Okay there is no "ugly," because Gran Turismo 5: Prologue is an absolutely beautiful game in standard definition. I can only dream of what it's like in 1080p.
GT TV seems cool, though there's very little content there so far. The interface is better designed and simple to use. The physics feels a little improved from GT4, and gameplay in general is great.
One cool enhancement is light adjustment. When entering a dark tunnel, the screen will gradually brighten up as if our eyes are adjusting. Vice versa when exiting a dark tunnel.
Online play is pretty funny and it's hard to describe why. You'd have to see it in person. This feature is great though, and requires little explanation.
The game isn't without flaws, though. Some have called it a glorified demo, other's say it's worthy of being a full game. I'd agree with the "glorified demo" camp. There is a good selection of cars, but you can't buy parts and there are very few tuning options. For $40 I'm a little unimpressed.
The interface is a little choppy and sluggish, which is really strange considering the smoothness of everything else. No big deal, it just looks unpolished. Hopefully the full Gran Turismo 5 game will be better here.
I'm not sure if this is a bug, but sometimes there will be music when I'm racing, and sometimes there won't be.
Finally, my biggest annoyance about this new iteration is the controls. It's obvious Polyphony wants you to go out and buy yourself one of Logitech's Driving Force wheels, because the controls are vastly inferior compared to GT4 and the PS2 controller. Specifically, braking, gassing, and turning are all incredibly sensitive and hard to transition smoothly. I have had a rather difficult time with the controls, considering I've played every GT game to date and loved the accurate controls in GT4. I don't know if this is a change in the PS3 controller's pressure sensitivity or a change in GT5:P itself, but it definitely makes me want to get a wheel, which I will be getting regardless.
Eh, Prologue leaves me a little unimpressed for a $40 demo.
Also got a new Dualshock 3 controller today and it's nice. Ugh, controllers are so expensive these days.
Preorders...more like postorders amirite?
I pre-ordered Gran Turismo 5: Prologue figuring I would get it in a timely fashion after its release. It came out 2 days ago, but it has not shipped yet. It's pretty retarded that I pre-ordered it, yet I can go right to Best Buy and purchase one off the shelf before my pre-order even ships. Never again will I pre-order a game online. Last time I did this with Phantom Hourglass, I ended up going to Best Buy, buying one, and canceling my back-ordered pre-order. To top that off, the pre-order was from Best Buy.
This game series is the one reason I bought a PS3 over a 360, by the way. So I'm sure you can imagine my frustration.
Time to mix up a gin and tonic.
This game series is the one reason I bought a PS3 over a 360, by the way. So I'm sure you can imagine my frustration.
Time to mix up a gin and tonic.
Facebook vs email
I just saw a chain letter thing on someone's facebook. I wonder if there will ever be a time when people start to realize that chain emails are, well, chain emails.
And people really need to learn the differences in usage of "your" and "you're," and "there," "their," and "they're." It's no wonder stupidity is a stereotypical trait of Americans. Lots of college kids/grads still can't tell the difference, which is sad and ridiculous.
And people really need to learn the differences in usage of "your" and "you're," and "there," "their," and "they're." It's no wonder stupidity is a stereotypical trait of Americans. Lots of college kids/grads still can't tell the difference, which is sad and ridiculous.
The Consumerist
I've been meaning to rant about this consumer advocacy blog for a while, but never got around to it. There is a lot of good information on their site worth reading, but there is also a truckload of crap to sift through.
Let's take for instance the massive number of receipt checking complaints that get posted. Apparently, letting Wal-Mart employees harmlessly glance over our receipts will lead us into a dictatorship. I can understand complaining about being wrongfully detained or searched, but really those guys take a look at your receipt and you walk out (unless you're actually stealing). Why do people object to this practice so strongly? Do you want to show the person your receipt and be done in 2-5 seconds, or do you want to argue about your right for 10+ minutes? One guy even assaulted a receipt checker for Christ's sake. If there's one question that I would ask that guy, it would be "Was it worth it?" There's no consumer advocacy going on in these posts. Just stupidity. They advocate irrational behavior. Really, what's the harm in letting someone glance at your receipt? Are you buying tons of porn, illegal drugs, and other things that they probably don't sell at Wal-Mart? The only time I can really understand the need for privacy is when purchasing medications (I don't know if they print those names on the receipts anyhow). But all the receipt stories on the blog are for shower racks, or groceries. I mean, seriously, will it kill you if some stranger knows that you're having spaghetti for dinner?
Then there are the commenters. Oh man, don't even get me started on them. They're stupid. One recent commenter claimed he could prove merchandise exchange fraud by looking at a 494x369 pixel picture. Really? That iPod wouldn't fit in a different generation iPod's box without creating a bulge? It doesn't sit flush you say? It looks like it would be easy to squeeze in if it's not already in it's carrier there, though with such a low resolution picture it would be incredibly difficult to say.
Here's the picture I'm referring to:
The Consumerist was once my favorite information blog, but now I feel I've squeezed it of all its usefulness. The occasional new and useful posts are usually links to other sites anyhow.
/rant
Let's take for instance the massive number of receipt checking complaints that get posted. Apparently, letting Wal-Mart employees harmlessly glance over our receipts will lead us into a dictatorship. I can understand complaining about being wrongfully detained or searched, but really those guys take a look at your receipt and you walk out (unless you're actually stealing). Why do people object to this practice so strongly? Do you want to show the person your receipt and be done in 2-5 seconds, or do you want to argue about your right for 10+ minutes? One guy even assaulted a receipt checker for Christ's sake. If there's one question that I would ask that guy, it would be "Was it worth it?" There's no consumer advocacy going on in these posts. Just stupidity. They advocate irrational behavior. Really, what's the harm in letting someone glance at your receipt? Are you buying tons of porn, illegal drugs, and other things that they probably don't sell at Wal-Mart? The only time I can really understand the need for privacy is when purchasing medications (I don't know if they print those names on the receipts anyhow). But all the receipt stories on the blog are for shower racks, or groceries. I mean, seriously, will it kill you if some stranger knows that you're having spaghetti for dinner?
Then there are the commenters. Oh man, don't even get me started on them. They're stupid. One recent commenter claimed he could prove merchandise exchange fraud by looking at a 494x369 pixel picture. Really? That iPod wouldn't fit in a different generation iPod's box without creating a bulge? It doesn't sit flush you say? It looks like it would be easy to squeeze in if it's not already in it's carrier there, though with such a low resolution picture it would be incredibly difficult to say.
Here's the picture I'm referring to:
The Consumerist was once my favorite information blog, but now I feel I've squeezed it of all its usefulness. The occasional new and useful posts are usually links to other sites anyhow.
/rant
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