Too Complex For Kids?

My new Optimus Prime "model" arrived today. By gods, it's complicated to convert it from truck to robot.

I can't see how any kid is going to have the patience to transform it. Took me twenty minutes to figure it out, even with the instructions.

No, I'd Like A Noisy One Please

Had to go shopping for a new power supply unit for my PC today. The old one was overheating due to a busted fan motor, which kept tripping the thermal protection and turning itself off. Luckily there's a Maplin close by, and they had a good selection to choose from, but oddly every single unit on the shelf claimed to be "super quiet".

It's an odd thing to claim. Seems to be related to the development of more efficient components that don't heat up as much, thus negating the requirement for large, fast and above all NOISY fans to keep them cool.

In other words: modern power supply units should almost all be "super quiet".

Trash talking on Xbox Live

I just love it when trash talking Americans turn up on Xbox Live. Especially when their side gets a thoroughly good thrashing! It would have to be the only person talking in the H.A.W.X. lobby trying to get a rise out of us that turned out to be rubbish at the game. 25-12 the final score! Normally I'm not one to gloat, but as I said, I just love it when trash talkers get trounced. Sadly H.A.W.X. does not give any visual indicator as to who is talking (one of the MANY flaws in the otherwise excellent multiplayer component), so I could not flag him as offensive language for his swearing. I just knew he wasn't on MY team.

Donnie Darko 2?

So the most obscure film I've ever seen and that had a very definite "no sequel" ending, now has a sequel? A straight to DVD sequel?

Hmm...

Costa Coffee delivery truck

The logo on the side of the truck I saw read “Costa Coffee: Saving the world from mediocre coffee.” What a great endorsement for your company. “Our coffee is better than mediocre.”

Sainsbury’s the next McDonalds?

Is it just me, or does anyone else think that that Sainsbury’s advert where the guy is wandering around thestore trying to get everything to fit in his basket, and keeps spotting bargains like crisps and frozen chips, the guy playing the shopper is a bit on the chubby side?

It’s perhaps not the best image to present…

GTA China Town Wars flops on Nintendo DS

http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/new-gta-a-sales-flop/1306797

Well to be honest, what were they expecting?

It’s not that DS owners don’t want to play a GTA game. It’s more, I think, that people who play GTA games aren’t likely to be DS owners. The overlap isn’t that big.
The game itself is reportedly amazing. It’s been getting great reviews. Even te highly critical and outspoken Yatzee liked it.

The news article also mentions that Mad World, another ‘mature’ game, has flopped on the Wii. It had a lot going for it, a great comic book black and white style, clever controls and innovative gameplay, but it’s on the wrong console. Nintendo have practically advertised the Wii as a family console. They’ve done everything but use sky-writing to get the message across. It’s actually the reason I got rid of my Wii. It’s a great console and has some amazing games. It’s just not the console for me.

It looks like another marketting error on the game makers. “People love GTA, so they’ll love GTA on the DS!”