Iron Man 2

I recently caught Iron Man 2 in the cinema, and it is worth disclosing that I'm a pretty big fan of the original. The original is actually one disc in my two movie blu-ray collection but I guess that is another post on to itself.

I should begin with the customary read at your own peril, as while I'll make efforts not to provide any spoilers these thoughts are best read once you've seen and formed your own opinions.

Strictly speaking Iron Man 2 doesn't bring anything new to the table, but then I don't really think there was anything missing from the first instalment. I've recently gotten in to the habit of completely inverting my eyes from any film promotion that I've already decided I'll go see. Once again this tactic served me well having not seen all the blowy-up-bits in the shorts. I recommend this tactic to anyone else who thinks modern day trailers are to revealing for their own good.

As far as special effects go they where ace, but then these days unless the director is after a cheesy half baked look they often are flawless. - well with the exception of this film. I also liked the way the storyline of the first was vaguely extended but different enough to provide both films with independent endings, I'm looking at you "Kill Bill: Vol 1" and "The Matrix Reloaded"

However the really innovative thing that Iron Man 2 contributes to is the 'comic book' like cross promotion that Marvel have been brewing for the last two years as we lead up to the visionary 'Avengers' movie. Together with the recent Hulk film along with Iron Man (1) and the scheduled next year releases of Thor and Captain America. The Avengers movie set to hit big screens in 2012 will include all the aforementioned super heros and one can only imagine a band of super villains to match.

It really isn't anything new for the comic book scene with super heros and villains often making cameos in each others source material. However it is great to see Marvel extend the idea to the big screen, which is arguably risker given the cost to illustrate a comic versus bank roll a hollywood blockbuster feature film.

If you haven't already seen Iron Man 2 I highly recommend it and make sure you stick around after the credits for the teaser scene and keep an eye out in movie for the Captain America reference ...

Time for a reboot!

I've been a little disappointed in myself over the last six months and my complete lack of posts. Much has happen in my life so I can't really blame a lack of content, I've just failed to find the time to pen it to paper … um, electronic pages.

Given that I perceive this blog as a kind of electronic journal its pretty useless as a retrospective view of my goings on if I don't make any post. So it is time for a reboot of virtualsteve as I still think it has place online, all be it a small.

I hope to spend the next fortnight or so catching up on some of the many posts I've told myself I'll write over the last six months. Covering a number of subjects from almost buying a block of land to moving in with the family in law. As well mush lighter subjects such as reviews on the movies I've seen and the video games I've completed.

So tune back in it'll be a shotgun ride for the next month or so and then hopefully this new found passion will persist and I'll get back to making a post or three every week ...

My take on the 'No Russian' scene of Modern Warfare 2

I’ve recently found some time (no scrap that) made some time to enjoy one of more controversial hobbies.

I began writing this post with the intention that anyone not as familiar with the video game industry could still understand my key points. As it is an opinion piece on the evolution of interactive media but I kept getting bogged down in the introduction so I’ve decided to go with a different tact.

About a fortnight ago, Infinity Ward (a software developer) released what was dubbed and pretty much attained the title of “biggest game release in history”. Famous for their ‘Call of Duty’ franchise this title was unique in two ways. If was the first time the company had created a sequel using the same story arc to an existing title and the first time they’d dropped the tag ‘Call of Duty’ from the game title.

‘Modern Warfare 2’ (MW2) is the sequel to the record breaking ‘Call of Duty 4:Modern Warfare’ (CoD4) and although a 1st person shooter the original title was ground breaking in both its single player story telling technique as well as its addictive ultra competitive multiplayer modes. The original title is easily one of the most successful titles on this generations hardware and available on Xbox 360, PS3 and traditional PC.

I must admit I missed the ‘Call of Duty’ band wagon favouring more arcade style shooters such as Halo which places a one man army against an intergalactic threat. The ‘Call of Duty’ franchise is far more contemporary pitting two or more human forces against each other with near real world inspired weaponry. Originally set in World War 2 each ‘Call of Duty’ game traditionally provides a handful of playable characters typically from multiple factions of the same alliance through a fictitious but history inspired theatre of war.

Given my almost non-existent experience with the World War 2 titles it’s safe to assume that my comments are restricted to the Modern Warfare variants. Given its key to my observations is should also be noted that both CoD4 and MW2 both have a ‘Mature’ rating and earlier titles where rated a more relaxed ‘Teen’. Essentially the realism of the violence is more confronting with the advancements in technology between the latter titles and those released earlier in the decade.

As you might imagine the enemy of the Modern Warfare titles is terrorism, and a factitious Russian private military organisation are the wrong doers of the games universe. 24-48 hours before the sequel was released the world media went into melt down reporting on a mission in the game that placed the player as a Terrorist during a raid on innocent civilians throughout a busy Airport.

It single handily ruined one of the more confronting and admittedly controversial interactive entertainment experiences of the decade. Being an avid gamer I consumed the world media’s interest in my own hobby despite its obvious negative connotations and innocently spoilt my potential reaction to the scenario.

The game essentially pits you as an undercover operative trying to gain the trust of a terrorist cell as they terrorise an Airport with fully automatic weapons with catastrophic casualties. I found the experience to be particularly alarming due to the constant sound effects of screaming civilians more so that the visual cues. However I knew it was in the game and anticipated it occurring to the point where I had pre-meditated my reaction and refrained from killing any unarmed assailants but crossed a grey line when police forces arrived to retaliate our (the terrorists) actions.

In the end it was all for nothing as my actions where inconsequential and the story played out as the developers intended, and while much criticism for how the story was told has been printed I’m more annoyed that the surprise was ruined. Due to Infinity Wards innovation and the controversial nature of the subject matter the world media essentially to borrow a film’s paradigm blabbered “Dr. Malcolm Crowe is Dead” on the eve of the “Sixth Sense” Premier screening.

It is said that the average age of a gamer is around 30 years old, yet a video game aimed at adults exploring adult themes can be spoilt. Instead of reading the plot like in a book or watching the screenplay unfold similar to a movie because elements of interaction are necessary to progress the same linear story line it is considered untasteful, inconsiderate and unfit for society.

I guess it is the freshness and constant evolution of the media that increases its appeal to me but how narrow minded people such as Michael Atkinson can continue fighting against the legitimacy of adult only games still baffles me ...

ponder this 03

If you're up all night, is it still called breakfast in the morning?

Let's get physical

On paper I consider myself a pretty active person with interests in Tennis, Golf, Squash, Swimming, Hiking, Bike riding, and when the stars align I even try my hand (and feet) at Surfing. Unfortunately between these exciting outdoor activities I’m typically bound to a desk during work hours and enjoy couch based video games as well us far too much unnecessary food between meals.

Between actively exercising and following a more disciplined diet to neglecting physical activities and making very poor snaking choices, I estimate over the past five or more years I’ve let my weight yo-yo by as much as 25 kg and have never been able to reach my ideal weight. The good news is I’m back into a weight loss mindset; the bad news is my latest spree has put me in close to or possibly the worst shape of my life.

I do despise how cliché my change in mind set aligns with the rest of society. It’s a pretty common occurrence to let one self go a little in the winter months with less sunlight for motivation and more hearty meals as hurdles. Nevertheless with my now annual pier to pub swim less than three months away on top of my decision to compete in the next BRW Cooperate Triathlon in February 2010 there is no time like the present to get ‘back’ in shape.

So like any gadget obsessed self proclaimed nerd I completed my Nike plus set! The love child of Apple and Nike and outside of the obvious attempts to sell their own wares, Nike plus tries to provide you with a set of tools and utilities that encourage you to run, and run more often. Nike plus isn’t new by any stretch of the imagination and I estimate without doing too much research that it is at least three years old and could even be five.

What is Nike plus? Well I’m glad you asked! At a very basic level it is the pairing of your running shoes to a computer in order to record basic workout stats each time you go for a run. Uploading the workout data to the web then lets you monitor your workouts over time and in theory you will see your own improvement and can then even train for certain distances etc. Add a sprinkle of social networking to the mix and you can compare workouts with friends, place challenges to like minded runners and even track your overall distance ‘ran’.

The real genius behind the system is for a decade or more runner where already carrying the computer, listening to their favourite tunes while on a run in the form of an iPod. All Nike did was make a range of shoes that you could hide a tiny radio transmitter in and Apple added some software to the iPod to record the radio signal from the shoe. Then with the help of iTunes you could elect to upload your workouts to the Nike plus web application and presto you have an advanced running aid; available all over the world.

It has taken me over eighteen months to collect all the bits and pieced needed to utilise the system, but yesterday I got my first taste of the whole experience. A few too many beers the night before had me leaving my car at a good mate’s place for the night, and the next day it came time to collect it. After the customary hour of procrastinating – since I’d decided to run there – I was all set with iPhone, sensor and Nike+ shoes. 18 minutes and 39 seconds later I had navigated the 2.48 Km distance and cursed every single sausage roll and packet of chips consumed in the last 12 months.

The real magic occurred hours later, upon getting ready for bed that evening I decided to charge my iPhone by plugging it into the USB cable connected to my Computer. The customary iPhone synchronisation process was kicked off, but before long I was prompted on whether or not I wanted to upload my workouts to the web. Curiously I agreed and before long I was navigating the Nike plus web application and exploring what it had to offer. It took me a little while to work out which links where plain unadulterated ‘advertising’ and which links actually provided ways to analyse my run. At the end of my exploration I’d subscripted to a 12 week training routine to get me from “walk to run” and taken note that I’m scheduled for a 15 minute, 1Km walk tomorrow (well today).

I’m not so disillusioned to think that this one utility is the savour to all my physical conditioning problems. I understand that this tool is just as useful as a gym membership and just as pointless if unused. All the same I’m happy to try it out and with luck it will help me with my least favourite discipline (running) and hopefully force me in to some ongoing good habits ...

The problem with idolising Boys

This entry is more than a fortnight late and while I don’t apologise for the delay I do feel it loses a little bit of its bite. I hope to keep more up to date with my entries in the future. For the time being please humour me and cast your minds back not a week or even two, but around three to Grand Final and its lead up.

I was asked on the Saturday (Yes GF day – try and keep up) if I was disappointed ... with the Lloyd decision to retire. I grimaced and responded to be honest I’m more disappointed with the Hurley incident. It is ridiculous that I judge the single action of a nineteen year old boy during the post season the greater of two evil versus losing the clubs single greatest goal kicker – ever!

If you haven’t heard, Michael Hurley who’s teenage brilliance at both ends of the ground in the closing rounds of the 2009 season, was involved in an altercation that include the play book of don’ts. "Alcohol", "Police", "early hours of the morning" and "assault" where all words alleged in the articles and news clips reporting the incident. It was devastating to have one of the brighter shinning kids of the football club being consistently brought up in talkback radio and editorial’s in conjunction with Brendan Fevola‘s Brownlow night antics.

The only defence Essendon faithful have is that Hurley is a teenager and Fevola should know better. Despite the fact that Hurley is as young as they come it still doesn’t remove the fact that he has a strike against his name and depending on his actions for the next decade or more, it could haunt him forever.

I know I’m being a little melodramatic but a West Coast supporting friend of mine still grimaces when reading media stories about Ben Cousins and even Michael Gardiner. Instead of calling them Premiership player or All Australian respectively they are often tagged as ex-drug attic or disgraced ruckman, just for dramatic effect by editors trying to sell newspapers.

I will miss Lloyd and thank him as I did Lucas for over a decade of spectator-ing goodness, but just as the winds of change blow the shadow of a new era over Essendon FC. It will take the emerging brightness of kids like Hurley and Pears to eradicate that shadow and ensure the club’s star burns.

From all reports the incident was completely out of character and everyone, especially teenagers should be given the benefit of learning from their mistakes. I’ve already seen a glimpse of Hurley on the field and still - though a little nervously - look forward to his growth both on and off it in the red and the black for many years to come ...

2009 Grand Final Week Predictions

One hundred and eighty four games later and only two teams remain. Melbourne is a buzz with Grand Final week and talk back radio and news print is rifle with predictions of who will take out Season 2009’s grand prize.

I have to admit I'm a little surprised by the swing in favouritism for the flag from arguably the best team all year (St Kilda) to arguably the best team in the last three years (Geelong). In a final series that for the first time unfolded by the numbers, with each highest placed team defeating its opposition I’m not ready to rule out the Saints.

Statistically the Saints sport the best defence ever assembled in the history of the game only conceding a measly 1411 points during the season proper. That is a staggering 67 goals less than their grand final opposition. In addition no team has failed to win the premiership after winning the first 19 games of the season.

While statistics are interesting for analysis after the fact they give us little insight into what will actually happen. The real reason I favour the Saints is a combination of the amount of pressure they place on opposition teams collectively in partnership with their twin towers forward line.

Nick Revolt has had a sensational year and more importantly for any remaining naysayers a magical finals series. I still recall back in the early naughts when St Kilda was still rebuilding, a young blonde headed kid popping up to slot seven goal s over a then far superior Essendon outfit. In that particular match it was to no avail as the Dons easily accounted for the Saints but the warning signs that this kid could play where clear.

Premiers: The Saints by 12 points in an epic contest, the Cats to suffer from inaccuracy once again.

Norm Smith: Nick Revolt for a bag of three plus goals and an incredible last half work rate.

Brownlow Medallist: Leigh Montanga for a breakout season.

Brownlow Medallist Smoky: Mitch Clarke for an outstanding season as Brisbane #1 ruck ...