Main Event Madness

Main Event Madness
Posted by: Marcus

You've been following the rumours of a big MMA bout for a month. You try and do the math in your head of who has what advantages where. You wonder who has the better ground game, stand up, chin, heart, and so forth. You compare credentials of NCAA accolades or belt ranks in martial arts. The excitement for the coming title fight couldn't be higher in your mind, and then you wake up the next day to find out that someone is out with an injury. It's an instantaneous buzzkill. However, after the initial frustration, most fans are able to deal with it and look forward to whatever new main event is set up. However, sometimes it's difficult to understand exactly how an MMA promotion figures out exactly what matchup should take the place of the original main event.

Truth be told, one can't get too upset over the injury of a top fighter. More often than not, a fighter who comes into a fight that isn't in top health pays the price more often than not. For example, Minotauro Nogeuira coming off of a rough staph infection before his bout with Frank Mir, an opponent that proved to Minotauro that he shouldn't be taken lightly. Other fights have been put on hold as of late, such as Anderson Silva vs Vitor Belfort, and Machida vs Shogun 2. In these circumstances, someone can understand why they do not fight with nagging injuries. However, there are times when the UFC doesn't seem to be able to follow up with a substitue main event that has a similar impact.

The most glaring exampe of this is the main event of UFC 106, Forrest Griffin's rematch with Tito Ortiz. Though many people see that fight as Forrest's first foray into the top of his division, the issue remained that the fight did not serve as a good main event. Neither fighter, at that point, was in line for a title shot, and both were on losing streaks. Also, Ortiz's recent eighteen month layoff didn't help matters either. Though the "hardcore" fan may be drawn to a main event like this, many of the new fans that had been drawn in since UFC 100 may have been put off by such a main event.

However, another part of the problem may simply be in the match that is being substituted. The original main event of UFC 106 was the highly anticipated return of Brock Lesnar to face off against rising heavyweight knockout artist Shane Carwin. Both men came from similar wrestling backgrounds, and were known for their immense size and brutal strength. However, Lesnar's current condition put this match on an indefinite hold, and an interim bout between Frank Mir and Shane Carwin may be in the works. From the standpoint of someone on the outside looking in, a fight between Griffin and Ortiz makes a good co-main event, but not many people truly want to pay good money to watch it as the main event. The difference here is that neither fighter has much of a legend behind them, neither of them is at the top of the division, and for either fighter, a victory does not mean a title shot. Truthfully, it has no real consequences, and MMA fans don't seem to enjoy fan service as a main event, unless you're seeing two legendary fighters face one another, a la Couture vs Nogeiura.

So, what does it seem best for the UFC to do in these scenarios? One would think that they should structure a card according to a model of what would work best were the main event to fall through. For example, having a number one contender bout in the Lightweight division as the co-main event for UFC 106 may have been a bettter choice. It may be a better idea to keep fan service bouts to the cable TV events, like UFC 105 was. UFC 105 and UFC 106 seemed to be structured similarly, in which the cards themselves were better suited for cable viewing rather than a fourty five dollar price point. Hopefully the UFC will find more efficient ways to structure the fight cards to bring in a better revenue despite injuries suffered by champions. Only time will tell.

The Lesnar Discussion

The Lesnar Discussion
Posted by: Marcus

My first foray into Youtube videos met with mixed reception, partially due to the choice of discussion in a video version of my previous article, entitled The Fedor Discussion. Part of the reason I think the article and accompanying video have been received this way is that the audience seems to think that it's not fair for me to be so analytical of one side of Mixed Martial Arts without being observant of the goings-on in the UFC. To counter that train of thought, I decided to write an article about the career of Brock Lesnar, who has become one of the biggest topics of controversy in MMA since he first arrived in the sport.

First off, a little background. Brock began his athletic career in Webster, South Dakota, wrestling in High School, where he compiled an undefeated record of 33-0 in his senior year, fetching him a scholarship to the University of Minnesota. From there, he placed second in the NCAA in 1999, placed first in 2000, and in four years of college, compiled a record of 106-5 in his collegiate career, and was one of the most impressive athletes in the Big Ten at the time.

From then on, he went the path of professional wrestling, becoming a part of the WWE for a few years, which is where he made a name for himself as an entertainer, participating in many exciting matches for the promotion. After his stint there, and ensuing lawsuit with Vince McMahon, Brock tried his hand at playing for the Minnesota Vikings, where he was a late cut, and then as a professional wrestler for New Japan Pro Wrestling. After the lawsuit finally died, Brock decided that he wanted to try his hand at MMA.

Here is where things became controversial. For a long time, MMA fans have been hostile toward professional wrestlers in "their sport" because they do not want MMA to become a freak show like professional wrestling is. Professional wrestlers like Giant Silva, Yoshihiro Takiyama, and others fail to make waves in MMA, and thus are seen as wastes of space, seemingly in the ring because of an accused Japanese fascination with gigantic people. Because of Brock's past in the WWE, people allowed that to overshadow the fact that he was such an accomplished amateur wrestler, which was evidenced in his first MMA fight, which was a first round stoppage over Min Soo-Kim.

After his initial foray into MMA, Brock spoke to Dana White about entering the UFC to fight in America, and was granted his first shot against Frank Mir at UFC 81. Lesnar seemed to be doing very well against Mir in the opening of the bout, but referee Steve Mazagatti stopped the bout to stand both fighters up after an unintentional fist to the back of Mir's head. This was a controversial move, considering that Mazagatti gave no prior warning to Lesnar, and also took a complete point from Lesnar's score on the first offense. After the fight resumed, Lesnar contined to punish Mir, but was caught in a heel hook, and tapped out at 1:30 of the first round. Though disappointing, Mir was complementary to Lesnar at first, saying that he had never faced anyone that big that moved so quickly, and Dana White later commented that Brock, "showed a lot of credibility in that fight."

In his second UFC fight, Lesnar captured a win over veteran Heath Herring, in which he broke one of Herring's orbital bones with an incredibly powerful straight right punch, and then won the decision with a final score of 30-26 from all three judges. After this fight, controversy followed Lesnar into a bout with the legendary Randy Couture, who was the current Heavyweight champion. Though many did not believe that Brock deserved the bout (Dana White maintained that stuffing Herring's momentum after his win over Cheick Kongo validated the match choice) he went on to have what many consider an incredibly competitive bout until Randy was dropped by a hard right hand in the second round.

After that bout, Brock was put on a path to a rematch with Frank Mir, who had handed him his only loss in his career. At the biggest MMA event to date, UFC 100, Brock defeated Mir by TKO in round 2, solidifying himself as the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion. Though he showed much improved wrestling technique, chin, heart, and patience in the bout, his excellent performance is overshadowed by the antics afterwards, where Brock's emotions got the better of him, cursing in Frank Mir's face (as a response to Mir's constant trashing of Brock's skill and accomplishments in pre-fight press) and giving the crowd the finger after they began to boo him. With this performance, Brock became both incredibly respected by MMA competitors, but infamous with the fans.

With all of that said, there are a few questions that remain with Brock Lesnar that need to be addressed. The first of which is the question of legitimacy. Truthfully, I see no reason to think that Brock should not be given credit for having so many accomplishments in such a short amount of time. Though he does not have a flawless record, what he does have is an impressive one, considering even in his only loss he showed solid technique and ability, even though he was finished by Mir. The only fighter he has faced that could be considered to be a "tomato can" would be Min Soo-Kim, but victories over Herring, Couture, and Mir still speak volumes. Though his antics at UFC 100 were downright deplorable, his actions during the fights speak for themselves.

The second question most poised by fans is whether or not his technique is sound, and if it is overshadowed by how powerful he is. Though it is undeniable that Lesnar is an incredibly powerful man (he is forced to cut 20 pounds to make the 265 pound weight limit, and is known for his monstrous strength) he does have the wrestling credentials to show that he does have a great base in amateur wrestling, which has proven to be a great base for many MMA fighters, such as Randy Couture, Mark "The Hammer" Coleman (whom was originally slated to face Lesnar instead of Herring) Rampage Jackson, Chuck Liddell, Frankie Edgar, Sean Sherk, TUF 8 winner Ryan Bader, and many others.

Truthfully, the finishing question poised is whether or not he could defeat Fedor Emelianenko, which brings me back to the original article that I've become infamous for writing and making a video of. Truthfully, I myself have no idea whatsoever if Fedor could beat Brock, or vice versa, and there's a reason why. That reason is because Fedor signed with Strikeforce instead of the UFC. I think Fedor is missing out on great competition, and because of this, Lesnar has an opportunity on his hands. There are several fighters that Brock can face, such as Shane Carwin, Gabriel Gonzaga, Cain Velasquez, Frank Mir in a rubber match, Gilbert Yvel, Junior Dos Santos, and Antonio "Minotauro" Nogeiura, and training for and learning to fight against these men will make him into a much better fighter than he is already. Truthfully, I think that, in relation to Brock, Fedor is missing out on being in possibly the biggest match of MMA history, and that's a shame.

To conclude, Brock Lesnar, as of right now, is a credible fighter that is exciting to watch, and whether you love him or hate him, is here to stay for a seemingly long time.

A Christmas Wish List

A Christmas Wish List
Posted by: Marcus

First and foremost, my apologies to my readers and watchers. I haven't updated in a while because I recently turned twenty-four years young, and I've been either spending time playing new video games, preparing for final exams, or trying out a new short story that I'm writing. Either way, not much time has been devoted to thinking about media, other than what I'm going to watch, listen to, or play next. However, I now find myself with a little bit of a breather. This week, I've decided to write about a couple of films that I'm hoping will be made in the future, or what I believe need to be made. Since it's Christmas, I'm hoping Santa delivers at some point in the future.

1. At the Mountains of Madness and The Shadow over Innsmouth.

I'm including the two together simply because I don't believe you can make one without the other. Both of these stories are considered classics in horror literature, and the Cthulhu mythos is one of the more noticable in fiction. However, why is it that these films have never been greenlit? Though I'm only vaguely familiar with Shadow, I recently was able to read Mountains, and found myself enthralled with Lovecraft's storytelling. He has this odd ability to give enough description to give you a great mental picture, but doesn't over-explain like I think Tolkien had a tendency to do. It's a chilling story of an expedition gone horribly wrong, and it simply does the story of finding an unimaginable horror better than anything I've ever encountered. So, with all of this going for the story, why on earth won't someone allow gifted director Guillermo Del Toro write and direct it? According to him, it's simply because there is neither a love story nor a happy ending, which to me sounds like a cop out. There are several films out there that have no semblance of a happy ending, such as The Godfather, Goodfellas, The Silence of the Lambs, American History X, and so forth. Del Toro should be allowed to make this film, simply because with his rare talent for filmmaking, it could easily be his greatest achievement, or achievements if he were allowed to follow it up with Shadow over Innsmouth.


2. Predator 3

Truthfully, I think this is a true sequel that is long, long overdue. Though there have been numerous crossovers across different forms of media (and most of it horrible), it has been nearly twenty years since the second film in the franchise. However, I think the question would simply remain as to how you can take a film franchise that seems to have been recently bogged down in muck, and make it the same caliber of the previous two films. I think that the first step is simply to get the project an incredibly solid director. Though the obvious choice would be John McTiernan (who directed the original) I think a newer director could be a wiser idea, simply to get a fresh perspective. My thoughts go to Paul Greengrass, Len Wiseman, or Antoine Fuqua, simply becuase they're directors who could bring in something new. Or, I've always wanted to see how directors Ridley Scott and James Cameron would take on the series. As for the cast, I've always wanted to see what would happen if you took the risk of putting Sly Stallone in a lead role, or possibly Bruce Willis. When it comes to Predator, it seems like the lead role almost has a necessity to have an experienced action star like Glover or Schwarzenegger in the lead for it to work, simply because the larger than life actor works much better as a foil to a great movie monster like the Predator. I also think a military style film in a place like Iraq, or possibly Afghanistan would work well, simply because a desert area is another great area with a constant feeling of hostility, like the jungles of South America. With a big name cast, I'd also like to see a sort of parallel to Jesse Ventura and Carl Weathers' roles in the first film, simply to have more larger-than-life personalities to make the movie more fun. It would be interesting to see a couple of men like Sam Worthington or Dwayne Johnson in a film like this.

3. Another James Cameron Terminator film.

Though many think me crazy for it, I did enjoy the last two Terminator films. However, as many have pointed out, there is an element missing from both of them, and thus the films have had easily spotted flaws to them. The third film in the franchise had far too much levity that came down far too heavy for a movie that was so steeped in the idea of a global apocalypse brought on by a race of sentient machines. The fourth film, in my opinion, was much better, but had a few inconsistencies in it that I blame for simply having a fairly green director attached to the film. Though Christian Bale didn't put on as much of a performance that he has in past projects like American Psycho or Equilibrium, I wouldn't say he did poorly either. I think, truly, that this is where James Cameron needs to come in again. When a single director makes not only establishes a series as being good, but establishes it as one of the greatest film sagas in a single genre, removing that director takes a crucial element from the storytelling. Now that Cameron is finished with Avatar, I believe that he should very much consider returning to the franchise. Though Arnold would no longer be attached, I think that the storyline has come to a point where his presence isn't necessary. Now it's time for the character of John Connor to step up a bit more, and I think that Cameron can put him there.

Where are you going, Ubisoft?

Where are you going, Ubisoft?
Posted by: Marcus

As of late, I've been very much engrossed in Assassin's Creed II, and I must say that this game series is quickly climbing by list of favorite franchises. There's something interesting about a science fiction title that uses its roots in history in great detail. I see the game as a sort of cross between The Matrix and Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons, except it doesn't suck. However, this is where I begin to wonder as to how the series will continue to pan out.

Truthfully, this is one of the most complex titles I've ever played that isn't an RPG. I thought about trying to explain to my father how the series works, and I couldn't think of a solid way to truly simplify the title to explain to someone who isn't a gamer. The first question that I think of is whether or not this incredible complexity keeps potential players out. In rebuttal to myself, I do think the ability of this game to tell a story within a story with such grace is one of the more redeeming qualities, and you could describe either the historical aspect of the story or the science fiction aspect and possibly hook someone in.

The second question I had was simply wondering exactly are they going to do with the third installment? Truthfully, the most logical line of thought leads to thinking that they could do something in Colonial America, or (if the series is only a trilogy) simply put Desmond into the modern day and let him go at it. Truth be told, I don't doubt that Ubisoft Montreal will make a wise choice when it comes to the game, and we definitely won't be expecting it to be that good. For example, not many people would expect Italy during the Renaissance to be that interesting for a video game, but the second game is so visually arresting, with a great backdrop of conspiracy and murder that it keeps you on the edge of your seat.

My final question is probably the most abrubt, since I'm not going to spoil anything. How on earth do you answer some of the more glaring questions of this game? Most importantly, why did Altair come to Italy? The move doesn't make much sense. Then again, I haven't played the PSP title.

Hmmmm. This entry is a bit shorter than others. Oh well. What I will say is that we'll be having a new member of the Corner soon named Brandon. He's a buddy of mine who has fresh ideas on game reviews and the like, and I'll be putting his introduction on Youtube soon.

Until then, the other announcement is that there will be two Youtube shows. The first is Devil's Advocate, where I will simply do what I do best, and give my position on controversial subjects. The second proposed show is ADHD "After 'Da Hype' Dies" which will be a review show that features Brandon reviewing a title after the adrenaline wears off.

Arrevederci!

New Website Stuff

New Website Goings-on
Posted by: Marcus


Since I established The Cynic's Corner, I've gotten plenty of entries, and even have a copycat out there that is trying his best to be me, but is failing miserably. That's a lot more progress than I thought I would pull off with this blog, but thank the Lord above that everything has gone so well so far.

With all that said, I've finally started putting videos of mine on Youtube!

http://www.youtube.com/user/CynicsCorner

I will try to have a couple videos up each month, and I will still be writing weekly entries here on the main blog, so you folks know that I'm not abandoning you who enjoy reading what I write. The entries on Youtube, truth be told, will be more along the lines of unscripted rantings, whereas these entries will probably be much more organized, and thoughtful.

So, enjoy both, faithful readers! Stick around, and I doubt you'll be disappointed.

Halo 3: ODST - Bust or Must-Buy?
Posted by: Marcus

To be quite honest with those of you who read this blog, I don't like reviewing video games. The main reason is that I am not a big fan of what factors into the reviews of popular magazines and websites, and how each site gives more weight to minor issues in some games, and less in others. I'm also not a big fan of the fact that many magazines don't factor in new ideas brought to the table, and if they help the game, or hurt it. With all of that said, I felt that Halo 3: ODST deserves a review from The Cynic's Corner. However, it doesn't deserve a review because of the quality of the game, but rather on the merit that it's become a discussion point amongst gamers.

Before I begin, I will say that at the end of my review, I won't be scoring this on a five or ten point scale. I'll simply be putting a listing of who should consider buying it, renting it, or passing it up altogether. With that said, let's dig in.

Starting off, I have to say that the presentation elements in this game are pretty solid. The overall look of New Mombasa is interesting, and has an odd tech-noir feel to it, similar to the movie Blade Runner, but not quite. The graphical detail is a bit improved from Halo 3, but still lacks polish. Though the facial models and character models are better, they still seem a bit rushed, but at the same time aren't anything to be embarrassed over. However, the gun models, vehicles, and everything else look pretty solid. Then again, I've always considered Halo's game graphics akin to Frank Quitely's comic book art. The art on actual humans isn't very good, but the environments look solid. For better or worse, the look of the game doesn't touch graphical giants like Gears of War 2, Killzone 2, or Metal Gear Solid 4, but it's a better effort than the last game. The game transitions for scene to scene very smoothly, and overall doesn't take you out of the experience, which is actually a first since the original Halo.

When it comes to sound, the player is getting a mixed bag. Most of the classic weapons and sound effects haven't changed over time, and they shouldn't fix what isn't broken. However, the "new" weapons introduced in the game (the silenced SMG and the Pistol) really sound a bit off. The silenced SMG sounds way too loud to be silenced, and the Pistol sounds way too silent to be the classic Magnum. Though you could make the argument that the gun uses soundless ammo, the counterpoint is that you can't make high caliber silenced ammo without shredding the gun, or killing its stopping power. The orchestral score at some points doesn't seem to fit the situation, but at other points it nails the mood of the moment. This has been a problem throughout the Halo franchise, and really needs correcting. However, it's not like the sound quality is consistent MIDI files, and your guns sound like belching warthogs, so I wouldn't say its bad either.

Gameplay is also a mixed bag. The campaign is by no means bad, but it's not going to climb the ranks of best FPS campaigns either. The main issue with it is that the storyline is incredibly short. On Normal difficulty, it will only take you three or four hours to complete. Though there are secrets to unlock, the issue here is that they aren't numerous enough, nor do they carry any weight aside from extra gamerscore. There is a subplot about some girl, and how the city went nuts during the invasion, but you're not given any reason to care, considering you can't do anything about it. Aside from the downturns, what you do have is a good amount of solid action, but it doesn't change the fact that it ends too fast. The new Firefight mode, truthfully, isn't all that its hyped up to be. Without the presence of Matchmaking, it isn't easy to find people to play it with, and some achievements are dependent on having four people to play it with. Though certain skulls will activate at points, it really isn't much different than Horde from Gears of War 2's escalating difficulty. Though the game is fun, it's not much fun when you're playing by yourself. However, I do think that the next game in the series, Halo: Reach, should incorporate the gametype, simply because it would be a lot more fun to play with a team of Spartans instead. If you're wondering why I'm not talking about the Mythic disk, it's because this is a review about Halo 3: ODST, not the previous game. I think it's idiotic for a reviewer to include the two together when they're separate games, despite the packaging.

The storyline of the game, truthfully, stinks. To put it simply, you won't care about any of the characters of this game. Tricia Helfer's character is essentially her character from Burn Notice and Nathan Fillion's character is essentially his character from Firefly, but both in the Halo universe, rather than the respective TV shows. The other characters are, for better or worse, simply archetypes from other action games and movies. You have your whiny tech-savvy guy, the mandatory black guy, the guy who doesn't talk much, and the tough southern guy. Yes, it's essentially a rip of Delta Squad from Gears of War, except with no character development whatsoever. The issue here is that you're never given a reason to care about these characters, or their backstory. You'll simply want to dig into more action instead, which doesn't work for a video game in this day and age. Also, there isn't much of a narrative either, which digs a bigger hole for the game, along with the fact that the "big secret" of the game becomes irrelevant to you if you've played the rest of the series. Truthfully, this game's story seems like it's trying to be a launch point for new players of the franchise, but has the issue that there aren't many people who own an X-Box who haven't played the franchise yet.

Buy It - If you're new to the series, or are a Halo fanboy.
Rent It - If you want something to occupy you for a few days
Don't Touch It - If Halo doesn't interest you.

A Fighting Champion

A Fighting Champion: How Champions should face adversity
Posted by: Marcus
As an MMA fan, and a fan of Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, you probably have assumed by this point that I was disappointed by the finale of UFC 104. I was sitting in the home of my closest friend, both of us on the edge of our seats, as we saw Shogun pick apart one of the pound for pound greatest fighters on the planet. Lyoto Machida, who many had assumed would destroy Shogun after annihilating Rashad Evans, was systematically weakened and beaten up by the vicious leg and body kicks of a man who is a master of Muay Thai. After five rounds had finished, Lyoto looked like he could barely walk, and Shogun looked ready to fight another five rounds if he had to. It was quite possibly the most technical battle ever seen in MMA, and easily the fight of the year. However, the judges must have been watching some other fight, because they gave Lyoto Machida the win, followed by a crowd booing the judges for their faulty decision.

However, in regards to this blog entry, that wasn't what caught my ear. Machida could have easily walked away from another fight with Shogun and fought someone else, like the winner of Evans vs Thiago Silva, or the winner of Griffin vs Ortiz. Instead, he agreed to a rematch as soon as he could fight again, and the fans will get to see the two best light heavyweight mixed martial artists battle again. It is my belief that this is how a true champion acts.

Too often in other sports do we see champions not face the best competition in the world, simply because their camps won't allow it to happen, or because of fear. Floyd "Money" Mayweather is a shining example of this. If you're not familiar with Mayweather, he's a coward. This is one of the two best boxers in the world right now, and he refuses to fight the one man who could beat him. That person is Manny "Pac Man" Pacquiao. Truthfully, I might be a little harsh with Mayweather, but I know I'm not the only one who thinks that a fight between the two won't happen. Many boxing aficionados have also been quoted as saying "Mayweather would fight Cotto, but never Pacquiao. Pacquiao can defeat him."

When it comes down to it, a true champion is a tested champion. To call yourself the best in the world, you must fight the best in the world, and win. Anderson Silva is easily the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world because he has never backed down, and annihilated the best in the world in two weight divisions. B.J. Penn has fought in two divisions, held titles in two different divisions, and never backs down from a challenge. Matt Hughes is called the most dominant champion the UFC has ever have because he's defeated every single UFC Welterweight Champion sans Pat Miletich. Do you, the reader, see the pattern?

I know that many people say that Dana White is MMA's anti-christ, but you all know for a fact that he's correct when he says, "the best in the world fight the best in the world." Fact of the matter is, can people who don't fight the best really be called the best? Fedor Emelianenko passed up on the chance to fight Brock Lesnar to fight in Strikeforce, where his first fight is against Brett Rogers, and his inevitable ending will be fighting Alistair Overeem. In the UFC, he could have fought Lesnar, Mir, Minotauro, Velasquez, Carwin, etc. The same goes for Mayweather. Floyd is not the best in the world, because he's backing down from fighting the best in the world, whereas Manny doesn't have that issue. In the world of Boxing, look at why Ali is considered the greatest of all time. Not only has he fought some of the all-time greatest fighters, he defeated them, some by KO.

To finish it up, I have to say that though I disagree with UFC 104's decision, I do agree that Machida acted like a true champion afterward. He's willing to fight the best, and I think that's the way that the best should act. Truth be told, I think that sports businesses like the UFC are good for fighting. If look look at lists of the top ten in every division, notice how most of the people on those lists are in the UFC or WEC (which is owned by Zuffa) and the rest, truth be told, are over-hyped to degrees. I think that a champion is forged in the hottest fires, and is never scared of being there. Georges St. Pierre once said, "I'm always ready for the fight." That, I think, sums up what true champions think.

Stupid Things in MMA.

Stupid Things in Current Mixed Martial Arts
Posted by: Marcus


To be honest with all of my readers right now, this week has outright sucked for me. I'm irritable, angry, and have an incredibly short fuse, so bear with me if I'm not thinking one hundred percent clearly. Right now, my mindset is along the lines of, "next person who steps on my toes gets a personal visit from a right straight to the jaw."

With that being said, I've got a new MMA article for you! Truthfully, it's just another opinion piece, but it's better than nothing, right? So, let's get started.


I'm starting to get the impression that Frank Mir is not a very bright individual. Don't get me wrong when I say that Frank Mir is an incredibly talented young man, who still has a long career in MMA. He's been in the top ten for a long time, and will probably stay there, because he's become much more well rounded as time has gone on. With that said, his announced gameplan against French striker Chieck Kongo is outright moronic. Kongo is most famous for out-striking Mirco Cro Cop, and knocking out Assuerio Silva, Mostapha Al-Turk (sans eye poke), and Antoni Hardonk. He also rocked Cain Velasquez with the first punch he threw in their fight. Am I the only one thinking that trading with this guy is stupid? If I were Frank, I'd get my head out of my colon and think of how to win a fight, because being brutally destroyed twice isn't good for one's career.


Junie Browning has just been canned by the UFC. After an altercation at a hospital where he was being treated for trying to overdose on anti-anxiety medicine, he threatened to kill and rape a nurse's family. Coming from my perspective, I think that Junie had potential to be a really solid lightweight in the UFC. All he needed to do was get out of Kentucky, get involved with a camp that would help him grow as both a fighter and a person (like Xtreme Couture, H.I.T. Squad, or Greg Jackson's Gym) and take time to treat old wounds. Now, he's becoming a cautionary tale for what not to do, and will now simply serve as a warning for anyone looking to get into the game of MMA. I stand by what I said about season eight of The Ultimate Fighter, and that cast had a lot of potential. Still does. I hope Junie can get his head on straight, but what he has done so far is downright idiotic.


Season ten of The Ultimate Fighter, has been fairly lackluster thus far, but I have to say that the last episode changed my perspectives a little bit. To be quite honest, after Rampage throwing a hissy fit and quitting the UFC, and then abandoning his fighter in the middle of the cage in episode four, I don't really like Rampage very much anymore. I'm also finding myself liking Rashad as a human being. Despite all the trash he has been talking, he went over to an opposing fighter and helped to build him up. Truthfully, that is a level of sportsmanship that we don't get to see very much any more, and I'm happy to see that, and shocked to see it from the former Light Heavyweight champion. This season, truth be told, is killing Rampage's fanbase, and he's bringing it upon himself. It will probably raise Rashad's fanbase as well, considering that this season of the Ultimate Fighter is allowing us to see him as a person, and see how much he has changed since Season two. With that being said, I'll still probably never root for Rashad as a fighter. I think that he's talented, and can grow, but I think that once he steps inside that octagon, he becomes a jerk. Given the opportunity, I will say that I would share a pizza with this guy, and that is twenty times more than what I could say a month ago.

To close this out, I want to simply say that none of these are that stupid in comparison to giving Barack Obama the Nobel Peace Prize. Good night, and good luck, folks.

Metal Gear Movie?

Metal Gear Movie?
A Cynic's Perspective.
Posted by: Marcus


Before I get into the meat of this article, I'd like to state beforehand that I'm sorry if I haven't gotten around to writing another Mixed Martial Arts based blog for a while, but there really hasn't been anything worth talking about in the sport. It's been business as usual.

With that said, I'm happy that today's post gives me time to talk more about video games, but also get into another of my favorite entertainment genres. That genre is film.

As of late I've been reading little tidbits here and there about the possibility about a movie based on Metal Gear Solid. At first, it sounds like music to my ears. Metal Gear Solid has been my favorite gaming franchise since the second game, and I've constantly defended the grandeur and craftsmanship of the titles to many of my friends who don't know much about the franchise. All in all, it initially sounds like a movie about Metal Gear Solid would be downright amazing, but then I took a little time to step back from the fan's perspective, and look at it differently.

Video Game films are having the same problems that comic book films had from their relaunch. They are currently hard to take seriously. They come across as either campy or crappy, and film makers don't want to touch anything with that reputation. It wasn't until Batman Begins that the sub-genre started to be seen in a more artistic light, rather than just some way to snag money from comic book fanboys. When it comes down to it, video game films haven't had their Batman Begins yet.

With that being said, I'm not sure if I want Metal Gear Solid to try and be that film to the sub-genre. You see, being a video game fan, I didn't really see some of the absurdity until I saw it from a different perspective. If you describe the game as a story about infiltration, the purpose of the soldier, the state of nuclear war, and even ideas about cloning, all in an action packed drama/action film, people like that idea. However, if you tell them that it also has giant robotic walking mechs, light-bending camouflage similar to Predator, and a cyborg ninja, people start to lose interest. It seems less like something to be immersed in, and more like a film that isn't even taking itself seriously at points.

On the other hand, one could make the argument that people's expectations for movies that aren't about real-world situations, but are partially put in them has widened since the comic book movie has regained its popularity and standing in film. People seem to like the idea about a businessman who moonlights as an anti-hero, or a drunken womanizing inventor flying around in an iron suit. Truthfully, Metal Gear Solid isn't a story unlike a comic book in its science-fiction inspirations.

As has been pointed out, I have my doubts, but I can see how it could work. I guess the issue is simply nailing down the right staff to make the movie. To do that, you would need to find a group of producers and studio heads who have either played the games, or at the very least watched the cutscenes. That, in itself, is difficult. However, I think if pitched to the right director, it could be done well. When it comes to directors, my first thought was Christopher Nolan, who directed Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight. and I'd suggest him simply because he has a great ability to take that quasi-absurd notion of the believable being mixed with the impossible. The second would be my favorite director, Ridley Scott. However, it's not because of his more recent films, but because he was the director of Alien, and Blade Runner. Both seem to be movies along similar lines of realism and absurdity, not to mention many of the scenes in the Metal Gear Solid series seem to emulate the cinematography and grotesqueness he uses in his films.

As for the lead roles, I think that it wouldn't be too hard to find people to play Ocelot, Sniper Wolf, Merl, and so forth. However, I think the most trouble would come from playing the two biggest characters of Solid and Liquid Snake. However, three actors came to mind when it came to these characters. I saw Christian Bale as the one actor I could see playing either Solid or Liquid. He's played an insane character, and he's played characters along the lines of Solid Snake. As for Solid himself, aside from Bale I would like to see Hugh Jackman try the role, and I'd like to see Charlie Hunnam (of Sons of Anarchy fame) try his hand at Liquid. Aside from that, I'd like to see if Ron Perlman could play Revolver Ocelot, but that's just me.

Finally, I would like to see the first film be an adaptation of The Twin Snakes, simply because I believe that version of the original game was excellent, and fun to watch and play at the same time. With that being said, I simply don't know what to think about this film being made. I want it to do well, and I want it to be everything that the games are, but I guess we'll have to wait and see. One thing is certain, and that's that we'll get Harry Greggson-Williams for the score, which is always good.

Multiplicity

Multiplicity
Posted by: Marcus

As anyone who reads this blog has realized up to this point, all of my reviews and game opinions have been based on video games on the X-Box 360. It's a console that I've owned since the release of Dead Rising, and continue to enjoy many of the games that have been released for it. However, I have to say that it certainly has narrowed my view on the scope of gaming in the here and now, and I'm sad to say that I'm ashamed to have ignored other systems out there.

Last week, I picked up a Playstation 3, and I have to say that I'm incredibly impressed with the console. It's sleek looking, runs well, and has plenty of neat features like free online play, an easily rechargeable controller, built-in wireless net, and runs incredibly smooth. Don't get me wrong, I like Sony. I've liked Sony for a long time as a company, but I simply didn't want to pay so much for the console. Truthfully, I should have realized that it would have cost as much as my 360 did with all the accessories I had to buy to give it the same functionality.

However, that's not really why I'm posting this. I'm posting it because of the two games I purchased with the console. Those games are Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and Prince of Persia. Both of these games made my jaw drop from utter shock. Now, I knew these games were going to be good. I knew that because I know the developers, and I know the brand. I also don't buy games that I think are worthless. However, what struck me, and still strikes me, is just how different they are from the convention, and how refreshing it is to play them.

Both games, for better or worse, stand out simply because they aren't following the popular conventions. Prince of Persia is like playing a living watercolor painting. Aside from how smooth it runs, the images are gorgeous to look at. It's also a solid challenge, but changes the formula a bit from previous games. Gone are the sands of time, but it introduces the character of Elika, and with her comes a great story for the game that sucks the player in, and invokes odd emotion for the player at the end.

Metal Gear Solid 4 continues the epic story of Solid Snake and company, and is a majestic conclusion to a great storyline. One thing to note though is that Hideo Kojima was able to not only make a solid sequel to the second and third games simultaneously, but utilize elements of the third game to completely tie the story together, and make the gameplay more fluid. I won't go into too much detail, because I will get off topic, but know that this game is worth the price tag. Any PS3 owner will tell you that even if it were the only game on the console worth playing, it would still be worth it.

Essentially, this is what sparked the love for me. As much as I enjoy my 360, most of the games I had either been buying, or influenced to buy, were games that were nearly dependent on Xbox Live to really be enjoyable. I wasn't always into multiplayer, and playing those two games really ignited a spark in me that may have been near dead. I suddenly stopped caring about ranks, achievements, leaderboards, and the like, and it became about fun again.

So, to close this blog, I simply want to say this: take the time to enjoy something different. Video games, in my opinion, are the best form of entertainment out there, and if you're not enjoying different forms of it, aren't you simply shorting yourself? There are plenty of games out there for you to enjoy that aren't first person shooters or sports games, folks. They're fun, they last more than five hours, and may even leave an impact on you, if you let them.

Let's all be a bit smarter with gaming, people. Instead of buying Halo 3: ODST, why not pick up Brutal Legend instead? Or maybe Assassin's Creed 2? Maybe even Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony?

Think about it.

A view into Marcus: Top Tens

A View into Marcus - Top Ten lists
Posted by Marcus

Truth be told, I'm not really the "bare your soul" type. From my perspective, baring your soul is like stripping in front of someone. There are certain people that you can be half naked in front of, and completely naked in front of. The audience that reads my blog, truth be told, is neither. However, because I love people who read my blog, I am going to give some insight into my tastes. Here's a few top ten lists.


Favorite Movies.

10. Saving Private Ryan - One gripe I have with war movies like Platoon and Full Metal Jacket is that they ham-fistedly try to shove the hippie idea of war turning everyone into monsters down your throat. This movie doesn't do that. It portrays soldiers as real people in a rough situation, and you get to see how they work through it. It's Spielberg's second best movie, easy.

9. Predator - Good luck trying to find a sci-fi movie based in the real world with a concept as good as this one. The idea of taking humans in their deadliest form, and having something not of this world hunt them like deer is a great concept, tied with suspense and horror that are filmed so well that you wonder why horror movie directors don't take notes. Not to mention we get to see the Govenator actually act, and that he's not too shabby.

8. The Dark Knight - I'm a comic book buff, and I can tell you right now there really isn't a comic movie that can truly equal this film. Aside from the great cast, and great performances from all of them. Say what you want about Bale's Batman, but he's the only man in Hollywood who can play Bruce Wayne and Batman and make the two personas seem linked, and yet separate, just like the comics. The one thing that was best done is the treatment of the Joker. You're not supposed to know who he is. He feels like Anarchy personified, and it's perfect.

7. Remember the Titans - Greatest sports movie of all time. No backtalk. There's no overacting. Nobody makes any acting botches. Everyone plays off each other well. It also allows the audience to make their own observations about how unimportant race is, and how stupid everyone looked back then.

6. The Silence of the Lambs - One of the few movies that I own that actually horrifies me. Aside from the fact that there isn't a bad performance in the entire film, Johnathan Demme does a great job of directing the audience into the minds of the characters. You understand Clarice Starling, and what makes her who she is. You see how Hannibal Lecter is disgusted with people, and why he does what he does. It's a stellar film, and its perspective on the mind of the mad is unforgettable.

5. Amadeus - This is one of the two films on my list that I have actually watched less than ten times, just because it is an odd combination of great quality, but is difficult for me to sit and enjoy. I enjoy it simply because I love its take on Mozart, and the world around him, and how beautifully twisted they made this fictional history piece. It's simply full of complex characters, dark tone, and yet can be incredibly fun to watch at points.

4. Schindler's List - This is the second film that I've watched less than ten times. Spielberg's best, and oddly enough, I think both of his best films take place in this time period. This was the film that introduced me to two of my favorite actors. Liam Neeson's performance as Oskar Schindler and Ralphe Fiennes' performance as Amon Goeth are chilling, and amazing. This is truly a movie that also shows man's true inhumanity to man, and shows it at its ugliest. My favorite part is simply that it pulls no punches, leaving strong men crying their eyes out for the lives lost in the Holocaust.

3. First Blood - I know it sounds odd to have a movie like this so far up, but this film holds a very special place in my heart. You see, the character of John Rambo is almost a commentary on everyone's view of the Vietnam War. He almost seems like a walking reaction to films that fill one's head of the hippie ideal of a solider during that time period, and turns that idea on its head. Rambo is a character who fought for country, and fought for friends, and when he came back to America, his friends were dead and his country had betrayed him. What follows is simply a great story as a man finally decides to stand up for what he feels is right, and what ensues when a deadly man pushes back. "They drew first blood."

2. Equilibrium - There are certain people out there that simply see this film as "Gun Fu." Truth be told, there is that element, but at the same time this film holds something more inside of it. It brings in the idea of what would happen if man sacrificed his emotions for the idea of security and safety. You see quite possibly the best roles that Taye Diggs, Christian Bale, and Emily Watson have ever been in. Bale specifically plays an incredible role in Cleric John Preston, which is a role that at points he plays so well that you feel what he feels as he feels it, which is incredibly difficult to pull off.

1. Gladiator - My favorite film by my favorite director. It's really hard to describe, so I'll just simply put in a couple sentences. Russel Crowe plays the greatest hero introduced in the year 2000. Juoaquin Phoenix plays the best villain introduced in they year 2000. Ridley Scott directed the greatest film of 2000. Enough said.

Favorite Video Games

10. Doom 3 - I've played through this game a few times now, and I still get both goosebumps and genuine frights out of it. The mix of great lighting, graphics, and sound paint an eerie picture that is consistently unsettling, mixing fear of the unknown, the paranormal, death, gore, and so forth to consistently have you frightened, one way or another.

9. Turok 2: Seeds of Evil - For me, this is a shooter that set a very large standard for me. It was bloody, creepy, atmospheric, intense, and fun. It had a great variety of weapons, enemies that looked and fought like legit threats, and boss battles that were downright epic. Because it had all those elements, there hadn't been a shooter until Gears of War that was capable of matching that, which was eight years later.

8. Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast - When people tried to tell me that The Force Unleashed was an attempt at making the best Star Wars game yet, I told them that those two games had already been made. Outcast continues the story of Kyle Katarn, and is a great story of a Jedi who walks the razor's edge between good and evil in the pursuit or someone he cares for, and stopping a new Sith Lord from conquering space. It's not only a good Star Wars game, but a solid revenge story as well.

7. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Though it's hard for me to choose between this game and Majora's Mask, I had to go with this game because it really had the best storyline of any Zelda game. Though there isn't a lot of character development, you really feel like you're playing through a fairy tale. Everything makes you feel like a hero from a storybook, and the game delivers, even to this day.

6. Starcraft - There really isn't a whole lot to say here. It's essentially the one RTS game that still hooks me to this day. It's fun to play, you take an odd role in the story's development, but more than anything it's incredibly easy to pick up and play, but hard to master, and I like that in a video game. What will shock you more is that I'm not that big into RTS games, but this is on the list.

5. Mortal Kombat 2 - I really admire this game, simply because in the midst of combo heavy fighters like King of Fighters and Street Fighter 2, this game had the balls to take two approaches. The first was to keep it simple, so people could easily get into it. The second was to appeal to the love of pixelated destruction, as every fight was brutal and bloody. It's these simple concepts that keep the game as such a hot property, and well loved in the hearts of fighting game fans.

4. Gears of War 2 - Truth be told, I think that both games really tie for this spot, but I have to say that it says a lot that this is the first shooter that really stood out since the N64 days. This was the first shooter series that took the time to NOT copy anything that id Software had done, and what Epic had done before. There are great weapons, epic moments, brutal combat, and a great Sci-Fi story that isn't focused on over-explaining the universe, but rather treats it like a war movie, which works well, because every game mode you play in makes you feel like you're in a war zone, which FPS games have really failed to do thus far.

3. Half-Life 2 - This is the realization of FPS perfection. It took everything the genre had done right up until that point, but also gave total character immersion. There is a great mix between science fiction, civil conflict, horror, and survivalist ideas that had never been seen in a game before, or had been repeated until Bioshock. It's a game that frees you to truly take the reigns of Gordon Freeman, and give you the freedom to slip into that persona, which other FPS games still fail to do.

2. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - The other great Star Wars game. Truthfully, I think this may best the best RPG of all time. I can't find a game that has such a great combination of engrossing story, developed characters, fun gameplay, and so many ways to do it all. Not to mention the voice acting is phenominal, the planets are fun to explore, and it has one of the biggest plot reveals that messes with your head present in gaming. Easily Bioware's best game, and that says a lot.

1. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater - The greatest game from the greatest series of all time. In the third installment, we see the closest that video games has had yet to its "Watchmen." We're introduced to the backstory of the first, second, and fourth games, and get to see the fuel that was thrown on the proverbial fire, with many events sending chills up your spines, because you know the horrors and events that await in the future for each character. Not to mention easily the best story, voice acting, gameplay elements, gunplay, arsenal, mood, and so forth in gaming, I think it's safe to say that not only is this game the greatest of all time, it's easily my favorite.

A Quickie: The Politics of Hate

The Politics of Hate: Why a certain singer has lost his spine.
Posted by: Marcus

This entry isn't going to take long. In this entry, it's pretty simple. I, the blogger, am Marcus. That's not my real name, but an amalgamation of my first and last names. I'm the guy on the left in the picture.

The man to my right is J. Randall Blythe, lead singer of Lamb of God. A man who has been known as someone whose views on the politics of this country and how messed up they are were very close to the core of his songwriting. It seemed like they were something that he deeply cared about.

Key words being "it seemed."

Today, I am here to simply say that Randy Blythe is a fake. A fraud. He is a poser. The economy still sucks. We're still at war. Our president wants to inject our country with more and more doses of Socialism under the guise of hope and peace, and where is Randy Blythe?

Randy Blythe is in his home, counting his money, and laughing at how all of us have fallen for the facade that Lamb of God has put up. You gentlemen are not metal. You're a bunch of sprout eating hippies that are trying to be metal, but as of late, the last piece of the costume is off.

You didn't give two craps about the war in Iraq. You don't care about the lives of Americans. You care about money.

So, here's what I say to Lamb of God. Put up or shut up. Prove to everyone that you care, and make some sort of statement about how screwed up everything is, because right now it seems that you only assaulted Bush, the military, and the blood shed in war to try and sell records.

If you read this, Randy, keep in mind that I was a fan. I'm not threatened by your voice, because your guitarist whipped your ass, and I'm three times his size. Walk the walk, or walk off the stage so someone else who isn't full of crap can pick up the instruments and make music that comes from the heart, and not a wallet begging to be filled.

Different Perspectives

Different Perspectives: A look at the ideas of Gaming today.
Posted by: Marcus

Before I get started, I just want to say thank you to anyone who has read this blog up to this point. If you've enjoyed yourself, good for you.

Anyway, this week I've got my spur of what I want to rant about from a different source than usual. To give you a little background, I've been a subscriber to a dude who calls himself Moviebob. Moviebob is also known as the Game Overthinker, recent winner of the "My Vids Don't Suck" contest over at Screwattack.com, which is a great website, and he's very deserving of that honor. With that said, this post is a quasi-response to some of his videos on Youtube, particularly the idea of gaming today lacking the goofy, yet creative spark of the retro days.

Before I get started, I'd like to give a message to Bob specifically. Bob, if you read this, I do want you to know that I'm also a gamer who remembers, and loved the old days of getting frustrated at Castlevania and nearly throwing my controller through a wall, and beating Mario Brothers for the first time. I miss those days, and still enjoy the sounds of E1M1 as much as I did the first time I heard it.

With that said, I have to say that I disagree that gaming has lost its creative spark when it comes to "out-there" ideas. However, I do think that too much emphasis has been put on the "serious business" side, and I partially blame the Spaz gamers that I outlined in my previous entry, and the MLG fad. When it comes to "serious games" and "serious gamers" they enjoy games that take themselves far too seriously. The first two games that come to mind are Halo 3 and Call of Duty: World at War.

Halo 3 is supposed to be a game about the Earth fighting a war against an interstellar cult, but it doesn't feel like it, and World at War just sucks. I'm not even going to go into detail. Neither have anything inside of them that are inspired, and neither of them are fun without friends to play with, making them damn near worthless. However, the "serious" gamer has decided that these games are the cream of the crop, and they've become much more popular than they would have, say, ten years ago, or from my prediction, ten years from now.

Anyway, I can't say that the crazy concepts of the old days are completely gone. Let's take a look at a few games from the here and now, and break down their core concepts.

Gears of War is a third person shooter where your main enemies are oversized lizards with asthma. You're playing as a group of soldiers with armor that looks like it was inspired by Soundwave the Decepticon, and using crazy weapons like grenades with a bolo attachment, a futuristic take on the Tek Bow from Turok 2, and an assault rifle with a CHAINSAW attached to it! Those are all neat ideas, and they're tied together with a solid storyline that is dark and engrossing, but never takes itself too seriously, with the Carmine of the game setting in for what seems to be their "Kenny."

Madworld is an attempt to return to the old beat-em-up stylings of a Final Fight or a Streets of Rage with a crazy storyline that could only come from the fucked up mind of the man who created Devil May Cry. It's Frank Miller meets Hideo Yamamoto, and it's downright awesome.

The list goes on, and I don't really want to spend too much time on naming games, and more on the ideas. I think the big problem is that the games that want to be taken "seriously" in this day and age still don't want to get rid of the crazy ideas, and I don't really understand why these developers keep trying to make games that will be taken seriously. Call of Duty 4, while a really solid game, had a storyline that really sat on the fence of whether it was trying to be a war story, or a Hollywood style action flick turned video game. Same goes with Bionic Commando. GRIN evidently didn't realize that the elements they were trying to put together with that level of downward feel only works for Metal Gear Solid, namely because Hideo Kojima is a goddamn genius.

What I do think is that different people should work on different titles. I enjoyed Bionic Commando for what it was, but the entire time it felt like they were trying too hard to blur the lines between military shooter and science-fiction based action game. If they had a different writer for that game, and didn't try and make it seem so serious, it could have been much more enjoyable, and a lot more fun. Let's face it. The one thing that game did incredibly well was the feeling of swinging through that city, and (for me anyway) it got the adrenaline pumping.

Then again, maybe part of the problem for some of these games is the immersion factor. Games like Gears of War, Metal Gear Solid, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and their ilk do an excellent job of getting the player to care about their respective universes, and don't try to tie themselves that hard to the modern day, unlike your atypical FPS game nowadays.

To conclude, I do have to say that the fun absurdity of the retro gaming era isn't gone, but it certainly isn't getting the spotlight that it truly deserves, because it's what set Video Gaming apart from other forms of media in the first place. Now, we just have to wait and see if the games that are still in those old series can still live up to the name. Mario is pulling it off, but I'm really hoping to see Castlevania: Lords of Shadow get that series back to the grandeur it once had.

As The World Turns

As The World Turns: Thoughts on Today's Gaming.
Posted by: Marcus

This article will be re-written soon. Sorry, but the original was a little too brash, even for me.

Top Ten............

Top Ten Ways not to be an XBL Douchebag!
Posted by: Marcus

I'm really beginning to think that half my time devoted to this blog is simply going to be spent on entertainment oriented rants. This time though I've randomly decided to make my next rant into a top ten list, simply for the sake of time and energy.

So, to get us started, the obvious problem with online gaming is that most of us have to interact with the world's douchebags when gamers have been trying to avoid them for ages. So, this list is dedicated to you douchebags, and how you morons can become less of a bag, and more of a civilized human being.

10. Learn how to curse!
Ever seen the movie I, Robot? Remember Shia LeBouf's character? Yeah, that's you. Cursing, for better or worse, should be reserved when one's vocabulary gets shortened due to some sort of circumstance where emotions get involved. The problem is though that your swearing sucks. Your main insult is fag. I think it's safe to say that you don't have much variant in your ability to insult someone. If you're going to open your mouth, at least know how to use it.

9. You Are Not A Gangsta
Let's face it. You're not a criminal. The biggest crime you committed was spitting on a sidewalk. If a cop walked up to you, your attitiude would go from "Fuck da police" to "No sir, I didn't do anything." You want to know why? Because you, and any other retard like you that bought into the rap bravado, in the moments when your bluff is called, you fold. However, it's not completely your fault. You're not smart enough to realize what toughness really is. Let's do a test. Answer the question: Who is actuall a tough person?












If you picked Wanderlei Silva, then there may be hope for you yet.

8. Learn how to lose
This one is really important. In any multiplayer game, you are going to lose at some point in time. Let's face it. If you have even a quarter of a life at all, you're going to lose in multiplayer, because you know as well as I do that there are kids out there that literally do nothing but play multiplayer games, so learn to let it go.

7. Don't try and be MLG
This is one thing that NOBODY that you will ever play against will buy. We all know that you're not an MLG player. We all know that you suck. Personally, I can't count how many people I've destroyed across several games that put MLG in their tags, or have an MLG gamer pic, or whatever. You're not that good. In fact, you suck. However, it's better to roll with it than try and pretend you don't.

6. Keep the racial slurs to yourself.
You don't sound cool when you use racial slurs. You also aren't insulting either. You're just ignorant, and people don't care about ignorance. The minute you sound like white trash or a wannabe ghetto punk, people shut their ears to you, and you're doing nothing more than sounding like an angry chimpanzee trapped inside a glass cage.

5. If you're not old enough to play the game, please don't talk.
Listen, I don't know how you got a hold of the game. Maybe you lied to your parents. Maybe your parents are retards for buying you an online game. Maybe you stole it. Maybe your friends have retarded parents. Whatever the case, there are those of us who are actually old enough to go to Wal-Mart, or Gamestop, or Best Buy and buy the games that everyone is playing. You, are not, so please just don't use your mic, or be in a party. You make it easier for all of us that way.

4. Don't make threats
Listen, nobody out there is intimidated by a punk teenager with a controller, or someone with a Napoleon complex. You aren't capable of kicking anyone's ass. Hell, you probably aren't sure about how to throw a punch, but for some reason you think that telling someone to shut up over the net is going to work. What if someone says, "Or what?" Then what are you going to do? Absolutely nothing. Also, don't give your name and address away. For all you know, the person on the other end is Brock Lesnar.

3. Don't play the blame game.
It's a simple premise. It's nobody's fault that you lost. If you were as awesome as you said you were, you would have dominated everyone. If your connection sucks, that's also your own damn fault. Go reset your router and open the ports, asshole.

2. Don't pretend you've got a life.
You don't have lots of money. You don't have a good looking girlfriend. You don't get loads of sex. You're sitting in front of a television playing Call of Duty. It's rather obvious that you've got just as much spare time as the other people you're playing with. Maybe more than that. Please don't take us for idiots. We can see right through you.

1. Remember that it's just a game.
Seriously. If you're flipping out over playing games, you need to stop playing them. These game are there for you to have fun with, and if you're not having fun, just give it up. Simply say it was a hobby, and let it go. If it's driving you mad, please don't drive the rest of us mad by trying to keep at it.

A Question of Skill

A Question of Skill: Analyzing the world of MMA.
Posted by: Marcus

As many of you well know by the time this blog is posted, Anderson Silva has done more than just defeat Forrest Griffin. He outright destroyed a man who was ranked number four in his division, solidifying himself as the top pound for pound fighter in the world.

Seeing the fight myself, I was in utter shock. When it came down to the James Irvin fight, I honestly did not expect Irvin to win at all, mostly because it didn't seem plausible. Irvin was an up-and-comer, but that's not really enough. However, I didn't think Silva would eat him for breakfast. Coming into this fight, there were people out there that actually gave Forrest a good shot at winning this, probably from his submission victory of Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. However, it almost seems to be that may not be enough, as Forrest was made to look like a rank amateur.

Either way, watching that battle I feel like I saw my views of MMA changing in front of me. I went back and watched the Shogun fight, and started thinking of the other all-time greats of the sport. I started to think of how these fighters come up, and are trained. How is it that the greats are forged, and from what?

Though I haven't come to anything definitive yet, I have one main suspicion of what it is that makes a great fighter great. I think that it is the ingrained disciplines brought forth from the one primary style.

With that statement, let me preach on a bit of history. Mixed Martial Arts, when simplified, means exactly what it sounds. A mixing of several styles of Martial Arts, like Muai Thai, Boxing, Kickboxing, Wrestling, Jiu Jitsu, etc. However, here is where I think the problem lies. MMA might be the one sport where the idea of, "Jack of all trades, master of none" may fit best. Fighters like Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Chris Leben, and others have a base in something, but it's not as strong of a base as someone like Lyoto Machida (Shotokan Karate), Anderson Silva (Muai Thai), or George St. Pierre (Kyokoshin Karate).

Now, it's not simply fighting styles that I'm talking about here. I'm talking about application of discipline. Machida, Silva, St. Pierre, and others bring with them the disciplines from those arts, and use them as a basis for work ethic and performance, not just how they fight. If you look at Griffin or Evans, and then compare their ethic to the pound for pound greats of the world, it's almost night and day. Not to mention, though someone like Evans does have solid credentials, do you see him apply them very well? No.

Take a look back at The Ultimate Fighter season two. Rashad Evans, whether you like it or not, is still a lazy kid with a lot of cockyness that has no base to it. Though people may say otherwise, there is nothing about his career thus far that would lead a person to think that he is capable of being either a great martial artist, or considered a pound for pound good fighter. Many of his fights thus far have relyed more on Greg Jackson's cornering than Rashad's skills, such as the victory over Chuck Liddell in comparison to the fight with Micheal Bisping, who Dan Henderson (another pound for pound great) was able to destroy. Not to mention that Rashad's record is full of split decisions, which are by no means solid victories. The man was unable to mount a solid fight against a Tito Ortiz that seemed to be fighting at twenty percent of his capability.

It is this lack of true martial arts discipline that we may be seeing in many fights in the future against the pound for pound greats like Silva, Machida, and others. I predict that we'll begin to see men simply defined as mixed martial artists (Rich Franklin, Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans) start to drop like flies against men with solid disciplines coupled with MMA training to counteract other styles. It may take a man like Shogun Rua using the close range discipline of Muai Thai to give Lyoto Machida a fight that will go past round two. It evidently takes an amazing wrestler like Dan Henderson to give Anderson Silva a fight worth mentioning. It may take Minotauro Nogeuira, one of the greatest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu artists in the world to dethrone an amazing wreslter like Brock Lesnar. It's hard to say at this point, because we're just seeing the beginning. The clash will probably begin at UFC 104, where we see Machida vs Shogun.

I have begun to believe that we have hit the Lyoto Machida era, but not so much in the sense that Lyoto Machida may have an amazing title run, but that we'll begin to see fighters with strong backgrounds rise up in the ranks much quicker, and have better careers. We'll more than likely also see fighters with strong backgrounds that have been focusing too much on strict MMA training instead of their core (Wanderlei, Shogun, Ortiz) get back to basics, and reclaim the old fires. Wanderlei needs to do it, Ortiz seems like he's trying to, and Shogun seems to have already done it, evidenced in his defeat of Chuck Liddell, literally punching him into retirement.

What I pray, from this point on, is that we see the final push that MMA needs. All fighters to consider their core strengths, and not simply try and be a jack of all trades. The examples of the pound for pound best are all out there. Fighters now simply need to wise up.

Relaxed Observations

A Collection of Relaxed Observations
Posted by: Marcus

Being a student in the summer obviously gives me a lot of down time. I get plenty of time to sit, relax, do some stuff around the house, take long naps, and all other sorts of fun stuff. Today is easily one of those days where I've got license to chill, and I figured I'd give some of my "easy chair observations" since I have plenty of time to analyze and interpret more stuff than when I hit the school year. At that point, I may be left with the hard decision of either video games, TV, or Mixed Martial Arts. A chilling dilemma, isn't it? Either way, I'm nice and relaxed, so let's get this started. Then, it's off to take a cat nap.

Fedor Emelianenko has really dissapointed me and many others. The possibility of him becoming a part of the UFC Heavyweight roster, and the possibilities of him fighting Mir, Carwin, Lesnar, Couture, or others are seemingly out the window. I don't know if he's fiercely loyal to M-1, but every single promotion that Fedor has signed with has gone under. M-1 at this point is nothing more than a leech, and Dana White saw right through them. It wasn't about sambo competitions, or judo competitions, or M-1 logos on the shorts. It was about someone wanting a piece of someone else's deserved pie. However, it's not like the UFC is dead without Fedor, but this whole schebackle puts a dent in Fedor's legend, definitely.

The Ultimate Fighter's next season could be the one thing I'm looking forward to the most in MMA right now since UFC 100 already came and went. There are already rumors circulating that Kimbo Slice got brutally knocked out in his first fight, and that it was a similar situation of the Shane Nelson/Efrain Escudero confrontation, with Kimbo being the drunk one this time, and we finally get the answer of if he's legit or not. If this is true, then it's awesome. If it's not, I'm still going to watch the show because it will answer whether or not Kimbo is legit or not, which to some people isn't definitive after EliteXC crumbled. For me, I don't think Kimbo is legit, and I'll mostly be watching the show to see him fall, and for the next big heavyweight to rise. It's exciting, to say the least.

Gears of War 2 has given a nice dose of fan service with the All Fronts Collection. For me, I got 14 new maps, and the deleted scene from the campaign, all of which had no negatives to them whatsoever. Since I'm bringing up Epic, the next game from them and Chair Entertainment is a spiritual successor to Super Metroid called Shadow Complex. It's set in the universe of Empire by Orson Scott Card, and is written by Peter David. Essentially, a spiritual successor to what is probably the best action platformer of all time, in a rich universe crafted by one of the all time great Sci-Fi writers, and is written by the man who made The Incredible Hulk one of the most incredible comic series of all time? They might as well steal my money.

Wiggers bug me. Not really for the whole "annoying douchebag" visage that they all seem to want to carry around, but it's mostly why they do it. Let's face it. These guys have obvioiusly bought into the bravado of the Hip-Hop genre of music, and for some odd reason really think that baggy pants have made them tough. Not quite sure what word they come from, but I feel a bit more threatened by the six foot four guy with twenty inch biceps than the five foot six twig with his hat on wrong. If you'd prefer a better example, who are you more threatened by: Brock Lesnar, or Junie Browning? Either way, these guys have really sold themselves on the idea that they're cool dudes, but I can't do anything more than pity them. They're just stupid people making stupid mistakes, and my tolerance for them is nil. I couldn't care less about music tastes, but it bugs me when people try too hard to steal from a subculture based on fake toughness to try and look tough. Anyone else see the irony?

Big Girls annoy me. Now, hear me out on this. I'm a big dude, but I can't date a big girl. It's not because I'm shallow (though I find it idiotic that people hate you for enjoying the site of a pretty face over a horse's ass) but it's because I hate the low standards of big girls. Most of them will siphon semen for any guy willing to pull down his pants for them. Why would I want to date that kind of a girl? Most pretty girls out there have standards and self respect. Guess what I'm in possession of? Standards and self respect. I can't be with a woman who doesn't have that, and I respect any man who says the same.

So, that's really all I've got today on the Corner. Time for me to hit the hay.

Epic Fail

Epic Fail: The Story of Bungie's Plagiarism
Posted by: Marcus


Before I dig into the meat of this entry, I do want to give the opening statement that this blog is simply my perspective of Bungie's popular Halo series, given through the eyes of a longtime gamer. This entry will also deal with my opinions of Bungie as an independent developer, and how they and Microsoft have priced their products in a hard economy.

The story for me begins when I was 18, and had my first real encounters with the Halo franchise. Beforehand, I had played the game for a little bit at a friend's house, but at the time hadn't beaten Metal Gear Solid 1-3 to the point where I had the story memorized, so I didn't think much of it.

So, right as I graduate from High School and start working for my uncle, my roommate has an Xbox and is a huge Halo fan, and immediately hooks me into the series. It was fun stuff. The multiplayer had fairly balanced weaponry, with each weapon having its place and function. Each map had a good feel to it with a decent amount of power-ups and ways to counter them, along with what may be the best Capture the Flag matches in any game to this date.

Another thing that struck me was that the single-player and co-op campaign was one of the better ones that I had played in a First-Person shooter. The storyline, though it wasn't incredibly deep, was good on its own, but had a very good way of delivering itself through Cortana's wit and interaction with the player. The only major issue was that the game felt a little short, and at the same time dragged on in certain levels that were basically prior levels played in reverse. It also had a good sense of atmosphere at certain levels, especially the level where The Flood was introduced.

However, as time went on for me, I distanced myself away from the game a bit, finding other little gems like Bioware's Knights of the Old Republic and id Software's Doom 3 to grab my attention. Around the time that Halo 2 came out though, I found myself playing it, and then quickly losing my interest in the title. The weapon balance from the previous game was outright gone, with each multiplayer match being a mad scramble for the Battle Rifle, which was overpowered and uninspired. There were improvements in the Covenant weaponry, but nobody noticed because hardly anyone remembered the one good thing that came out of the game: The Arbiter.

I still maintain to this day that the Arbiter is the best thing that came out of Halo 2. Unlike the Master Chief, Bungie took the time to flesh him out in-game and through him were able to shine some light on the Covenant, and give that side of the war a little more understanding for the people who enjoy having a solid storyline in gaming. However, like anything Halo campaign oriented, the storyline ended up being way too short, and had the worst ending that a video game has ever had. The game of Halo 2 was more of an expansion pack than an actual Halo game. It didn't feel like a full experience. It added a weapon set that was worse than the first game, online multiplayer that wasn't anything more than average, and a story that seemed like the developers just outright stopped writing it at one point, and then realized they needed an ending. Halo 2 was a terrible game, and if Resident Evil 4 hadn't come out when it did, I would have gone insane.

Going forward from there, around the time Gears of War came out I started taking notice of Epic's video games, picking up the original Unreal and Unreal Tournament. From then on in, I started to see some things that disgusted me. Halo, for better or worse, had a multiplayer system that was structured almost exactly like Unreal Tournament, but a little slower in the pacing! I couldn't believe it. How did they get away with such a blatant ripoff? I also started to draw major lines in the story similarities as well, to the point where I couldn't really see Halo as an original IP. All the Elites now seem like to me are the Skaarj bred with the Yajuta from the Predator movies.

Either way, the revelation disturbs me greatly even to this day. The nail in the coffin for me was when I saw that, out of nowhere, the Master Chief is now the head of a 4 man squad, and also now has armor with magnets on the back to store weaponry. I literally just shook my head, because the initial screenshot from that reveal looked like a throwaway promo image from Gears of War, but with Halo characters instead. It's stupid.

Truth be told, I really don't think Bungie really has had many original ideas. Their first series, Marathon, was a Doom clone. Their newest "game," Halo 3: ODST looks like Gears of Halo Duty 3 1/3. A blatant ripoff of Horde mode, and the trademark Nameless Marine from Call of Duty? Jesus Christ.

Also, I'm starting to think that the pricing for Halo products is outright robbery. 800 Microsoft Points for 3 maps?! $60 for a game that isn't much more than an expansion pack?! There couldn't be anything that angers me more than a game that rips off the consumer, especially with the current economical climate. It sickens me to no ends.

Now, I know what everyone will say who reads this. "Yeah, but Bungie's making money!" That's what makes me mad. If this game had sold absolutely nothing, then this blog entry would have no need to exist. However, I've decided to post it because I believe in my heart that gamers need to be informed with the truth. If you like Halo, that's fine. Just keep in mind that by supporting Bungie without questioning what they're doing, you do nothing for gaming or gamers.