Twisted Pixel: A PAX 10 Success Story

So with PAX fast approaching I thought it might be fun to cover my favorite PAX 10 success story. For those of you not familiar with the PAX 10 every year the people who run PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) chose 10 independently developed games to showcase as part of the expo. In 2008 one of those games was The Maw from a then little know developer by the name of Twisted Pixel. Thanks to that choice the game became kind of a media darling and was covered by pretty much every gaming outlet out there.

When The Maw was released in January of 2009 it was met with an impressive amount of hype for a game on the then fledgling Xbox Live Arcade service. The Maw if you haven't played it was an incredibly cute and whimsical game that managed to funny and challenging all at the same time. The player controlled a small blue alien who in turn controlled a larger purple alien with one hell of an appetite. I know it sounds different, and it is. That is what makes it worth playing even now. If you happened to have missed it the first time give The Maw a shot and download the demo.

The following year Twisted Pixels next game was part of the Summer of Arcade program for Xbox Live Arcade. 'Splosion Man was immediately hailed by everyone as the platformer everyone had been waiting for. It took a simple one button control scheme and turned it into one of the most challenging games to have ever been released on the 360. Splosion Man manged to mix the accuracy needed in Super Mario Brothers with the speed and twitch reflexes needed in a game like Sonic, and what came out of it was pure gaming joy. Are you starting to see a pattern yet? Yep, go get it if you haven't already.

After they finished working on 'Splosion Man Twisted Pixel started work on a game with more scope. And in fitting fashion they announced Comic Jumper at PAX in 2009. By this time Twisted Pixel had built a big following with the PAX faithful and it quickly picked up steam on the show floor as well as across the gaming media. Over a year later Comic Jumper was released as part of Microsofts Game Feast and sold very well. The game followed Captain Smiley and his costumes smart-ass star logo through four comic book eras. The game is easy enough to explain, it is a bullet hell side-scrolling platformer.

If you know your video games then you know that the game isn't as easy to play as it is to explain. It is a game that is not for the faint of heart. It will punish you over and over again. Here is the catch, you will most likely enjoy every minute of it. Thanks to the fun characters and worlds.

So what would the creative minds at Twisted Pixel think of next? Well, on July 13^th, they decided to riff on Namco and Ms 'Splosion Man was released on Xbox Live Arcade and has managed to bring all the fun of the first game with a lot more difficulty and A TON of pop culture references to boot. I haven't finished this one yet, but I am having a blast with it so far. This one is a must have for anyone that considers themselves a gamer. The same tight controls as the first game with a lot of added attitude and fun. You don't want to miss this one.

So what do you do after you have essentially conquered Xbox Live? Move on to retail! That is exactly what Twisted Pixel is doing with their next release, The Gunstringer. It was announced recently that this new Kinect title, that has players controlling a gunslinging marionette with just hand gestures, will be the developers first retail boxed release. I haven't got my hands on this one yet but hopefully it will live up to the legacy that Twisted Pixel has built. I'm sure they will be showing it off at the place where is all started 4 years ago, at PAX.

As always you can leave feedback in the comments or hit me up on twitter, @Jlove89. Also feel free to click the assorted social media thingys below to help spread the word. Thanks!

One of the Best Shows You May Not Be Watching

So I have been shirking my responsibilities to this blog lately and for that I say, I am sorry. In my defense it is the slowest month of the year for game news and summer TV shows are just getting rolling. That's my defense, but it's not the reason I haven't been keeping up. I have been watching every episode of In Plain Sight I could get my hands on.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the show its a buddy cop show. I know, done a million times. What has hooked me so completely is the slightly overwritten main characters, who still manage to be extremely endearing and the true issues of human weakness the show manages to delve into.

So the basic setup is Mary (Mary McComack) and Marshall (Frederick Weller) are US Marshals who work in witness protection. The basic outline for the show is that each episode follows one person or group of people that are placed into WitSec. Although Mary is by far the main character here, the roles of Marshal, Stan (Paul Ben-Victor), Jinx (Lesley Ann Warren) and Brandi (Nicole Hiltz) are all important in understanding her character motivation. And the very strong performances of them all only help to cement this show on my must watch list.

Mary McCormack is brilliant in this role. She is adept at playing the snarkiness the role requires with just right pinch of disdain. She pulls it off with perfectly timed humor and off the cuff one liners that truly brings the audience closer. While Weller brings a level headed straight man to balance McCormacks antics spouting literary quotes and useless facts as he goes . Warren who plays Marys' mother and Hiltz who plays her sister manage to help explain the antics in the first place. Which brings us to Ben-Victor who manages to play a father figure to all while still managing to bring a playfulness to the part. Overall the casting and writing for each is spot on and I enjoy every minute of banter between them.

Now, if you've ever watched a show on USA you know that their “Characters Welcome” tag line isn't just a tag line. They pride themselves on over the top characters and over the top story lines. I watch Psych for exactly that reason. But In Plain Sight brings something to the table I have not noticed on the network before. Through, what I now consider, some of the best writing on television, they manage to bring the viewer into a new life with new people that I genuinely become engaged with each and every episode. Each show brings with it a new witness and the ingenious part is they all bring very different outlooks and baggage into the program. It is those differences that make each episode different with all new emotions and motivations at play. My hat is off the writing team for managing to make the witnesses just as big a part of the show as any other character despite the fact we see them for an hour and then they are gone.

So, in short, I wasn't watching In Plain Sight, and I am trying to make sure that no one else is making that mistake. It may turn out to not be your thing, but please just give it a shot. The first three seasons can be found on Netflix streaming service and the current season is available on Hulu Plus.

One more time, I am sorry for the time away. I hope you will post this to your Facebooks or Twitters or that new Google Plus thing that I still don't have an invite to (hint). As always you can follow me on Twitter @Jlove89. Thanks again for reading!

The CW Welcomes Buffy Back this Fall

All right, so we've done the big boys, time for little brother. The CW is the bastard child of TV. It has however managed to be slowly claw it's way into quite a bit of viewership in the last few years, especially with the ever sought after younger viewer. With shows like Gossip Girl, which is really just a younger skin on Sex in the City, and Vampire Diaries, aka the TV version of Twilight, drawing the the teen, tween, and young adult audiences. This year is no different. The network is, again, skewing young with most of its offerings including several reality shows. I'm just going to stick with scripted offerings however.

After the success of Vampire Diaries it should be no surprise that another teen supernatural drama would be on the way. I really found the little bit of what I watched of Vampire Diaries pretty fun and entertaining and I can see the same in The Secret Circle. Just another take on the high school drama with a supernatural twist. Think The Craft meets Buffy. I think I am going to give this one a shot.

Here's the is a show that is top five on my list for this year easily. Sarah Michelle Gellars (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) return to TV comes in the form of Ringer, a suspense thriller that has caught some eyes so far. I think the dark tone and twin storyline look great and I for one am very excited about this one.

And finally, Doc Hollywood was a horrible movie. So why not make one for TV? Who the hell thinks of this shit?

So overall I think that the CW is staying the course which is probably best for the fledgling network. I think two of the three shows will end up showing well for them and that's a pretty good showing. As always you can leave feedback in the comments or hit me up on twitter, @Jlove89. Also feel free to click the assorted social media thingys below to help spread the word. Thanks!

FOXs Fall Offerings

So back to TV. This time it's my favorite (please read with heavy sarcasm) network, FOX. Yep, I really think that FOX has been short sighted in the past with shows that could have had legs if given the time to pick up an audience. But I have bitched about that in great detail before so this will not be a look back but rather a look forward to what FOX with be offering us this fall.

First up is what I consider one of the most misguided moves in TV this year. Tera Nova is show about a group of people who, in the year 2149 when the earth is dying, travel back in time to the cretaceous era. Yep, complete with dinosaurs. Take a minute and think that one through. Now, Steven Spielberg is one of the producers behind this one so FOX might give it a chance. But this really looks a lot like am attempt to cash in on Avatars success at the box office and judging by the trailer, a poor one at that.

Now on to the next attempt by FOX to put a spin on the procedural. They have successfully done it with Bones and Fringe in the past and I am keeping an open mind about The Finder. This one to me is Bones and Justified kinda smashed together. It wont be starting until mid-season and will be falling into the Bones slot so it should get a small bump to start. In fact this is a Bones spin-off. and the “pilot” was shown as one of the Bones episodes last season. I want to like this show, but I was not impressed by the one off episode that was shown. This one has me on the fence. I think that once the cast gets the opportunity to separate itself from Bones and gel as a cast that this one might show well. The only question is, will FOX give them that kind of time?

Did you love Napoleon Dynamite? If the answer is no (this is where I fall), move on this isn't for you. If the answer is yes, step right up have I got something for you. Your favorite fuzzy-headed dancing freak is back! FOX is bring an animated series based on the fill to its Sunday night Animation Domination line-up. Here's the the bonus, all the characters will be played by the actors that played them in the film.

Do you love Jonah Hill? Yep, same deal as above. Animated series created by Jonah Hill, also voiced by Jonah Hill, about a very mature little kid being forced away from home schooling and into public school. Yeah, that all I've got so here is Allen Gregory, Enjoy?

Okay, one more comedy from FOX. This one I really want to like, mostly because I have become rather fond of the quirkiness that Zooey Deschanel typically brings to a character. However, this one just seems to be rubbing me the wrong way. I hope it gets better, but I'm not holding my breath.

Alright, how about something that might not suck now? Who ,may you ask, can save us? Why JJ Abrams of course, for he knows the hearts of all TV watchers. Or at least you would think so by the speed at which any project with him attached is given a green light. I know that all sounds cynical, but this show is the one new FOX show that has the potential of being a huge hit. I ,for one, can't wait to see where Alcatraz takes us when it hits mid-season. 

An now, for moment you've all been waiting for, I Hate My Teenage Daughter. Long title for a show that I think will have a really short run. I think this misses both the demographics it is shooting for in mothers and daughters. Although the cast boasts two great comedic actresses in Jaime Pressly (My Name is Earl) and Kate Finneran (Wonderfalls) it just seems to be trying to hard. But I am also the guy that said the same thing about Two and a Half Men. I just don't see this being able to capture any real numbers, it is too busy trying to get maximum viewership to be all that funny. But what do I know?

Of course we all know that FOX cares very little about most of these shows success. They are going all in on very big variable. The X Factor will be the show that FOX anchors it's line up around this fall. If the show can get fraction of the viewers that American Idol gets it will be a huge win for FOX. Especially since it can drag it out over two full primetime hours just like Idol. As long as FOX has a show that can do that they can afford to ax shows after only a few episodes. The thing is they aren't really reaching this year. In the past they have stuck their neck out on shows like Glee and Lie to Me. Some didn't pan out while others a have become network staples. Why not take some more risks. With the huge popularity of your reality shows, what's the risk? I guess I am just not really impressed with what FOX has to offer after choosing to cancel shows like Lie to Me and The Chicago Code. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below, or on twitter @Jlove89.

The big three at E3

Alright, so I'm back. I took last week off since it was E3 week and I wanted to just soak it all up before I wrote about it. So this post will be about some of the new things and upcoming games I found most exciting from E3. I will break it up into the big three (Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo) this time and I will follow up in a couple days with the games that really stood out to me.

Let start with the company, that in my, opinion “won” E3. Sony. Yep, you heard me. Sony had the best showing. They came out at their press event and showed some of the best of what the company offers to gamers. Uncharted 3 looks better than Uncharted 2 and that game was pretty much everyones number one game of 2009. The Resistance franchise looks to be back on track after a not so hot second installment. Of course there were some games missing as well. The Last Guardian was nowhere, not even at the show. No Metal Gear, huh? So what, you might ask, made Sony the winner in my eyes? One number...$249. The once codenamed NGP handheld from Sony was given it's official coming out party. Although they should have stuck with NGP or PSP or really anything other than PS Vita, which could be the worst console name....well...ever. They did get the price right. At $249 it is the same price as the 3DS and anyone that looks at, or even reads about, the differences between the two will be hard pressed to choose Nintendos offering over the Vita. The Vita boast graphics very close to the PS3, an OLED multitouch screen, a back touchpad, and ...wait for it...Dual analog sticks. In short, it is at least twice the machine the 3DS is for the same price. In fact with that announcement coming before Nintendos conference it put a whole different spin on the Nintendo event.

 

This was supposed to be Nintendos year. They were not only going to show what amazing games were coming for the 3DS, they were also showing off their brand new console that would once again change the face of gaming. Just one problem, they didn't follow through on any of it. I bought a 3DS, I had faith that Nintendo would come through with amazing content for device. And they did, by their standards. Only problem was that Sony had, less than 24 hours earlier, raised the bar so high with the Vita that Nintendo had no chance to impress anyone. So when Nintendo rolled out Mario Kart, Super Mario, Kid Icarus, Luigis Mansion 2 and Starfox it was great, but there was a voice in the back of my head that kept saying “none of this is as cool as the games on Vita”. So, that was kind of depressing.

Then there was the big announcement of the new console. The Wii-U, I have no idea who is naming these consoles but they should be fired. If you haven't seen the new controller let me try to describe it. It is what you would get if an iPad and a xbox controller had some kind of bastard child. Oh and you are still going to be using all the the stuff you collected with your Wii too. All the Wiimotes and nunchucks and balance boards all work with the new system. I think it best if you don't know to just watch the video. So, really not the homerun I was looing for from Nintendo either.

So now to Microsoft. Well it is obvious that Kinect is here to stay as it was a huge part of the Microsoft press event. And as has been the case the last two years as well a large part of show was also dedicated to non-game additions to the Xbox 360. This fall “The New Xbox Experience” (yeah they are using the exact same terminology again) will launch and will include a live TV channel, Bing, and MMA. First the TV thing, from different stories I've read it looks like Microsoft was planning a big unveil of the service at the show. However, they couldn't get the deals in place to actually announce any partners. My guess is we will hear a lot more about this in the coming months as more actual partners are signed. But from what they showed it looks to be the long talked about IPTV service for Xbox and will include almost all the bells and whistles you get from your provider now. It may not have all the channels right away, but it may grow into something that could replace your cable or satellite service. The addition of Bing essentially gives you a media search function for your xbox. The example they showed was Xmen. The person simply said “Xbox, Bing, Xmen” and a list of all the Games, demos, Videos (both in Zune and Netflix came up. Making it easy to find whatever it is your looking for. And finally, there will be MMA live matches on Xbox live. If this is the kind of thing you care about I'm sure you can find more info somewhere. All I know is that you can watch guys fight and root for them like you can on the current ESPN service as well as follow stats.

It looks as though Microsoft has ripped a page out of Sonys playbook. They are now trying to push Kinect on the hardcore by finding a way to “enhance” the core game we all play with Kinect. In other words they aren't going to force you to play Kinect, but if they make it look cool enough hopefully you will. The big way they showed this off was with Mass Effect 3. You can now read dialog prompts in case using the stick on the controller is too diffacult for you to figure out. The one that caught my eye though was being able to call out orders to your team in battle. I always hate pausing action to give orders, it takes me out of the action, this will hopefully give me control with out the loosing the illusion of being in the thick of it. Of course then there were the obvious Kinect software annoucements Dance Central 2, Kinect Sports Season 2, and Star Wars Kinect all looked like like great uses for the device.

And now the big stuff, Halo Anniversary was officially announced. If you don't know, what they have done it essentially reskinned Halo: Combat Evolved with graphic quality close to that of Reach. The really cool part is that the original game is running under the new polish so it not only plays identically but you can turn off the shiny new layer at any time and take a look at the difference. The really, really, cool part is that they are re-imagining the classic multiplayer maps for CE for use with Reaches multiplayer. Team slayer on Blood gulch anyone? And now the grand finale Halo 4 was also announced, however we wont see it until holiday 2012. Although that sounded great overall what they showed was a bunch of stuff we already knew about so all and all not that exciting as far as games go.

There you are, my thoughts on the big three. They are a bit disorganised, but I am still unsure of a clear message from anyone and its been more than a week.What do you think? Was E3 all you hoped for? What was your surprise of the show?

CBS, If it ain't broke...

Alright, it's CBS's turn this week. Just to let you know up front. This is a pretty short list. It should be since CBS seems to have struck gold at least once a year for the last four years. Over the last four years they have added Big Bang Theory, The Mentalist, Hawaii Five-O, The Good Wife, and popular spin off NCIS: Los Angeles. Those shows bolstered a line up that already included perennial favorites Criminal Minds, How I Met Your Mother, Survivor, NCIS, Two and a Half Men and CSI among others. This network is in a state of “if it ain't broke, don't fix it”. So their offerings for this year include some safe plays with one standout in my mind, with out many open slots in their lineup it's a smart play.

First up is the one that got my attention. Unforgettable is a new spin on the buddy cop procedural that has become popular as of late with shows like Bones and Castle. The spin on this one seems to be the distinct lack of any comedy. While the others tend to use an almost Laurel and Hardy juxtaposition for laughs, Unforgettable is all about the serious. The main idea is that the leads here were once police partners and lovers who have been thrown back together by chance. There will, I'm sure, be plenty of emotional angst between the two as they not only work on cases but also their relationship. Sounds really melodramatic and kinda derivative doesn't it. Well here's the part that got me to put this on the top of my list for CBS, the female lead character has hyperthymesia which means she can't forget anything, ever. Watch the trailer and let me know what you think.

Next up is what I am hoping might be a new show in my sitcom rotation, but I'm not putting too much behind it. 2 Broke Girls (see how they used the number 2 to set it apart from Two and a Half Men, clever right?) is exactly what it sounds like, a sitcom about two girls who are broke trying to make it in the big city. One is a snarky and quick witted waitress while the other the daughter to a now indicted rich father and hence broke. This fish out of water meets the odd couple sitcom would be an automatic pass for me if it weren't for Kat Dennings who takes quick wit to all new lever. If the writing can stay somewhat smart and relevant, this might be a gem, despite the laugh track. I really think this trailer does the show no favors. How about you?

This next one just missed with me, for now. Person of Interest, a slightly new and realistic spin on the superhero story line starring Jim Caviezel as an ex-CIA agent sounds like a hit. But something just misses the mark for me here. I think the lack of any kind of story arc might be it. I hope that the trailer is just not showing what I need to get into this one. I really want to like it. Oh yeah, guess what, JJ Abrahms again. Picking up on theme?

Ladies, this one is for you. Or at least CBS thinks so. Take Greys Anatomy, throw in some Ghost Whisperer, and you get.... A Gifted Man. That's all I got, just watch the trailer.

And so we come to my last and definitely least of the CBS offerings. When the “funniest”(I use that term VERY loosely) parts of your trailer come from the sister and brother-in-law of you main character, you may want to think about starting over from scratch. I give you, How to be a Gentleman.

In closing, I think this may be the end of the road for the hits for CBS unless Unforgettable turns out to be just that.

NBCs not so impressive fall

Alright, NBCs turn. Their fall line-up is definitely not what I would call strong, but there are a few standouts. So, without further delay....

First up is one that is near and dear to me on a few levels. Grimm comes from David Greenwalt, who worked on Buffy before he helped to create Angel. That is a pretty damn good pedigree so I am willing to give this show some room to breathe. The trailer shows promise but it also shows a little bit of cheesiness. The show follows a descendent of the same Grimms that were responsible for all those stories that kept you up late as a kid. The catch is, all those stories are real and the only ones who can see the monsters for what they really are are the Grimms. This one is definitely not for everyone.

Next up is NBC's version of jumping on the Mad Men bandwagon. The Playboy Club is exactly what it sounds like. It is the story of the playboy club in Chicago and the lives of the girls who work there and the men that frequent the club. It has all the swagger needed to pull it off. But there just seems something holding me back from getting excited. I just can't put my finger on it.

Carrying on with NBC's theme of any thing you can do, we can do “better”, is Smash. Despite the blatant “we wish we would have thought of Glee first” vibe this radiates, I am high on it. The cast is full of A-list talent and the Broadway setting is much more mature than high school. And between Debra Messing, Angelica Houston and Katherine McPhee, I am getting a little excited about this one.

Now on to something funny. Up All Night should be amazing based solely on cast. With Will Arnett and Christina Applegate in the lead roles this should be a hit, and the trailer supports it every step of the way. The two seem to have instant chemistry and this show could turn out to be the big winner among some very mediocre sitcom offering from NBC this year.

This next one is a must watch for me purely based on the fact it is as original idea as I have ever seen on TV. It's kinda tough to explain this one, but it has me more excited than just about any other show coming this fall.

And finally another COLOSAL miss in the sitcom department. Don't get me wrong, I love Laura Prepon and Chelsey Handler is a funny woman at times but this series feel about ten years behind the times. Depending on a laugh track to tell the audience went out a while ago and while some shows are still truly funny and have a laugh track, this is definitely not one of them.

"Wake" up time

So, I realize that a large part of the people reading this missed Alan Wake completely. Who can blame you? It was released the same day as Red Dead Redemption, which went on to win numerous game of the year awards. It was pure misfortune for Remedy and Microsoft that Red Dead was moved to that day, overshadowing what in my opinion is one of the greatest “action-thrillers” ever in the interactive entertainment medium.

 

I'm here to let you know if you haven't played it, it's time. As long as you own an Xbox 360 at least. Wake was one of the first games ever shown as an Xbox 360 exclusive and then seemed to fall further and further to the wayside as it's development went longer and longer. Yet the game that was realeased, although no longer as graphically impressive as it once seemed, was well worth the wait. Remedy crafted a great story wrapped around what was truly fun and somewhat original game play.

Here's the tough part. I really can't say much about the games story since what makes it so great is the discovery of that story. The outline is this. You are Alan Wake, go figure right, who is a writer with a little bit of a writers block problem. You head to a small town in the pacific northwest to find some peace and hopefully find your writing voice again. Upon arrival strange thing start happening that lead to the disappearance of your wife. The rest of the story unravels from there. I am going to leave it at that as the story unwinding is what truly makes Alan Wake exceptional.

The minute to minute game play is tons of fun and does a good job adding tension to the overall game. Light is the name of the game here, therefor your greatest weapon is your flashlight. Although the light alone won't destroy the baddies it is needed to weaken them to the point your weapon will. That is the game play in a nutshell. I know it sounds simple enough, but Remedy paced the game so well and packed in enough different situations to keep it fairly fresh throughout. Add in one of the best soundtracks I've heard in a game and you have something special.

Overall, this is a game you should play. In fact after writing this, it's a game I am going to play again. The reason I am bringing it up now is that rumors are circling of a new Alan Wake game. Remedy supposedly said it is not Alan Wake 2 and it is supposed to be downloadable. I for one can't wait to get back to the world. I'm sure we will hear more at E3 in a few weeks. So before we do, take this opportunity to get caught up on the story so far. It's worth it.

As always if anyone has any ideas of something you would like me to cover here I am open to suggestions. If you likes what you read please share it with others through all those cool social media do-dads at the bottom. Leave a comment or email me at Jlove89@msn.com, or follow me on twitter @Jlove89. Thanks!

Sherlock is this weeks "movie"

So this weeks “movie” is actually a TV show. The reason I'm putting it up as a “movie” is that each episode is about an hour and a half long and there are three episodes, you do the math. Sherlock is a show produced by the BBC that takes the worlds foremost detective and his Dr. Watson and gives them a modern spin. Created by Stephen Moffat and Mark Gatiss the show manages to bring a dark and realistic tone to what has often been portrayed as a kids story. Moffat, who is best known for his work on the newest iteration of Doctor Who, has managed to make the old knew again through the creation and writing of two very deep and interesting main characters.

Our Dr. Watson is played by none other than the man that would be Bilbo, Martin Freeman. In fact Freeman just took a break from the set of The Hobbit in order to shoot another three episode run of Sherlock. Watson, a disabled veteran of a recent war, is struggling through life like anyone else would be in that situation, until he meets Holmes, who brings some excitement back to his life. Freeman plays the part to a tee, and will without a doubt be emerging as a world-wide superstar when The Hobbit releases.

 

On to the main attraction. And this one is worth the price of admission. Benedict Cumberbatch, go ahead read it again, is absolutely mesmerizing as Holmes. Out of nowhere he has become someone to watch based solely on this series. He will most likely be familiar in some way to some of you seeing as he has been in quite a bit. But you have never seen him like this. This role seems tailor made for him. He manages to capture the sympathy and disdain of the audience that the character requires, all while managing to make it seem like a day at the amusement park. It is worth it to watch Sherlock just for his performance.

 

So if you haven't picked it up yet, I'm a fan. The writing is smart and clever, the acting is spot on, and the characters are literally classics. I don't think you can go wrong with this one. You can find Sherlock on Netflix streaming, and you should. Enjoy.

As always if anyone has any suggestions of something you would like me to cover here I am open to suggestions. If you likes what you read please share it with others through all those cool social media do-dads at the bottom. Leave a comment or email me at Jlove89@msn.com, or follow me on twitter @Jlove89. Thanks!

The A's and B's of ABCs' New Fall Lineup

Last week I talked about FOXs ham-handed way of choosing shows for cancellation. This week it's on to brighter days. I will, over the next few weeks, be going through the newly announced shows for the fall, a few at a time.

First up is ABCs fall lineup, and what a lineup it is. With everything from southern belles to the toolman to angels and fairy tales. This is the most inconsistent line up I have seen.

Lets start with the best, from what I can tell. I love a good drama and I have high hopes for Pan-Am. Although we don't know much of what is below the surface yet, this series looks to be a possible spy or smuggling drama wrapped in the glitz and glamor of the 1960's airline business. The time when people dressed to fly and the Pan-Am stewardesses, which is who this show revolves closely around, were the queens of the sky. I only hope that this show from the writer of The West Wing and executive producer of ER holds up to it's pedigree.

Next up, a little comedy talk. Apartment 23 looks to be a ton of fun. I am excited about this one. It will be airing midseason along side Cougertown on Tuesday nights. If this slightly over the top show lives up to the quirkiness in the trailer this could be a match made in heaven. I think it's best if you just watch the trailer.

As much as I wanted to throw Suburgatory in the “bad” pile the casting is what makes this a watch and see for me. It looks like it might be a little to high school drama for me but looks to also be pretty funny at it's roots. I'm on the fence with this one...

Another on the fence is Good Christian Belles. There is only one reason this show is not in the never watch pile...Kristen Chenoweth. She is the definition of a scene stealer, I just have to root for her. Her performances in Pushing Daisies earned her an Emmy despite the shows cancellation and she has stolen every episode of Glee she has appeared on. Yet she again seems to be playing a supporting role. Can she a carry a show from there? I guess we will see come fall.

On next to The River from executive producer Steven Spielberg. This looks like it might be thriller done right for TV. Revolving around a family searching for their lost father on the Amazon river. If I had seen the trailer without knowing, I would have said this was JJ Abrams which bodes well for the series. Give the trailer a watch and let me know what you think.

The last show I want to mention that has caught my eye is Missing. It appears to a Taken vibe. ABC has not shown a full trailer since the pilot hasn't wrapped but I am still intrigued.

That covers most of the good from what I've seen come out of ABC. The bad I will cover tomorrow.

But, I think I may leave you with my thoughts on the saddest and most pitiful thing I've seen in a while. Tim Allens return to TV is nothing short of painful. Take Home Improvement, remove the boys and add girls, sprinkle in some one liners that are a little old at this point and you get, Last Man Standing. Sorry Tim, your time has passed.

PR and the PSN

Well, the big news in gaming over the weekend was by far the return of the PlayStation Network on Saturday. Sony has been working very hard from what we have heard to get the service back on it's feet, and all the work has finally paid off. The service has not returned in it's entirety but most of the functionality that gamers care about is there. The one major missing piece is the the store but it sounds like that will be up by months end.

I think Sony has hit the mark that they desperately needed to hit in getting service up and running so that this is not a topic at E3 this year. The timing of the announcement could not have come at a more convenient time, three weeks before the beginning of E3 with what looks like a pretty bust pre-E3 week ahead for both game news and game journalists. The triumphant return of the PSN will quickly be swept under the rug as the preview of the big games that will be shown at E3 start coming in. The perfect setup for Sony to launch the service get publicity for it but quickly be able to go back to business as usual.

When the outage at everything associated with the breach first hit Sony I thought it could not have come at a worse time, with E3 right around the corner. It turns out, with all the other hype surrounding it, E3 will be the best thing Sony could ask for. By the time we get done with the piles of stories leading up to E3 Sony isn't even going to have to mention the outage in it's E3 press conference. They can literally pretend like nothing happened. Kaz Hirai, the face of PlayStation, has already said what needed to be said in a video that was released along side the revival of the network. Now when the the biggest press conference of the year comes along in three weeks he can concentrate on what Sony has going for it, the best and most expansive list of exclusive games of any platform this year.

Although Sony may have made some mistakes in allowing the attacks on their network and in the ways information was released to the public shortly after, they have hit every note perfectly in the PR game after. Congratulations to Sony on a game well played and what looks to be the biggest year to date for the PlayStation and it's Software. Well Played Sirs!

Friday Movie: Brick

Alright. Friday is, in fact, movie day. Each Friday I will be aiming to do one of two things, either point out a movie that is in theaters currently that I feel is worth your dollars or point out a movie you may have missed but is definitely worth your time. For the most part I will try to make sure that anything I recommend is fairly accessible either in theaters or through Netflix.

First up is Brick. This mystery crime thriller from writer/director Rian Johnson should not be missed. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt of 3^rd Rock from the Sun fame as a teenage loner trying to solve the murder of a secret crush.

Although the premise may sound a bit to teen, the tone that Johnson brings to the film is without a doubt what will hook most people. Johnson deserves nothing but praise for his vision of this film and his ability to bring it fruition. Brick manages to take what might sound like a weak premise for a high school drama and transports it somewhere,and sometime, entirely different. Through cinematography and dialog at first glance appears to be a modern film becomes, as far as I am concerned, film noir at its best.

Gordon-Levitt is amazing as the loner with nothing to lose hell bent on discovering the truth. He manages to take what may ,with other actors, come across as cheesy dialogue and make it his own. With the right amount self loathing and darkness to sell it as part of this 1950's detective story. That being said Nora Zehetner also brings everything needed to her role as the mysterious woman with a link to the truth.

If you missed this movie, or it's been a while since you've seen it go ahead and give it a shot. I watched it again so I would have a better idea what to write here and it was just as great as I remember it. I can't imagine you being disappointed. You can find Brick on Netflix instant streaming service. Please let me know what you think and if you have any recommendations for future movies to be highlighted here.

FOX being FOX

Through the night last night FOX brought the ax down on five currently running series. Human Target, Breaking In, Traffic Lights, Lie to Me, and The Chicago Code were all canceled. Again FOX has canceled some great scripted TV to make room for more of the same.

Obviously some of the public favorite were renewed by FOX. Bones, House, Fringe and Raising Hope are among them. What gets me is the networks inconsistency in making these decisions. Shows like Human Target and Lie to Me were given time to catch on while shows like The Chicago Code and most famously Firefly are sent to pasture before a season has even run it's course. Even more curiously a show like Fringe hangs on despite inconsistent numbers.

At first I thought it might be name recognition, since Fringe is produced my JJ Abrams (the current crown prince of the geeks) and FOX has decided to pick up yet another Abrams show in Alcatraz. But The Chicago Code was executive produced by Shawn Ryan. For those of you who may not know, he was responsible for The Unit and The Shield. Both were long running shows, one for a FOX network,

going three and four seasons respectively. Fox then gave him the green light on three shows Lie to Me, The Chicago Code and Terriers. Obviously FOX had confidence in him at that time. In the what have you done for us lately style of FOX however the luster of The Shield wore off and all three were canceled this year. That seems odd. But really it's just FOX being FOX.

If you haven't been watching The Chicago Code or Lie to Me please do yourself a favor and watch them. You can fin them on Hulu. That’s where I will be watching. I don't think I can even bring myself to turn the TV to FOX anymore.

Calling out Call of Duty

So judging from my Xbox Live friends list this weekend the Call of Duty franchise has all of us gamers right where they want us. The new Escalation map pack was released on Tuesday and I, along with a good portion of my friends list, downloaded it.

Now I know the $15 price tag seems like a lot of money, and it is. But I somehow couldn't resist. I had managed to resist all of it up until someone said the three words I am most vulnerable to, double experience weekend. That was it, I was done. I went home Friday night and downloaded the the new map pack. I know, I'm week. And I know I could just play the maps I already had. But they were NEW and different. Not to mention there was a playlist just for people who had them. I wanted to be one of those people. So I downloaded it and was very excited to jump back into the multi-player experience I had enjoyed so much.

And then reality sunk in as got my ass kicked, over and over. All that made me want to do was play more. I wanted to feel what I had before and every kill gave me just a little more of what I was looking for. This game, I realized shortly after spending the better part of the evening working my way back to the high I had when I played months ago, is an addiction. I want my fix. I want the little numbers to pop up and tell me I not only got a kill, but a head shot, and ended a that persons kill streak, all while earning my own attack chopper. It's a drug, and Activision knows it. Looks at how far the maps packs are spaced out and how they use the double experience weekends to draw you back in. Halo took strides in the persistent online shooter that no one else had thought of through their leveling mechanic and matchmaking system. Infinity Ward took what they learned watching Bungie and made it better. Through the perk and unlock systems they created not only a new community, but a new addiction.

Slowly but surely, Activision, with the help of Infinity Ward and Treyarch have built the first shooter franchise capable of supporting itself as a service instead of a yearly franchise. Now is the opportune time for Bobby Kotick to jump on the MMO band wagon. The announcement of the announcement of Modern Warfare 3 being teased and Activision saying the next Call of Duty will have an accompanying “online universe” make it seem like Activsion agrees with me. From what we've heard so far Activision is is not only dumping tons of funding into MW3 but is putting any studio that isn't already working on a AAA game on it as well.

I'm calling it now, Activision announces Call of Duty: Modern War for all consoles and PC at E3 2011. It will be the first real MMOFPS. It will have an online universe complete with factions and nations. You will be able to customize your character classes online and track your matches and progress through a Bungie.net type system. New content such as maps and skins will be released monthly and will be included in your monthly subscription. Title expansions will be released quarterly or bi-annually that will allow you take the war to new locals and upgrade you to the newest weaponry.

Or maybe I'm having a fever dream. But wouldn't it be cool if I wasn't?

Like I said in the beginning. They have us where they want us. Now let's see if they have the guts to pull the trigger.