David Hingtgen

You gotta admit how Nintendo integrated the Wiimote and nunchak into the zapper is nothing short of brilliant.

With most of the big announcements from E3 (presumably made) I have even less of a need for a PS3 or Wii than before. 95% of the PS3 games are coming to 360, and the Wii is still impossible to find, and there's only 1 exclusive I really want--Super Paper Mario. (Metroid Prime 3 is nice, but I'm not spending $250 to play it) I plan on buying the GC version of Zelda:Twilight soon. Every game I really want for the rest of the year is either 360 exclusive, or PS3+360. Not buying another system (or two) this year might allow me to get an HDTV.

Got the demo, it's clearly for 16:9 HD. Can barely read the HUD. Sure hope there's other options in the full version. Anyways, for what is there: Awe-inspiring. There are dozens and dozens of planes in the air. By far the biggest dogfight ever. In the demo you've got 99 AIM-9 and like 44 AIM-120. (F-16C, thought it looked like a bigmouth one, will check again) And I ran out of AMRAAMs. Zillions of planes all fighting it out over a big city on the coast. I was taking down F-4E's, Kfir's, Mirage 2000's, Su-33's, F-18F's. In the upper left corner is a "camera view" of your target, done in "green night-vision" etc. Similar situation in the upper right corner, only it's for communications---so you can actually see your wingman talking, etc. The afterburner effect is amazing, it's just perfect. White-hot/orange turbine, orange glow, purple tint around the edges. Missiles actually have rocket motors now that ignite and burn, no longer just a simple white smoke trail. Also, it is just generally amazing graphically. The first couple seconds I thought were CG, but they're in-game. Music is as "AC-ish" as always. PS---you probably want to switch "Yaw/throttle" to "reverse". It's set up backwards from all the other AC games. The triggers on a 360 controller just aren't as good as a PS2's shoulder buttons for flying, but I'd rather have yaw on the triggers. And I've spent many an hour holding down R1 for afterburner, so I want that as RB.

Gah, MS permanently (and they mean permanently) link your Windows Live ID/Passport.net account to your gamertag, even if the Live account is cancelled. So I'm swapping around email addresses and working around that to get a new Live ID and setting it up so I can get my Xenogears gamertag on THAT one, yet still retain all my IM settings etc with people. Yeesh. They really need to make a warning saying "don't try to reserve a gamertag, you can't really---just wait until you are actually trying to go online"

Went online with 360 for the first time, got some trailers and demos. I really hope AC6 has different screen options for the full version----the demo is clearly meant for 16:9 HDTV only. Can't see a thing on the HUD. But it is gorgeous, and there's SO many planes in the air simultaneously. Anyways---encountered a problem online. I simply used "David" as my gamertag when I got my 360, and there were no problems since I never took it online. I did however snag my Xenogears gamertag at Xbox.com a little while ago in preparation for going online, as well as greatly simplifying the repair process (since they then already had my name/email/serial number all linked) However----it won't merge/reconcile the accounts. Yes, I can access my Xenogears account, but it won't "accept" that "David's" accomplishments/preferences should go with it. Checking around, it seems that there is a solution: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/systemus...lineprofile.htm But---that costs 10 bucks, just to change the name of the account temporarily, to then never use the account again. Which I really don't want to do. I've emailed MS to see if they can just delete the account outright, which should then open up the name for the "David" account to then snag. (Assuming no one else snags it) If worse comes to worse, I'll just get a new gamertag all together, and delete my Xenogears one regardless. I fall into the apparently rare category of making an account at Xbox.com with my desired gamertag prior to actually going online with the system.

Yup, which is why its trailer is mentioned first. (Also, we know a lot more about ME than Lost Odyssey----KOTOR is one of my all-time fave games, and ME is the spiritual successor) PS---D-pad mod wasn't enough. What REALLY fixed it was gluing small plastic shims under the directions that didn't respond well. Now it works PERFECTLY. I think the shims alone probably would have worked and is a lot easier/quicker than the "sanding the ring" everyone does. PS--both the Ace Combat 6 and Blue Dragon demos are up at marketplace as of last night. Going to try downloading them today (marketplace has slowed to a crawl due to E3)

Much of the discussion centers on licensing issues with the Trans Am name. If there is to be a new Firebird, the top of the line will probably be the Formula. (Firehawk's not known well enough AFAIK, even though it is the next step above Trans Am) New GTO based on new Camaro is considered much more likely. There's little chance of two new muscle car Pontiacs, so it'll be one or the other.

All that and you didn't mention Mass Effect? For shame. Go see the trailer in high-res here: http://www.xbox.com/en-AU/games/viewer.asp...=2&shotId=2 And here's Lost Odyssey, which has quickly shot up to my 2nd-most-wanted RPG: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/viewer.asp...=2&shotId=0

There are reports that the most recent batches of PS3's make a whining sound: http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars...h-pitched-whine

I just did the 360 D-pad mod/fix. Thumbs are sore from all the tight sanding, and I had to rinse out all the sanding dust, so it'll be a little while before I can report if it worked. But I do have a useful tip: Even if you have the correct T8H bit for the screws, the bottom 2 screws are so recessed even that bit won't fit. But, I found that your standard basic 2.0mm slotted screwdriver, which is always one of the ones in that cheap "blue plastic with a clear cover" set of 6 "precision screwdrivers" fits PERFECTLY. Just put it in diagonally, and it'll just clear the center post. Worked wonderfully. It's the 2nd-smallest one if yours aren't labeled.

I've gotta ask--RichterX, did you read the instructions, or simply try transforming it yourself the first time? (I don't have one yet, but have seen many horror stories, so I'm worried/paranoid)

I was planning on hooking my 360 up to the net this week to get E3 goodies, updates etc----this will be a nice bonus. (Though I'll have to do it again next week to get the Blue Dragon demo----my systems have their cables so intertwined around furniture it's a fair amount of work to move any of them)

IMHO, if the average person saw one of the lions, "it's a giant lion" wouldn't be their first impression. They'd probably scream "giant robot animal!". They MIGHT notice it was feline, and almost certainly wouldn't pick up that it was a lion--especially since they're all (IMHO) lionesses, and thus no mane---the most distinctive feature of a lion. (Honestly, with how Voltron is---how could you tell if it was supposed to be Bengal tigers, pumas, or leopards?)

If you listen, you can hear a guy yell "I saw it, it was a giant lion" or something very close to that. I didn't hear it the first time, but I did the second time. I still don't think it is Voltron at all (I vote for the "parasite" explanation).

Fact: The voice of KARR (the evil KITT) was provided by Peter "Optimus Prime" Cullen. Here's to hoping...

Wasn't part of the appeal/plot the fact that it was a "disguised" car? Asides from the not-obvious-from-afar red light, it was a pretty normal black Trans Am. Making it this kind of car sticks out more than a Ferrari would.

With the way Yamato's going, I need to start buying stock in small, powerful magnets...

F-35 (not X-35) footage: http://www.jsf.mil/video/f35test/AA-1%20Montage_high.wmv

More pics: http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.sear...inct_entry=true

A specific amount/link would be appreciated.

Then you get to argue how canon the games are. Rant: I hate it when a movie is released with the express purpose that not all of the story is there---you have to buy the game/book to get the rest. Matrix: Reloaded was the first of this IIRC, but now it's pretty common that any pop-culture movie will be like that. There's a big difference between the book/game "expanding" on the movie, and "we wrote 1000 lines of script for the plot---600 we put in the movie, 400 we put in the game".

Should I sticky the thread already?

1. It's still being rumored if it was meant literally or figuratively. 2. Yup.

Anyone else watch the 787 rollout? I thought it was ironic that I was watching the live feed from Boeing.com, yet while flipping through channels Fox News had footage of it taxiing up to the hangar, and actually got a better look at it there! http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1233546/L/ First pic. (Though people including myself are wondering why it's labled as a 787-831 which would indicate a TWA order---which is impossible---it should be either a 787-820 or 787-881)

I want a Barricade, Starscream, and Blackout toy---but I want a bigger version of them. I'm not buying any until/unless we get better toys of them. Why did BRAWL get a second toy? He's on screen like 30 secs (and usually zoomed way out). (Well, the same could be said of SS, but he's such a huge fan-fave) Would also like a 2009 BB that's better than the $10, but not $90. Such a huge toy, could have had perfect transformation---but has his chest packed full of gimmick. Sad that the $10 one has a more accurate chest.