked nearly as good as the infamous 2005 CG footage….and it was all in real-time. Truly an impressive feat.

LittleBigPlanet, a game that allows the community to create incredible new ways to play, got high praise this year.

Hideo Kojima, creator of the Metal Gear series, was on hand to introduce an excellent new trailer for the much-anticipated Metal Gear Solid 4. Before showing the trailer, he announced that MGS4 will be the final installment of the Metal Gear series he will be working on, as well as the final installment of the Metal Gear Solid series. The game has also been delayed into 2008 and will still be a Playstation

In a move similar to Microsoft's Bringing it Home campaign, Sony is adding trailers and correspondence from E3 and the conference to the PlayStation Store. However, no demos are present.

All in all, Sony has certainly improved itself from last year’s disappointing outing.

E3 2007 Conference Review: Microsoft

noreply@blogger.com (Pavan Rajam) — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 15:16:00 +0000

While we weren't able to go to Santa Monica, we did manage to catch the Microsoft media Briefing, where the Software giant announced what executive Peter Moore calls "The greatest lineup in Video Game history" for its Xbox 360 and Games for Windows Platforms. "Every demo and game you see here tonight will be out this year," said Moore while on stage, the only exception being Resident Evil 5, which was shown in a brief trailer. While there weren't any major surprises, like Metal Gear Solid 4 coming to the 360, Microsoft still had plenty to show off.

Unexpected Surprises

Gears of War headed to PC. Although this announcement doesn't come as a shock, Epic Games' big hit is going to be shooting it up on Vista, and surprisingly, XP this fall. The PC version sports a much faster Frame Rate and extra content, including new Campaign levels and Multiplayer maps, and Modes. Hopefully 360 owners who bought the game last year aren't left out in the dark, and the additional content is made available on the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Viva Pinata headed to PC. Unlike the Gears announcement, which was accidentally leaked last week, this was unexpected, although not a shocker, as the Mouse and Keyboard are perfect fit for Viva Pinata's gameplay. Hopefully, the PC version will attain more success than its console counterpart, on account of the fact that most families with young children have PC rather than consoles
Viva Pinata: Party Animals Announced for Xbox 360. Viva Pinata is also returning to the Xbox 360 as a party game in the vein of Mario Party, and is being developed by Krome Studios.
Sonic the Hedgehog, Golden Axe, and Marathon Durandal headed to Xbox Live Arcade. Xbox Live Arcade's library of available titles continues to grow with theses and many other additions.
Scene It! Coming to Xbox 360. The popular family game is coming to the 360, with a special controller, which retails fro $59.99 along with the game.
A Limited Halo 3 edition Xbox 360 will be launched alongside Halo 3 on September 25th. This is another separate SKU that will compliment the Core, Pro, and Elite SKU's that are already on the market. From what we've heard, it appears to be a Pro system thats decked in Halo 3 livery. No Price point has been officially announced.

Updates

Rock Band: After seeing the Live Demo at the beginning of the Conference, its quite clear that Guitar Hero is going to have a big fight on its hands when Rock Band comes out later this Year. Also, it has been announced that Rock Band Will have New DLC every week after it is released, and users will also have the option of purchasing entire albums, the First of which being The Who's Who's Next.
Resident Evil 5: While no actual gameplay was shown, a trailer was debuted which teased the audience with real-time graphics. It will be released in 2008. Expect to hear more about this from Capcom around TGS.
PGR4: The next entry in the Project Gotham Racing Series brings motorcycles and Weather effects into the mix, all while looking gorgeous. Bizarre also announced that PGR4 would be released in September.
Lost Odyssey: Mistwalker's 2nd Original 360 RPG (the first being Blue Dragon) is set to debut world wide this December. The graphics are certainly good, but we'll have to see if it plays any better than it did at TGS.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare: This game has arguably stolen the show from heavy hitters, like Killzone 2, and Halo 3, with its realistic graphics, and modern setting. Infinity Ward has apparently been working on this since the Release of Call of Duty 2 back in 2005, and boy, does it show.
Mass Effect: Bioware's epic Sci-Fi Action RPG will be making its way to store shelves this November. While the textures, and animations looked good for the most part, there was some apparent slowdown during the action sequences. Hopefully, these framerate issues can be smoothed out by November.
Halo Wars: The RTS based on the Halo universe, is coming along well graphically, though we are curious to see how developer Ensemble designed the Control Scheme. Judging from EA's Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth II and Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, and this game, the era when RTS's were stuck on a PC is long gone.
Halo 3: As expected, Microsoft closed out the event with a Trailer from Halo 3's campaign. The graphics have definitely improved since the Beta, and the game is on track for its September 25th release.

Pre E3 Report: Multiplatform

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 22:29:00 +0000

Multiplatform: Pre E3 Report

Games to Watch For:

-Soulcalibur IV (PS3, X360)

The much awaited fourth installment in the legendary Soulcalibur series makes it’s debut onto next-gen consoles with an excellent-looking makeover, an upgraded character creation feature, and online play.

-BioShock (X360, PC, possibly PS3)

BioShock looks to be an incredible game that further defines the medium as an art form. You’re stuck in an underwater utopia run amok by a stem-cell resource named Adam that has horribly mutated many of the townspeople. The game has a labyrinthine amount of options that makes sure that no two games are the same. Either way, it’s mature plot looks to be incredibly compelling.

-Rock Band (PS3, X360, Wii)

After starting the Guitar Hero franchise with RedOctane, Harmonix was sold off to MTV. They’ve created what could be the ultimate rhythm game. The game certainly isn’t going to come cheap (the game, a guitar, bass guitar, microphone, and drums combined fetch a total cost greater than some consoles out there), but provided you have a lot of gamer friends, it will totally be worth it.

-Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (PS3, X360, Wii, PS2)

With Harmonix working for the enemy (MTV), RedOctane and Activision have hired Neversoft (the Tony Hawk guys) to continue on the franchise. The song list this time around looks to be great with Tenacious D, Rolling Stones, Smashing Pumpkins, the Beastie Boys, and Weezer all on board.

-Assassin’s Creed (PS3, X360)

The team behind the wonderful Prince of Persia series has started on a new project set during the time of the Third Crusades. It plays a lot like Splinter Cell in the Middle Ages, but a unique crowd system creates a new way of staying stealthy.

-Stranglehold (PS3, X360)

In an unprecedented move, John Woo, the acclaimed action-movie director, and Midway have teamed up on this project. It’s a sequel to Woo’s seminal action flick, Hard Boiled, that plays like a charm. Plus, in an record move, the Playstation 3’s Collectors Edition will have an HD version of Hard Boiled actually on the same disk as the game.

-Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360)

The original go-anywhere, do-anything game gets a makeover for it’s next-gen debut. You play as Niko Bellic, an Eastern European who has come to GTA3’s Liberty City to start a new life. The game’s AI has gotten a massive overhaul from the previous installment, as has Liberty City.

-Fallout 3 (PS3, X360, PC)

Bethesda Studios, the guys who brought us The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, are bringing a much-loved franchise back from the abyss. This sequel to the postapocalyptic RPG features the same black humor and personality that the series has become well known for.

Pre-E3 Report: Sony

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 19:59:00 +0000

Pre-E3 Look at Sony: PS3, PS2, and PSP

by Brandon Geurts

PlayStation 3: Overview

The PlayStation 3 has been having a rough first year. The Sony-made console suffered from a host of problems on launch day such as a wallet-breaking price tag ($499 for the now-discontinued 20 GB model and $599 for the 60 GB model with Wi-Fi capabilities and other features), lack of rumble, drought of standout launch titles (save for Insomniac’s excellent Resistance: Fall of Man), hardware shortages, and marketing problems. As a result, the Wii and Xbox 360 stole Sony’s thunder during the holiday season. It looked as if Sony had suddenly gone from hero to zero.

The company has shown that it is attempting to correct it’s errors, as evident in the rumored rumble-enabled SIXAXIS and recent price drop of the 60 GB to $500. This E3 will be a crucial one to the PlayStation 3’s success. A great showing this year could turn the tide of the console wars entirely and put Sony back on the map. On the other hand, a horrible showing could put another nail in the company’s coffin. Based on games like Lair, Metal Gear Solid 4, Ratchet and Clank Future, and Final Fantasy XIII, however, the chance for another showing like in 2006 seems quite unlikely.

Playstation Portable: Overview

Sony’s PlayStation Portable has been taking a beating by Nintendo’s double-screened oddity ever since it launched two years ago. Unlike the DS, which hosts a wide variety of original ideas, developers have, for the most part, spent the past two years cramming successful console games onto Sony’s handheld and calling it a day.

Thankfully, as evident in games such as God of War: Chains of Olympus, Crush, Dungeons and Dragons: Tactics, Dead Head Fred, and Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice, developers have become more willing to create games suited to the PSP’s needs and strengths. If more of those types of games start appearing, things will begin to turn around for Sony’s beleaguered handheld

Playstation 2: Overview

The PlayStation 2’s performance at E3 appears to be rather solid, if rather conventional. The system pretty much reached it’s swan song this spring with the triple whammy of God of War II, Odin Sphere, and Tomb Raider Anniversary. Other than the occasional game like Guitar Hero Encore: Rockin’ the 80s and Hot Shots Tennis, the console’s lineup is starting to fade into a series of licensed games, budget-priced Deer Hunting games, and ports of titles you can get in better shape on next-gen consoles.

After seven years at the top, the PS2 is finally starting to lose its luster. It’s only a matter of time before the PlayStation 2 joins the Xbox and GameCube as an antiquated has-been console.

Predictions: PlayStation 3

Expect Sony to pull a few tricks up it’s sleeve this year and announce some much-needed new features and exclusives. For example, look for Sony to announce a new Sixaxis controller that supports rumble and possibly a whole new feature for the system. Metal Gear Solid 4 (pictured) will most likely get a big reveal this E3, as will the latest installment in the Killzone franchise. Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (pictured) will get a big push considering how Insomniac saved the launch lineup. Expect more new titles for the Playstation Store. UPDATE: USA Today has managed to get the first in-game screen shot from Killzone, shown below.

Predictions: PSP

Expect the rumored PSP store to be revealed in all it’s splendor this E3. Don’t expect any radical changes like the rumored PSP redesign. Do expect more exclusives built from the ground up for the PSP, such as God of War: Chains of Olympus . As well, a connectivity system between the PSP and the PS3 will probably be shown. Expect to see new games that take advantage of this system.

Predictions: PlayStation 2

Don’t expect any truly groundbreaking additions to the PS2 this year. The system’s pretty much dead and buried as far as exclusives go once Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80's comes out.

We're back for E3!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Pavan Rajam) — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 18:22:00 +0000

Hello Everybody! After an extremely long absence, We're back for E3!!!!!! The week ahead brings much news and excitement in the game industry and we're going to try our best to bring you all of the details.

To help with the E3 coverage, we've drafted a new writer, Brandon Geurts, writing all the way from an undisclosed location in Sunny Florida. Please give him a warm welcome.

I'm going to be posting what we have lined up for this week soon enough so keep your eyes peeled!!

~Pavan Rajam
Editor-in-chief (of the Kilobits blog)

Kilobits 1- With exclusive Content!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Pavan Rajam) — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 02:09:00 +0000

Kilobits: The Talon’s Technology and Video Gaming Column

PAVAN RAJAM

TECHNOLOGY AND GAMING CORRESPONDENT

0KB-A Note from the writer:

Hello SVHS and welcome to the Talon’s first ever column dedicated to all things Gaming and Tech, where everything related to Video Games and Consumer Electronics can be found. In this inaugural issue, you’ll find the lowdown on one of the hottest games to be released on the Xbox 360 in the next months, a release list for a few noteworthy games that will come out in the near future, why you will and won’t want the new Apple iPhone and whether or not you really need the copy of Windows Vista right away. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, send us an e-mail at kilobitsmailbag@yahoo.com.

1KB-The end of the Drought is neigh…

Anyone who is familiar with the Video Game industry knows what this Subtitle is referring to. The First Quarter Drought is a phrase which refers to the first few months of the year when there are hardly any new games released, a stark contrast to the 4^th quarter of the year when publishers release games with such frequency and magnitude that many good Games (Ubisoft’s Beyond Good and Evil comes to mind) get ignored by the general public This year’s drought has been particularly bad on the PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii (No, you still can’t walk into a store and buy one or get a DS Lite. What’s up with that Nintendo?). The only notable upcoming release for the PS3 is Virtua Fighter 5 (also to be on the 360 this August) since MotorStorm has been delayed to March, while the Wii gets an original Sonic game (hopefully SEGA doesn’t mess it up again), SSX Blur, Wii Play, a compilation game in the vein of Wii Sports and is bundled with an extra Wii Remote, as well as Wario Ware Smooth Moves, available now. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is in a much to maintain its lead over the Wii and PS3 with titles like NBA Street Homecourt, and the much anticipated Crackdown.

Game	Platform	Release date	Comments
Crackdown	Xbox 360	02/20	Another stellar title for the 360, that’s worth buying.
Wii Play	Wii	02/14	The game is rather boring on its own, but there’s added value with the bundled Wiimote. Buy it for the Wiimote, and think of the games as an added bonus.
Sonic and the Secret Rings	Wii	02/20	A return to what made Sonic great: speed. The real question is whether SEGA hasn’t messed this one up like the last few Sonic games. Wait and see what the reviews say.
Virtua Fighter 5	PlayStation 3	02/20	The first 3d Fighting Game Series makes its Next-Gen debut. Worth a buy if you have a PS3.

2KB-Crackdown = Insane Fun

By Pavan Rajam

Crackdown is bound to draw unfair comparisons to the Grand Theft Auto Series. ( An ironic comparison, given that one of GTA’s creator, David Jones is one of the lead designers on the game). A more accurate comparison would be with games like Spider-Man 2 and The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. In Crackdown, you play as a genetically advanced police officer in the future who needs to go and clean up the streets of the generically titled Pacific City. It’s a sandbox game, like GTA, where you can go anywhere in the City and interact with the Environment. There are 5 different skills and abilities, you increase in: Driving, Firearms, Explosives, Agility, and Strength, and there’s lots of fun to be had as you level up. The process of Leveling up is one of the game’s strong points, in that as you do activities pertinent to each skill. For example, if you beat up gang members without any guns, your Strength increases. In terms of graphical quality, the game’s Comic Book art style plays to its favor. The textures are very flat in terms of color and thus allow the game to render the entire city in real time. It may not be Gears of War awesome, but they are still good.

The Bottom Line: Crackdown is looking awesome and is definitely going to be the 360 game everyone will be talking about when it comes out on the 20th

Still not sure or convinced? Check out the demo on the Xbox Live Marketplace and send us an email with your thoughts.

3KB-5 Reasons why you will want the Apple iPhone

1) It’s a slick, and small phone.

2)It doubles as a widescreen iPod.

3) It can surf the Web via WiFi.

4) It has a nice camera. At least better than the one on your RAZR or that free phone you got from your parents when they bought a RAZR for themselves.

5) It’s made by Apple. Ease of Use and Elegant design are guranteed.

3.5KB-5 Reasons why you won’t want the Apple iPhone

1) The Price. With a starting price tag of $499, you may want to wait for a price drop, or spend your money on something else.

2) You already have an iPod, and a phone. Pretty much everyone and their mom has an iPod and a cell phone, and convergence devices don’t have a good track record.

3) No 3G wireless support.

4) The touchscreen only interface.

5) You and/or your Parents don’t want to switch over to Cingular.

4KB-Is Vista Worth it?

After Numerous Delays, the latest version of the Windows Operating System, Windows Vista has been released by Microsoft. It will be available in four versions at retail; Home, Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate, with prices ranging from $199 - $399 retail, or $99-$259, if you’re upgrading from a previous iteration of Windows. Is it worth buying Vista for your current computer? As of right now, the answer is No. The main issue as of right now is compatibility. You don’t really know if the applications that you’re running will be supported by Vista. For all of you iPod users, Apple has stated that there have been some issues with iTunes running on Vista PC’s. There probably aren’t any new features which you may really want, and if there are some, they may not justify going through the guts of your PC to meet the system requirements.

The Bottom Line: While Windows Vista is a much needed update to XP, it’s not imperative that you go and buy. XP will be supported for a few more years and should keep you going until you decide to buy a new PC that already has Vista on it. But if you’re still running Windows 98, or Windows 2000 or ME, seriously, get with the times and go buy a new PC.

The Week Ahead

noreply@blogger.com (Pavan Rajam) — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 15:13:00 +0000

This week the inaugural issue of Kilobits, the newspaper column, will go to press. I plan on posting the content of the column on the blog as well this week so stay tuned! Also, check the few game releases I've added to the calendar. Ratchet and Clank looks to be a must have for PSP owners.

Link Dump for Wenesday February 7th, 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Pavan Rajam) — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 03:19:00 +0000

Here are some interesting Links for Today:

Gaming:
Grand Theft Auto Vice City stories to be released on the PS2- Link
Half-Life 2 Episode 2 delayed again to the fall- Link
EA closes down Japanese Studio- Link

Technology:
Microsoft Announces Windows Mobile 6-Link
New York State Senator Proposes Legislation to ban iPods on New York Streets- Link
Apple CEO Steve Jobs wants to get rid of Copy Protection on Music download- Link

As always, feel free to express your opinions in the comments.

New York May Ban the Use of iPods while Crossing the Street

noreply@blogger.com (Pavan Rajam) — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 19:31:00 +0000

That's right, you read that correctly. Reuters is reporting that New York State Senator Carl Kruger is planing on introducing legislation which would ban the use of Music players (iPods, Zunes, etc.) , mobile communications devices (BlackBerries, Treos, etc), and Portable Video Game consoles (PSP, DS, GameBoy) while one is using a crosswalk. Kruger cites three fatal accidents in Brooklyn, involving pedestrians using one of the aforementioned devices while crossing the street.

If such Legislation were proposed in Maryland, how would you react?

Read Full Article

Welcome

noreply@blogger.com (Pavan Rajam) — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 13:18:00 +0000

Hello SVHS and welcome to the Talon’s first ever blog dedicated to all things Gaming and Tech, where everything related to Video Games and Consumer Electronics can be found. This is where you'll find news, and our opinions and thoughts on the latest and greatest in Technology and Gaming If you have any questions, comments or concerns, send us an e-mail at kilobitsmailbag@yahoo.com , or just comment on the Blog posts.