Good news everyone! Bill Nighy has finally been cast in Harry Potter! And as Rufus Scrimgeour as well! The perfect role once again goes to the perfect actor; as was with Jim Broadbent and Slughorn, is with Bill Nighy and Scrimgeour.
I went to my Brother's sports day today. He came last in both events he was in. I don't blame him in the slightest, he reminds me of me, when I was forced to expose myself as the unfit loser I used to be. Of course now, thats all changed.
But it leads me to question, where is Science day? And Maths day? And English day, and Music day, where students should be forced to compete in stupid ritualistic embarrassment routines in subjects they have no interest nor talent in? They do it religiously for sports day? Why discriminate against the fit and healthy? Why not discriminate against memory capacity, talent with words, talent with numbers, talent with sound?
Of course, it all boils down to 'survival of the fittest'. 'May the best man win'. Or may the fastest/strongest kid lead the social groups while people with brains are left behind unless they adapt to become loud, boisterous, cocky, and many other things that people with brains know better not to do.
Why am I even up at this time of night? Why can't I just sleep? Because I remember that I will wake up tomorrow and nothing will have changed.
Because I am to impatient to wait for time to pass so that I can start doing.
Because I don't fit in here.
Because I'm jealous. Jealous of everyone who was better looking than me, stronger, faster, more outgoing than me.
Because I have no idea what I'm going to do for the rest of my life.
My Other Blogs
Monday, 6 July 2009
Sunday, 5 July 2009
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince PS3 Review
Ahh, Harry Potter. Something which has invaded my life for many years now.
I recently bought Half-Blood Prince on PS3, almost expecting it to be ten times better than Order of the Phoenix; the game that brought Hogwarts in all its majesty to millions of Harry Potter fans around the world. I was both right and wrong.
The game brings back what many people thought was missing from Order of the Phoenix: Quidditch. Taking the same spotlight as the Potions minigame and the improved Wizard Duels, Quidditch is now restricted to flying through stars in order to accellerate to the Snitch. Not dissimilar to the Quidditch featured in the first Harry Potter game, this version is on-rails; accelleration is controlled completely by the game, and you control where you are on screen: left, right, up and down. However, it does have it's fun moments; as you progress through the game, stars will get closer together and will require more complex manouvers to get through all of them.
The next addition to the gameplay is Potion Brewing. Taking place frequently throughout the game, it feels comfortable to play, and it doesn't feel like a tacked on part of the game, rather as if it was built around it. The controls are suitably assigned; analogue sticks are used to move ingredient bottles and pour them, as well as to stir and to heat the cauldron; it feels natural, although stirring could be a little faster!
Dueling is also a central part of the game. Due to Voldemort's confirmed return, Dumbledore has reinstated the Dueling Clubs, where students can practice spells and curses on each other. Controls for duelling are easy to remember, although some spells require movement from both analogue sticks at once, something which the game doesn't always recognise, and you may find yourself running low on health after failing to do a spell too many times. However, due to the improved 'dodge' system, duels have the capacity to get harder throughout the game, and with frequent encounters with bullying Slytherins, you will find yourself becoming increasingly proficient at duels, something which is required for the battles against Death Eaters later in the game.
While all these things have strengthened what can only be an already strong game, some changes to the game do weaken it.
The most noticable change is the removal of the Marauder's Map, and the replacement being a badly impersonated Nearly Headless Nick. While he is easier to follow, the decision to remove a viewable map that shows directions to locations and people, is a woeful one to say the least.
Another strange change is the sprint function. It changed from the X button to L2, enabling the chat/interact button to move from square to a more sensible X, but instead of leaving it as it was, they decided to boost it up and remove the ability to turn. Not only this, but you can't sprint on stairs now. You can get a good speed up in a straight or gently benging corridor, but as soon as you hit stairs, you are brought back to a crawl, breaking the mood.
The developers also exchanged discovery points for crests (found around Hogwarts) and mini crests which build up to crests. This however is a welcome change. For one thing you don't get Myrtle popping up and complaining you don't visit her like a mother-in-law every time you discover something. However, to earn the mini crests, you need to cast depulso on shining objects, and to earn the most, you have to do it at a certain time. These times don't reoccur, so instead of fluxuating and giving you constant opportunity, it happens only once, so if you miss it, it makes collecting them feel a bit futile. They respawn when you move to a new area though, giving you a chance, ableit a convoluted one, to try again.
The Hogwarts Grounds have changed slightly as well. Whilst some rooms from Order of the Phoenix are now innaccessible, there are whole new floors, rooms, corridors and grounds to explore, including an expanse of lawn near the Quidditch Gate, access to the 6th floor and Slughorn's office, as well as a few underground tunnels giving the feel of a much expanded Hogwarts. The graphics have also improved; colours are clearer, models are higher res, and textures are sharper, making parts of Order of the Phoenix seem blocky and dated.
You will definitely get the sense of being at Hogwarts in all respects with this game, and even with an patchy and unclear story, and some slightly annoying changes, the game feels rejuvenated, and possibly fresher than Order of the Phoenix. While some features won't appeal to hardcore gamers, or outsiders to the Harry Potter saga, this is a must have for fans of the series, allowing them free reign over Hogwarts; and with over 150 varied crest challenges, potions, duels, Quidditch and badges to earn, there is much to keep people playing well after the story has finished.
I recently bought Half-Blood Prince on PS3, almost expecting it to be ten times better than Order of the Phoenix; the game that brought Hogwarts in all its majesty to millions of Harry Potter fans around the world. I was both right and wrong.
The game brings back what many people thought was missing from Order of the Phoenix: Quidditch. Taking the same spotlight as the Potions minigame and the improved Wizard Duels, Quidditch is now restricted to flying through stars in order to accellerate to the Snitch. Not dissimilar to the Quidditch featured in the first Harry Potter game, this version is on-rails; accelleration is controlled completely by the game, and you control where you are on screen: left, right, up and down. However, it does have it's fun moments; as you progress through the game, stars will get closer together and will require more complex manouvers to get through all of them.
The next addition to the gameplay is Potion Brewing. Taking place frequently throughout the game, it feels comfortable to play, and it doesn't feel like a tacked on part of the game, rather as if it was built around it. The controls are suitably assigned; analogue sticks are used to move ingredient bottles and pour them, as well as to stir and to heat the cauldron; it feels natural, although stirring could be a little faster!
Dueling is also a central part of the game. Due to Voldemort's confirmed return, Dumbledore has reinstated the Dueling Clubs, where students can practice spells and curses on each other. Controls for duelling are easy to remember, although some spells require movement from both analogue sticks at once, something which the game doesn't always recognise, and you may find yourself running low on health after failing to do a spell too many times. However, due to the improved 'dodge' system, duels have the capacity to get harder throughout the game, and with frequent encounters with bullying Slytherins, you will find yourself becoming increasingly proficient at duels, something which is required for the battles against Death Eaters later in the game.
While all these things have strengthened what can only be an already strong game, some changes to the game do weaken it.
The most noticable change is the removal of the Marauder's Map, and the replacement being a badly impersonated Nearly Headless Nick. While he is easier to follow, the decision to remove a viewable map that shows directions to locations and people, is a woeful one to say the least.
Another strange change is the sprint function. It changed from the X button to L2, enabling the chat/interact button to move from square to a more sensible X, but instead of leaving it as it was, they decided to boost it up and remove the ability to turn. Not only this, but you can't sprint on stairs now. You can get a good speed up in a straight or gently benging corridor, but as soon as you hit stairs, you are brought back to a crawl, breaking the mood.
The developers also exchanged discovery points for crests (found around Hogwarts) and mini crests which build up to crests. This however is a welcome change. For one thing you don't get Myrtle popping up and complaining you don't visit her like a mother-in-law every time you discover something. However, to earn the mini crests, you need to cast depulso on shining objects, and to earn the most, you have to do it at a certain time. These times don't reoccur, so instead of fluxuating and giving you constant opportunity, it happens only once, so if you miss it, it makes collecting them feel a bit futile. They respawn when you move to a new area though, giving you a chance, ableit a convoluted one, to try again.
The Hogwarts Grounds have changed slightly as well. Whilst some rooms from Order of the Phoenix are now innaccessible, there are whole new floors, rooms, corridors and grounds to explore, including an expanse of lawn near the Quidditch Gate, access to the 6th floor and Slughorn's office, as well as a few underground tunnels giving the feel of a much expanded Hogwarts. The graphics have also improved; colours are clearer, models are higher res, and textures are sharper, making parts of Order of the Phoenix seem blocky and dated.
You will definitely get the sense of being at Hogwarts in all respects with this game, and even with an patchy and unclear story, and some slightly annoying changes, the game feels rejuvenated, and possibly fresher than Order of the Phoenix. While some features won't appeal to hardcore gamers, or outsiders to the Harry Potter saga, this is a must have for fans of the series, allowing them free reign over Hogwarts; and with over 150 varied crest challenges, potions, duels, Quidditch and badges to earn, there is much to keep people playing well after the story has finished.
Saturday, 4 July 2009
Greatest. Music Video. Ever.
To me, this is the only version of Smooth Criminal.
(If you're reading this on Facebook, then the video won't show. Visit the actual site to see it.)
To me, this is the only version of Smooth Criminal.
(If you're reading this on Facebook, then the video won't show. Visit the actual site to see it.)
Sunday, 28 June 2009
Updates
Chapter Four is now up on http://dorianwest.blogspot.com/
and I've updated http://jasondeweycomposer.blogsot.com/ with a link to one of my recent "poppy" pieces.
and I've updated http://jasondeweycomposer.blogsot.com/ with a link to one of my recent "poppy" pieces.
Friday, 26 June 2009
New Sites
Ok, I have some new sites. One is dedicated to my composeryness, at here.
Also, a website dedicated to the webseries I have planned, called Musicians. Episodes are planned, some written and a pilot is planned and due to start filming later this year (provided I have the camcorder).
Banner here:
Also, a website dedicated to the webseries I have planned, called Musicians. Episodes are planned, some written and a pilot is planned and due to start filming later this year (provided I have the camcorder).
Banner here:
Sunday, 14 June 2009
Moving
I've often been asked what I want to do after Uni. I hadn't given this much thought until recently. I know that I'd want to do something with music, but apart from that I had no ideas whatsoever.
I started thinking about it, considering the degree I'm hopefully going to get once I leave Birmingham. At first I considered staying and living somewhere in Birmingham. Its a nice place, with a wide music scene, and a nice area visually. However, it would probably involve living with other people.
As interesting that would be, I don't think I could live with people who weren't musicians. I would have to convince one or more people to stay on in Birmingham after they finished, which would be unlikely as most people want to do a Masters degree or be a professional musician afterwards; or be picky about who I live with, and neither of those options are viable in the long-term.
In the end, I began considering emigration. This seemed like a more interesting option. This way, I could choose a country I was comfortable with; nice weather, good living costs, good economy etc. Plus I don't much care for the systems in place in this country. I hate the way people don't talk to each other nowadays; just queing, pushing and shoving. Just the other day I was in town, looking in a shop window and a rather large middle-aged lady just shoved past me without saying anything. Its not like there wasn't enough room, she was just too lazy to move out of the way. What pisses me off more is that she didn't say anything. Didn't even look at me. I had half a mind to shout after her and remind her that manners and common courtesy still existed in today's society, but she had a considerably large husband, so for my own health I hastily decided against it.
But its just this country as a whole which I am unsatisfied with. I get along with people like me absolutely fine, but its the attitude of the 'public' that annoys me, and encourages me to move to another country.
I automatically thought of Australia. I've had relatives who visited there before, and they praised every aspect of life there. Obviously the weather is vaslty different, but their description of it made it sound so attractive, and above all, it sounded like the quality of life there was so much better.
I began searching for popular emmigration destinations and found that Brisbane not necessarily the most popular, but cultured, and with a decent living cost.
Obviously this is only the beginning of my research, but I now have my heart set on moving to Australia after my studies. I will have to work for a while, saving enough money to travel over there, and to sustain myself for enough time to find a paying job, but I think in the end it will be worth it; there is a suprisingly popular video-game culture over there, something that interests me greatly.
Of course if anyone wants to come with me they are more than welcome!
I started thinking about it, considering the degree I'm hopefully going to get once I leave Birmingham. At first I considered staying and living somewhere in Birmingham. Its a nice place, with a wide music scene, and a nice area visually. However, it would probably involve living with other people.
As interesting that would be, I don't think I could live with people who weren't musicians. I would have to convince one or more people to stay on in Birmingham after they finished, which would be unlikely as most people want to do a Masters degree or be a professional musician afterwards; or be picky about who I live with, and neither of those options are viable in the long-term.
In the end, I began considering emigration. This seemed like a more interesting option. This way, I could choose a country I was comfortable with; nice weather, good living costs, good economy etc. Plus I don't much care for the systems in place in this country. I hate the way people don't talk to each other nowadays; just queing, pushing and shoving. Just the other day I was in town, looking in a shop window and a rather large middle-aged lady just shoved past me without saying anything. Its not like there wasn't enough room, she was just too lazy to move out of the way. What pisses me off more is that she didn't say anything. Didn't even look at me. I had half a mind to shout after her and remind her that manners and common courtesy still existed in today's society, but she had a considerably large husband, so for my own health I hastily decided against it.
But its just this country as a whole which I am unsatisfied with. I get along with people like me absolutely fine, but its the attitude of the 'public' that annoys me, and encourages me to move to another country.
I automatically thought of Australia. I've had relatives who visited there before, and they praised every aspect of life there. Obviously the weather is vaslty different, but their description of it made it sound so attractive, and above all, it sounded like the quality of life there was so much better.
I began searching for popular emmigration destinations and found that Brisbane not necessarily the most popular, but cultured, and with a decent living cost.
Obviously this is only the beginning of my research, but I now have my heart set on moving to Australia after my studies. I will have to work for a while, saving enough money to travel over there, and to sustain myself for enough time to find a paying job, but I think in the end it will be worth it; there is a suprisingly popular video-game culture over there, something that interests me greatly.
Of course if anyone wants to come with me they are more than welcome!
Saturday, 13 June 2009
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