The Queues

As usual, my media diet consists of way more content than I could ever hope to consume in a reasonable timeframe. I know people don’t wait with baited breath to see what I think about some of this stuff (like they do with other folks) but I figured it might be worth throwing out a few lists of stuff I hope to be consuming in the coming months:

10 Already Released PS3 Games I Want to Play:

An interesting thing about this generation of video game consoles is that even though the PS3 is universally considered to be the least successful console (due to poor sales which are usually attributed to the PS3’s unusually high price tag coupled with an unforseen economic downturn), there is still a wealth of great games to be played. In previous generations, a console with the PS3’s market penetration would probably be dead in the water, with less and less support as time goes on. While I am starting to see some grumblings about less third party support, etc…, there are still a whole slew of games out there that I want to play.

• Fallout 3: I actually bought this one a few weeks ago at the Circuit City sale, so it will be next. I haven’t started it yet because it seems like one of them open-ended, eats-your-soul-once-you-start-it games. I’ve been in the mood for an open ended RPG, and this one is described as Oblivion in a post-apocalyptic future setting, which sounds like it could be fun.
• Valkyria Chronicles: Of the games on this list, this game intrigues me the most. Almost universally hailed as the best game no one bought, this is a Japanese RPG that sounds like it has some unique gameplay elements and a stylistic Anime-like presentation (I understand that they’re actually making an Anime series adapted from the game’s story, which concerns a Switzerland-like nation that is invaded during a global war (or something along those lines)).
• Everyday Shooter: This is one of those small, downloadable PSN games that sounds like an intriguing mixture of gameplay styles, from shoot-em-up to rythm game to puzzle game. The last time I tried something this experimental was with Flower, and that certainly worked out well, so I’m interested in this one too.
• Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune: This seems very much like a standard action-adventure game… but it looks like a lot of fun too. Hopefully I’ll be able to pick it up relatively cheap.
• Burnout Paradise: I’m not usually a fan of racing games, but this game seems like a lot of fun, partially because it’s not all just racing around a track. Indeed, it’s touted as a sandbox world where you just drive around and try out various missions. I’ve played the demo, and I have to admit that it seems like a lot of fun (and it’s available relatively cheap too).
• Savage Moon: Another PSN game, though this one is less experimental. It’s basically another tower defense game, with a SF, almost Starship Troopers style theme. Looks like fun to me.
• Killzone 2: I’m sure at some point in the next year, I’ll be craving some FPS action, and this game looks like it’ll fit the bill nicely.
• Prince of Persia: I’ve actually never played any of the Prince of Persia games, but from what I’ve heard about this game, it seems like they’ve taken out all of the frustrating elements of typical platformers and made the game a lot more playable. This seems right up my alley, even if I’m not that familiar with the series…
• Little Big Planet: I have to admit to being a little lukewarm about this game. Sometimes it sounds like a blast, other times it sounds like it might not be as much fun. Still, it seems like Sony is really trying something different with this game.
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed: If only I knew the power of the dark side, perhaps I wouldn’t want to play the game. But I can’t help myself.

5 Forthcoming PS3 Games I Want to Play:

Interestingly, most of these are PS3 exclusives, and there are a few others that sound entertaining to me as well. Too many games, too little time.

• God of War III: It’s not clear if this is coming out in 4Q 2009 or 1Q 2010, but in either case, this is one of those PS3 showcase games that looks like it will be taking advantage of all the PS3 hardware has to offer. From the previews, the game looks gorgeous. The first God of War has become the standard by which I judge all action-adventure games, so I’m really looking forward to this game.
• Heavy Rain: I’ve heard a lot of really encouraging things about this game. First, the game is supposed to feature the most photo-realistic graphics evar, including effectively rendered CGI characters (apparently a massive amount of motion-capture was done for the game). Secondly, and more importantly, this game seems to feature a story that is morally complex and mature (in the real sense of that word, not in the violence and sex sense usually applicable to video games, though I’m sure both will feature in the game). It sounds like the game is really going to be breaking new ground in terms of gameplay and will hopefully give us a story where you have to face the consequences for your actions (something most games aren’t so great at). I was listening to the 1up Listen Up podcast the other day, and one of the hosts mentioned meeting this game’s creator, who said something to the effect of this game being meant to be playable by people who don’t have a lot of time and just want to come home and play for a half hour at a time, etc… Not a ton of info out there on this yet, but I do find this game intriguing.
• NHL 2010: I’ve always loved Hockey video games and if it weren’t for the lack of PS3 trophies in NHL 09, I’d probably already own that one. But there are more than enough games to keep me busy over the next few months, so I can wait.
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves: I suppose this one is pending how much I like the first Uncharted game, but assuming I like it, this one seems like a good next step.
• Bionic Commando: The original Bionic Commando was the first game I got for the NES, and so it holds a special place in my heart. This new game sounds interesting (main character is voiced by Kaedrin fave Mike Patton), though I think I’ll wait and see what the reactions are upon its release.

5 Books I Want to Read:

The book queue is infamously large, but these are books I actually own and are sitting on my shelf, just waiting to be read or re-read.

• Downtiming the Night Side by Jack Chalker: A time travel story recommended by SDB and corroborated by Kaedrin friend foucault, I’ve actually just started this. I’m a sucker for time travel stories, so I’m looking forward to this (so far, so good).
• Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll: I read this a long, long time ago… and I’m betting that a lot of it went over my head the first time I read it. As such, I figured it was time to revisit it, so I dug up my copy and will be reading it at some point. Also, I’m pretty sure Tim Burton will mess up the film adaptation… so I want to make sure I’m up to speed on the original before blasting Burton (though I suppose he could pull it off, which would be a nice surprise).
• The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: To be honest, I’m not sure what attracted me to this initially, but there it is, on my shelf, and it does sound interesting, so there.
• Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell: Well, I really enjoyed The Tipping Point and Blink, so it’s only natural that I check this out.
• Diaspora by Greg Egan: And as usual, the queue circles back around to hard SF. I don’t know much about this novel, but Egan is an author I’ve been meaning to check out and I’ve heard good things about this book.

5 Anime Series I Want To Watch:

Yes, I still watch Anime. But as you can see from this post, there are lots of other things competing for my attention, which is why Anime posts come at an agonizingly slow pace. I don’t see this changing anytime soon, but there are lots of Anime series and movies that I want to watch.

• Noir: Based mostly on the high marks given to the series by SDB, but it also sounds like an interesting and harrowing story..
• Ghost In the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig: Because I really enjoyed both movies and the first series. What can I say, I’m a sucker for the GitS series’ existential and technological themes, techno-thriller action, and, uh, Major Kusanagi. It’s also available on Netflix’s watch online functionality. Added to the fact that I’ve figured out how to stream Netflix to my PS3, this one is a no-brainer.
• Banner of the Stars II: Because I liked Crest of the Stars and the first Banner of the Stars. The only thing that gives pause is that the third disc seems to be on semi-permanent “Very Long Wait” status at Netflix. This happend with Crest, and it was really, really annoying.
• Samurai 7: Back when I originally asked for recommendations, Author pointed me towards this series, which intrigues me because it’s a remake of Seven Samurai. Author mentions that he was pleasantly surprised at the direction this series took and that it might be interesting to compare it to the original and other remakes like The Magnificent Seven. I like Seven Samurai a lot, so this sounds like a plan to me. Also, it’s one of the few Anime series available on Blu-Ray.
• Avatar: The Last Airbender: Does this count as Anime? It’s American made, but seems to be heavily influenced by Anime. Regardless, it’s been recommended by Fledge and a few people I know IRL, so I figure it’s worth a shot.

5 Upcoming Movies I Want To See Even Though I Know They’ll Suck:

I did a list like this a couple years ago, and I wound up being pleasantly surprised by most (though not all) of the movies on the list.

• Terminator Salvation: The first Terminator movie is one of my favorite movies of all time, so I’m always going to be interested in Terminator universe movies or shows. Heck, I’ve even watched a good portion of The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and that’s a horrible show. There are some encouraging things about this movie, but then, there’s also McG. The various previews and trailers I’ve seen leave me with mixed feelings, too, which can’t be a good sign.
• Crank: High Voltage: There are no words for how ridiculous this looks. Even if it’s as big of a trainwreck as it seems, I have to watch it.
• G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra: God help me.
• Star Trek: It’s usually a bad sign when a struggling franchise reaches the point where they start doing prequels in an attempt to recapture the original’s magic. This is doubly bad for me, as I’ve never been that attached to the characters from the original series (much more of a TNG fan here). On the other hand, I was shocked at how well JJ Abrams resurrected the Mission Impossible franchise, so there’s that.
• Avatar: I’m pretty sure this movie won’t suck. This is more of a desparate attempt to manage expecations. James Cameron is one of my favorite directors and he’s been away so long that I’m really excited to see what he does with this movie. Thus, I’m pretty sure it will be a letdown… unless I can get my expectations low enough that I’m pleasantly surprised. Wish me luck.

Well, that took longer than expected. That’s all for now…