New Black Ops Map Pack Coming Next Month...

Ready for some more Black Ops?!

The new map pack is finally on the way.  It is entitled Escalation, and as before, there will be four multiplayer maps and one zombie map for a total of five new maps. The maps are entitled: Zoo, Stockpile, Convoy, Hotel, Survive (Zombies). They're pretty self-explanatory, but we'll offer a little info.

Zoo will take place in a, you guessed it, zoo. Stockpile will be another snowbound map in a weapons depot in the mountains; our guess is that it will probably be similar to Discovery from the previous map pack. Convoy will take place on a war torn interstate highway; expect a long, narrow map littered with busted concrete, downed signs and burned out vehicles littering the way. Hotel will take place in a, you guessed it, hotel; expect both interior and exterior fighting in and around the main building, perhaps similar to Modern Warfare 2's Skidrow or maybe CoD4's Bloc. Survive will be another zombie map, but we have no details about its specifics or even an educated guess like we did with the others. However, we have no doubt it will be awesome.

Also as before with the First Strike Map Pack, it will be available exclusively on XBOX Live's Marketplace on Tuesday, May 3 for 1200 points and will be released for the PS3 and Wii owners at a later date.

Top Five Games of 2010...

Well, we're already nearing mid-April, so I guess we're long over due for my top five games of 2010. Let me preface the list by making sure everyone knows that I play exclusively on Xbox 360 because I have no time (or money) so playing on multiple consoles is not an option for me. So, don't hound me about some PS3 exclusive that should have made the list. Oh yeah, I do have a Wii too, but my kids don't let me play it. Anyway, on to the list...


1. Mass Effect 2 - This isn't even close. BioWare's Mass Effect 2 was far and away the best game of 2010. It's combination of role playing, intense action, cinematic storytelling, and just all around fun game play, make it the top game of the year for me. It improves over it's predecessor in every way imaginable.

The galaxy map is now streamlined with an easy to use helpmate that gives tips as to where you should travel next. Sure, you can still travel to any planet you want and explore the far reaches of the galaxy, but you also have little descriptions as to where you can travel to next in order to actually finish open quests. Also gone is the exhaustive list of weapons and replaced with a streamlined list of weapons that can be upgraded. Also, remember, the copy and paste side quests that resulted in nothing more than driving around the clunky vehicle looking for resources and/or some huge boss-like monster to kill? Yeah, well, that's gone too. Instead, you have an oddly addictive mini-game where you scan the planet for resources and mine it from the comfort of the Normandy. Anyway, I could go on and on, but the main point is that Mass Effect 2 got rid of most of the stuff that made the original Mass Effect fall just short of perfection and improved in almost every other way.

The only complaint that I have, and its small, is the final boss of the main quest. It felt like something from Star Fox 64 or something and by that, I mean over the top goofiness (and just in case your one of the six people that have yet to play Mass Effect 2, I'll stop there so I don't give anything away). In short, play Mass Effect 2. It's amazing.

2.) Call of Duty: Black Ops - If you want to call me a Call of Duty fanboy, that's fine. I don't really care. I have played my fair share of Call of Duty games, starting way back with Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 2 that was available at launch with the Xbox 360. After that, I didn't play much of the Call of Duty titles that followed. I rented CoD3 but didn't beat it, and didn't even play CoD4 or World at War at all until years after their original release dates. Then came Modern Warfare 2, and I couldn't resist the hype. Since then, I've basically been a CoD fanatic, and yes, I was at the midnight release of Black Ops.

Still, Black Ops had big shoes to fill, because before Black Ops, Treyarch had only released Call of Duty 3 and World at War, not two of the more popular CoD titles to be released. With that said, I feel like they hit it out of the park. Treyarch has probably crafted the most complete Call of Duty game to date. It has everything anyone could want: an awesome campaign with multiple difficulties and achievements, an awesome Zombie horde mode that can be played with others or solo, a new combat training mode that allows you to play multiplayer games with bots in order to learn the maps and get a feel for the game before getting pwned online, a theater mode that allows you to capture your finer moments and share them with friends, and an easter egg game mode called "Dead Ops" which is an overhead dual stick shooter that would probably cost you 1,200 Microsoft Points if you bought it at the marketplace. Anyway, that's just to name a few features that I love, and I could keep going, but I think you get the point.

Also worth noting is that Treyarch has supported the title with constant updates, and have already released one map pack with another on the way next month. So, if first-person-shooters are your thing, you can't go wrong with Black Ops.

3. Fallout: New Vegas - Since I consider Fallout 3 to be one of the very best games ever created, its probably no surprise that Fallout New Vegas finished so high on this list. Sure, its not much different than its predecessor, but with a game so good, why change it up? Keep in mind, this isn't Fallout 4, its Fallout New Vegas, so that should give you a solid indication that its not a major step forward, but more of the same.

Still, there were a few minor adjustments, such as the companion wheel that allows you to use your party members with ease, or the countless upgrades that you can buy or find to upgrade your weapons. There's also multiple homes to pick from, with everything from a high roller suite on the Vegas strip to a cheap motel room on the outskirts of the city.

Sure, just as there was with Fallout 3 (or any game of this size and scope) there are alot of bugs and glitches that detract from the experience, but at least they've consistently tried to clean it up with title updates. For the most part, I didn't let those bugs keep me down, and thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

4.) Battlefield: Bad Company 2 - As I work my way down the list, I'm going to say less about the games. Not because I don't have as much to say, but mainly because I'm getting tired of writing, and really wonder how many people are still reading this stuff anyway. But I'll say a few words of my fourth favorite game of the previous year, BFBC2.

The campaign was a fun, over the top romp, but for the most part, the main value with the game was found in the tragically underrated online multiplayer portion. With multiple game types, destructible environments, and an unreal amount of unlockable guns, attachments, perks and medals, BFBC2 was one of the most quickly addictive multiplayer games that I've ever had the pleasure of wasting large chunks of time with.

It wasn't without its faults, as there were only a few maps at launch, none of which were that memorable, and there was an odd decision to make large team battles broken up into four man squads that disallowed players to talk to everyone on their team, making strategy building difficult to say the least.

Still, the game was just plain fun to play, and I wish I hadn't traded it in when I did. When it finally hits the discount racks, I'll probably pick it up again.

5. Red Dead Redemption - This game was fun, but not as good as some have said. For me, the new wore off quickly and all that was left was an overly long, and too often boring, campaign and a broken multiplayer. Still, it was epic in scope, and had some memorable moments worth experiencing and I'm glad I played it when it first came out. Still, I can honestly say that I have no desire to play through it again, unless I finally get the chance to play the Undead Redemption add on which I hear is alot of fun.

Well there you have it. Sound off and let me know what you think. Thanks.

The Best of 2010...

Well, its March now, so I guess I've put off my best of 2010 lists for long enough now. Let's start with movies.

1.) True Grit - In my opinion, Hailee Steinfield and Jeff Bridges deserved the Oscars they were nominated for, and the film deserved Best Picture overall, but I didn't get a vote. Still, this movie is the best western to hit the big screen since Eastwood's Unforgiven. This is a near perfect movie, and by far the best movie of 2010.

2.) The Social Network - David Fincher's drama about the Facebook boom took a lot of people but surprise. Its full of amazing direction and solid performances, and if it hadn't been released in the same year as True Grit, would have been my top pick of the year.

3.) Inception - Christopher Nolan's follow up to The Dark Knight was a mindbending trip that had no business making sense, muchless being so dang enjoyable. Yet, somehow Nolan pulled it off, making the complex story mostly easy to follow and a fun ride worth taking. DiCaprio and Page are excellent in the main roles.

4.) Toy Story 3 - Many doubted Pixar's ability to provide another Toy Story with anywhere near the quality of the original two, but they more than pulled it off. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen reprise their roles of Woody and Buzz and provide a perfect ending to a dang near perfect trilogy of animated classics.

5.) Kick-Ass - The best comic book adaptation of the year wasn't by Marvel or DC either one, but instead, a rarely heard of indie. Nicolas Cage turned in his best performance since who knows when, and newcomers Aaron Johnson and Chloe Moretz all but steal the show. By far the most fun I had in the theaters in 2010.

Stay tuned for my top five Video Games of 2010 soon!

My 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2011

Well, considering we're six weeks into the new year, it makes sense that I'd take some time to discuss the blockbuster movies I'm most looking forward to in 2011. I was on the record as stating that movies released in 2010 weren't the best, but I'm proud to say that 2011 looks far more promising. Let's get started...


1.) Transformers: The Dark of the Moon - July 1
I'm an unapologetic fan of the Transformers movies. Sure, I thought the first one was better than the second one, but RotF had some excellent action sequences and I mainly considered it just a wad of big, dumb fun. The early buzz for Transformers 3 is that the film is darker and more serious and all parties involved are very optimistic that the third installment (and reportedly the last) will be the best of the series.


2.) Scream 4 - April 15

I always knew at some point down the road, Wes Craven and company would return to the Scream series despite their constant claims of the otherwise. Yet, on April 15, the fourth installment of the popular, though long dormant, horror series will finally hit the big screen. Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette all reprise their roles from the original trilogy, and Wes Craven has returned to direct. If the early trailers are any indication, the movie should be a lot of fun and a worthy follow-up to the original trilogy.

3.) X-Men First Class - June 3

I love the X-Men movies. While most of everyone that know anything about the comics disliked X-Men 3 and Wolverine, I found both enjoyable, as I didn't know enough about the comic books to be terribly upset where the films moved away from the original storylines. Like almost everyone else, I enjoyed X-Men and X-Men 2 far more than the other two installments, but I found them all enjoyable. With that in mind, its no surprise that I'm really looking forward to the new X-Men prequel. It'll be the first X-Men movie not to feature Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, but plenty of the other regulars will be back, even if younger actors are now playing their familar roles. Look for this on June 3.

4.) Thor - May 6

I'm not real familiar with the Thor comics, but he always seemed a little weird to me. To be honest, when I think of Thor, I think of the young girl on Elisabeth Shue's "Adventures in Babysitting" who was in love with the super hero and always carried his trademark helmet and hammer wherever she went. That was an enjoyable movie from back in the day, but that's about all I know of Thor, and that ain't much. Still, I'm a sucker for comic book movies, and the trailers for this one look great.

5.) The Green Lantern - June 17

DC is trying their hand on the big screen again, and with the Green Lantern, they bring a beloved character to the moviehouse that has yet to make even his first appearance. After the latest Batman movies and The Watchmen, DC has raised the bar for themselves. I'm interested to see if they can treat Green Lantern with the kind of respect the source material deserves. Ryan Reynolds plays the title role.


6.) Captain America - July 22

I have to admit, this movie looks far better than I expected, but I still knocked it down a few notches just because I have doubts they'll be able to pull it off. Still, you can't deny the coolness of the Super Bowl TV spot. Here's hoping I'm wrong and that Captain America is amazing. For the timebeing, just color me skeptical.

7.) Battle: Los Angeles - March 11

I really hope this movie doesn't let me down, because a movie with this simple (yet AWESOME) of a premise shouldn't be screwed up. Just show me Modern Warfare meets Halo on the big screen, and I'll be happy. B:LA invades on March 11.

8.) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2

I've sort of lost my excitement for this series simply because I've read the books multiple times and the movies just aren't doing them justice anymore (if they ever did). Still, I'm interested to see how the movie wraps things up so I'm sure I'll go see it this summer.

9.) Pirates 4: On Stranger Tides - May 20

Johnny Depp returns to the role of Captain Jack Sparrow in the fourth installment of the popular Disney franchise. To be honest, I don't know a whole lot about this movie, but I enjoyed the first three quite a bit so I'm adding this one to my list.

10.) Super 8 - June 10

This movie probably deserves to be higher on my list because the teaser is just freaking awesome, even if its difficult to tell what's going on for sure. Just click right here and watch it for yourself and see if it doesn't capture you like it did me. JJ Abrams (Lost, Alias, Star Trek) is directing and Steven Speilberg is producing. Meanwhile, Eric Taylor from Friday Night Lights is one of the main stars! Woot W0ot!

Honorable Mentions: Mission Impossible 4 (I have doubts this movie will get finished in time to meet the December release date; expect a push back to next summer), Cowboy and Aliens, The Hangover 2, Conan the Barbarian (remake), Courageous, Paranormal Activity 3, Footloose (remake), The Thing (Prequel to John Carpenter's 1982 film by the same name).

Black Ops: New Maps and Double XP weekend...

Four new multiplayer maps, and one zombie map, will be released in one pack tomorrow on Xbox Live Marketplace. To celebrate this new release, Treyarch is hosting a double XP weekend beginning this Friday.

Get ready for some more Black Ops!

Review: Predators

One of my favorite sci-fi films of all time is the original Predator; you know, the one from the 80's featuring the governor of California. For whatever reason, its one of those movies I can just watch over and over. Sure, its cheesy at times, and the dialogue is often laughable, and yes, there are plot holes big enough to drive a John Deere through, but the film is loud, gory and fun. And I love it for it.

Since that film launched the franchise, everything that's followed has been a collection of steps in the wrong direction. From the horribly miscast hero in Predator 2 (Danny Glover) to the bad idea to combine Predator with the Alien franchise, each film seemed to move further and further away from the classic Schwarzenegger film. With that in mind, my expectations for the latest entry into the franchise were weak to the say the least.

I'm happy to say, Rodriguez and Antal did just fine. While the film had more than a few flaws, I found the movie to be very enjoyable and a great way to spend two hours on a hot summer day.

The film wastes no time getting down to it, as the ensemble of characters find themselves marooned on a strange, alien planet, with a terrain similar to the rain forests of Earth. Exactly how they got there is never fully explained, but through vague descriptions, the viewer eventually learns that humans were captured and air dropped into this foreign wilderness. With no other options available, the group becomes an unlikely team focused on survival.

Of course, these humans aren't alone, and they quickly find out that something is hunting them and that perhaps, that's their whole purpose in being there. Its during these scenes, where a group of well armed men (and one woman) work their way through the jungle to an unknown destination that the film most closely resembles the original. They hear and see things that are seemingly not there. They fight, they make up, and come together when faced with extreme danger. I really enjoyed the opening moments of the movie as we get to know the characters and feel the plight that they've been unwillingly thrown into.

As the film moves along there are few unexpected twists, but there are a couple. While some critics have complained about the lack of new and creative story arcs, I couldn't disagree more. The whole premise is different than anything we've seen from the franchise up to this point, and I really liked it. Sure, it might seem odd that they would have the story take place on a different planet that pretty much looks like the South American jungle from the first one, but that's not the point. The people have been captured from their everyday existence and forced to look in the mirror to try to answer exactly why they have. It's an interesting character study and one that shouldn't be overlooked in the midst of mindless action.

Speaking of the action, there's some outstanding action scenes in the movie. I really enjoyed an early scene that featured an attack by a strange breed of alien dogs (I really don't know what else to call them) that required the team to take a stand and fight back together. Later in the movie, after the Predators have really begun to focus on catching their prey, there's a cat and mouse sequence in the hull of an alien space craft. Oh, and the first sword fight between a Predator and an Asian Assassin. That probably sounds out of place, but it was extremely well done and very cool to watch.

The film has somewhat of an unexpected ending but certainly leaves the door open for future installments. I walked out of the theater excited about the movie and where future sequels might go.

Predators was worth the wait. If you're a fan of the original, it shouldn't be missed.

8.5/10

What to watch this weekend...

Scream 4 gets date, poster...

Coming to a theater near you on April 15, 2011!

New MW2 map pack is considered a dud...

IGN calls Modern Warfare 2's new map pack one of the most disappointing map packs to hit Xbox Live in quite a while. Ouch. That's not very high praise from one of the biggest video game websites on the interwebs.

Priced at a steep 15 bones (1200 MS points), it only comes with three new maps and two carry overs from Call of Duty 4. To make matters worse, it's buggy. What, wait a second, Modern Warfare is buggy? You don't say.

With such a high asking price, you'd think you'd get some new perks, game types, weapons or special ops missions... something to warrant dishing out another $15 to play a game we just paid $60 for a few short months ago. But no... you get three new maps, 2 old ones, and some glitchy online play, and that's it.

No thanks. I'll stick with Bad Company 2 and save my $15 for something else.

What to watch this weekend...

The Expendables Trailer...

April looks solid for movies...

There are several movies coming out in April that are sorta getting an early start to the summer movie season. Here's the five flicks I'm looking to the most...

April 2: Clash of the Titans
In "Clash of the Titans," the ultimate struggle for power pits men against kings and kings against gods. But the war between the gods themselves could destroy the world. Born of a god but raised as a man, Perseus (Sam Worthington) is helpless to save his family from Hades (Ralph Fiennes), vengeful god of the underworld. With nothing left to lose, Perseus volunteers to lead a dangerous mission to defeat Hades before he can seize power from Zeus (Liam Neeson) and unleash hell on earth. Leading a daring band of warriors, Perseus sets off on a perilous journey deep into forbidden worlds. Battling unholy demons and fearsome beasts, he will only survive if he can accept his power as a god, defy his fate and create his own destiny.

April 9: Date Night
Action-comedy maestro Shawn Levy, the director of the blockbuster "Night at the Museum" franchise, teams up with two of the comedy world's biggest talents, Steve Carell ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin," "The Office") and Tina Fey ("Baby Mama," "30 Rock," "SNL") for an adventure that turns a run-of-the-mill married couple's date upside down - way upside down, in "Date Night." The movie also features Mark Wahlberg, James Franco, Mila Kunis, Ray Liotta and Kristen Wiig.

April 16: Kick Ass
"Kick-Ass" tells the story of average teenager Dave Lizewski (Johnson), a comic-book fanboy who decides to take his obsession as inspiration to become a real-life superhero. As any good superhero would, he chooses a new name (Kick-Ass), assembles a suit and mask to wear, and gets to work fighting crime. There's only one problem standing in his way: Kick-Ass has absolutely no superpowers. His life is forever changed as he inspires a subculture of copy cats, is hunted by assorted violent and unpleasant characters, and meets up with a pair of crazed vigilantes, including an 11-year-old sword-wielding dynamo, Hit Girl (Moretz) and her father, Big Daddy (Cage)."Kick-Ass" is based on the groundbreaking, best-selling comic by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.

April 23: The Losers
An explosive tale of double cross and revenge, "The Losers" centers upon the members of an elite U.S. Special Forces unit sent into the Bolivian jungle on a search and destroy mission. The team--Clay, Jensen, Roque, Pooch and Cougar--find themselves the target of a lethal betrayal instigated from inside by a powerful enemy known only as Max. Presumed dead, the group makes plans to even the score when they're joined by the mysterious Aisha, a beautiful operative with her own agenda. Working together, they must remain deep undercover while tracking the heavily-guarded Max, a ruthless man bent on embroiling the world in a new high-tech global war. Looks fun.

April 30: A Nightmare on Elm Street (remake)
Freddy Krueger (Jackie Earle Haley) returns in "A Nightmare on Elm Street," a contemporary re-imagining of the horror classic. A group of suburban teenagers share one common bond: they are all being stalked by Freddy Krueger, a horribly disfigured killer who hunts them in their dreams. As long as they stay awake, they can protect one another...but when they sleep, there is no escape.


May is really the start to the movies season with a slew of big pics coming to a theater near you, but April is going to get you warmed up for those upcoming hot summer months.

What I'm playing...

I love this game. To me, it's far better than Modern Warfare 2, and actually, it's not even close. The campaign is better, the multiplayer is better, and I can play the game for hours without wanting to throw my controller through the wall. Hey, that's worth something.

It's not without its faults... there's not very many maps or game types, but that's pretty standard for Battlefield games.

If you haven't checked out this game, please do soon. It's well worth your attention.

Direct Download isn't really taking off and here's why...

Despite efforts from leaders in the industry, direct download gaming seems to be advancing slower than what some expected, and there's a number of reasons why. Because I'm the king of lists, I've decided to break down some of the reasons direct download gaming isn't catching on just yet, in a nice little list for you all to read and enjoy and applaud...

1.) Lack of Broadband Speeds - Pew conducted research on broadband use in the US and found that 57 percent of people in the country now have access to broadband, compared to only 9 percent who still use dial-up Internet access. However, the term broadband can be associated with internet connections that have a wide range of speed availabilities. While the FCC says broadband is any internet connection with a speed of 768 kbps or higher, several ISPs in America have "broadband" speeds as low as 256 kbps, especially in the rural markets. With this generation of gaming, trying to download a full game with a broadband speed of 768 or less would takes hours upon hours to complete, making it a frustrating exercise of long suffering patience.

2.) Pricing - So far, current generation games that are available for direct download (and even a few from previous generations) cost just as much or more than actually buying the game in the stores. For example, Gears of War is available on Xbox Live for $19.99, the same cost as buying the game brand new in stores. To add insult to injury, when you buy the game at a store, you'll be getting the "Game of the Year" addition which comes with extra maps for the online multiplayer mode. However, these extra maps will actually cost you a little more money to download direct, making Gears or War more expensive to download than it would to buy at your local Best Buy. This isn't even taking into consideration the resale or trade in value of the game that you might enjoy after you're eventually done playing it. Even old games like the original Halo are cheaper to buy in store than they are to download on Xbox Live. Given the amount of money saved on production, packaging and shipping the discs, there should be at least a small price break for gamers; certainly not an increase.

3.) Storage Space - The original Xbox 360 launched with a measley 20 GB hard drive and anyone that enjoyed using their console for a variety of applications (music, movies, TV and gaming) quickly learned that wasn't going to be enough. The second round came with 60 GB and the third (the elite) came with 120 GB. While the 120 is workable for most, the 20 and 60 are not, making downloading on a regular basis an impractical exercise. The Playstation 3 had similar issues. Meanwhile, PCs that are sold at bargain prices usually have smaller hard drives, as well, meaning gamers will have to invest more money in storage space or continuously delete old games to make room for new ones. In a word... frustrating, especially when you get a hankering to play a game you deleted two month ago.

4.) Collector's Items - Most hardcore gamers are also collectors. If you look on any desk, you'll probably find comic books, DVDs, toys, and video games scattered about. On my desk alone, I have a super army of toys (Batman, Superman, Darth Vader, Bilbo, Optimus Prime and Bubble Bee) watching over my paperwork everyday. When you remove the sexy game cases, with their flashy artwork, and the shiny discs they enclose, you also remove a small piece of joy that a large number of gamers expect when they dish out $60 for a new game.

5.) Lack of mobility - Who hasn't grabbed a few of their favorite games on their way out the door to a friend's house? We all do that, and downloading games erases this simple freedom. Party games like Rock Band, Guitar Hero, Super Smash Brothers (among others) would basically be limited to whoever has that downloaded on their console. Sure, I can grab the hard drive, but who wants that hassle? Not me.

Anyway, these are just a few reasons why I believe the declaration of a disc free future might have been a bit pre-mature. At least I hope so. I guess we'll have to wait and see what the future of gaming actually holds.

Movie Rumors for the Day...

:: As James Cameron's Avatar continues to make serious box office bank, there's no surprise that people are starting to ask for a sequel. Cameron said recently that he has stories for an Avatar Trilogy and plans to move forward with the sequel soon.

:: Spider-Man 4 is taking longer to get organized than originally thought and might not be ready for the May 2011 release date that the studio had hoped for. At any rate, Tobey Maguire doesn't mind the delay as long as the story is good... "Like anything, it's a process," Maguire said. "We're just in the midst of the process. We have a lot of great stuff in terms of story and script. We're just trying to dial it in and get it ready as quickly as possible. Of course, these movies are a very big undertaking and take a lot more time than a drama or something more straightforward."

:: Bill Pullman is pushing for a sequel to the 1996 hit, Twister. He has a story in mind and would like to see it done in 3D and IMAX formats. So far, a few meetings have taken place but no decisions have been made as to whether or not they'll move forward with the movie. Pullman remains hopeful: "I think the 3D applications of that could obviously be pretty amazing."

:: The scribes behind the surprise 2009 hit Zombieland, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are now in high demand. Rumors have the pair working on both a script for the X-Men: Deadpool movie, as well as GI Joe 2.

:: In the news of unneeded sequels, we have found out that both Big Mama's House 3 and Ghostrider 2 are still moving forward. Really?

More later...