Friday, June 6, 2008
Where to chill
There’s no need to hide away, locked into your room hunched over your PC like Quasimodo every weekend and holiday. We all need to take a break and get out and about. Here we look at the best places to chill and unwind. Got a suggestion in the meantime? Email us at galactictimes@mxit.com
At the trough
Great places to nosh or party – let us know where you’ve been and what you thought and we’ll try to link you up with a freebie. Email us at galactictimes@mxit.com
How to Buy a Cellphone in South Africa
Written by Arthur Goldstuck and Steven AmbroseReleased in March 2008, this slim book will only set you back R50 at most major book stores in South Africa. It’s a new guide to cellphones and contracts and helps steer you through the maze of traps and tricks of the industry. Prepaid, or contract, which contract, which contract type and what extras should you opt for, are all discussed in this handy booklet.
Top 10 Cinema Nouveau Movies
Screened by Jameson
1. The Other Boleyn Girl
2. The Kite Runner
3. City of Men
4. Closing the Ring
5. The Walker
6. Starter for Ten
7. I’m Not There
8. Juno
9. My Blueberry Nights
10. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
1. The Other Boleyn Girl
2. The Kite Runner
3. City of Men
4. Closing the Ring
5. The Walker
6. Starter for Ten
7. I’m Not There
8. Juno
9. My Blueberry Nights
10. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Commercial Top 10 movies
1. WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS
2. IRON MAN
3. FORBIDDEN KINGDOM
4. MADE OF HONOUR
5. AWAKE
6. NIM'S ISLAND
7. MAD MONEY
8. 21
9. 88 MINUTES
10. GAME PLAN
2. IRON MAN
3. FORBIDDEN KINGDOM
4. MADE OF HONOUR
5. AWAKE
6. NIM'S ISLAND
7. MAD MONEY
8. 21
9. 88 MINUTES
10. GAME PLAN
Dan in Real Life
Dan in real life
Genre
Comedy, drama, romance
Directed by
Peter Hedges
What’s it like
Funny-sad, but some of the scenes are painful in their “ickiness “. The plot is contrived and predictable.
Why watch it?
You wanna watch a no-brainer that’s sentimental and occasionally funny.
What’s the message?
Oh, universal stuff – themes about loss and love.
What’s it about?
Dan Burns (Steve Carell) is a single dad, a widower, and an advice columnist. He’s struggling to keep up with his teenage girls who are becoming independent way to fast. When they all attend the annual family reunion in a remote log cabin he takes the chance one day to get away from the suffocating chaos of siblings, spouses and kids, and ends up in the local bookstore. There he meets a gorgeous woman and falls in love with her. Little does he know that Marie (Juliette Binoche) is the new girlfriend of his brother (Dane Cook). From there on emotional sparks and passive-aggressive behaviour intermingle with slap-stick laughs and some wry humour until yes, you got it, Dan gets his girl.
Watch the trailer at, www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SqaWEBSd4g
Xbox-360.co.za Newsletter 1st Edition
I'm Werner (aka. MiNeM) and you’ll be hearing a lot more from me in the coming months, so let me waste no time in introducing our brand new bi-weekly Xbox-360.co.za Forum Newsletter.
As you might now know or if you don’t know yet our first newsletter has been published & sent out to you all (some may have received 2 or 3 copies) if you’re registered on the Xbox-360.co.za forum. Otherwise you’ll get your copy in the Galactic Times.
That’s right, every GT Issue from here on out will be filled with one more newsletter that’ll provide you with the latest local Xbox 360 news, updates, and hot topics from the Xbox-360.co.za forum.
It goes without saying that last week heralded one of the biggest events in gaming and entertainment history. At 00:01 on Tuesday the 29th of April, Grand Theft Auto IV was released. Arguably the most anticipated game of all time, GTA IV has since surpassed the all-time entertainment records for day one and week one sales by selling approximately 6 million units worldwide, knocking previous record-holder Halo 3 clean out of the ring. I’m glad to report that here in South Africa we weren’t forgotten (we’re not talking about Live here people!) as I went to Zaps (http://www.zaps.co.za) for the midnight launch event.
I arrived there early to join in on the Xbox 360 LAN and towards the end of the night there were quite a few people patiently waiting in line for their copies. Amidst reports of real life violence in other parts of the world surrounding the launch of the game, most of us went home in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, a copy of GTA IV (or its exclusive limited edition counterpart) in our possession - not a bad turnout for GTA IV in SA if you ask me. In the time since then many have finished the game, some taking leave during those two days between our two long weekends in order to put in some monster marathon sessions, while others discovered the bliss of experiencing GTA in the multiplayer arena for the first time in the franchise’s decade-long history.
I foresee that GTA IV will be spinning in South African Xbox 360 drives for a long time still, slowing down the traffic for other popular Live titles such as Call of Duty 4 and Gears of War. That is until Gears of War 2 hits Xbox 360s worldwide this spring (fall for them, spring for us! J)
I would like to get some feedback on the newsletter so please feel free to hit me with your suggestions & comments.
AGASA 2008 Xbox 360 League
By now most of you should know that the league registrations are open and in full swing. For more info follow these links:
Official Announcement - http://www.xbox-360.co.za/forum/xbox-360-hardware/announcements.html
League Games & Registrations -
http://league.agasa.co.za/games.php?platform=2
AGASA 2008 Discussion Thread - http://www.xbox-360.co.za/forum/xbox-360-events/18509-agasa-xbox-360-2008-national-league-dicussion-thread.html
If anyone is interested in helping, please do not hesitate in contacting me, as any help in any form would be appreciated.
Our New Sister Site!
We are also proud to announce and open our new sister site:
Playstation 3 Community http://www.playstation-3.co.za/forum
If you’re at all interested in the Playstation 3 console or becoming part of the local community, do not hesitate to give this site a visit. We are confident that given our success with Xbox-360.co.za, the PS3 Community will grow to be another great South African Gaming Community Site.
Well that’s it for the first newsletter – stay tuned for the next one, and gaming.
MiNeM
Editor In Chief
Xbox-360.co.za
As you might now know or if you don’t know yet our first newsletter has been published & sent out to you all (some may have received 2 or 3 copies) if you’re registered on the Xbox-360.co.za forum. Otherwise you’ll get your copy in the Galactic Times.
That’s right, every GT Issue from here on out will be filled with one more newsletter that’ll provide you with the latest local Xbox 360 news, updates, and hot topics from the Xbox-360.co.za forum.
It goes without saying that last week heralded one of the biggest events in gaming and entertainment history. At 00:01 on Tuesday the 29th of April, Grand Theft Auto IV was released. Arguably the most anticipated game of all time, GTA IV has since surpassed the all-time entertainment records for day one and week one sales by selling approximately 6 million units worldwide, knocking previous record-holder Halo 3 clean out of the ring. I’m glad to report that here in South Africa we weren’t forgotten (we’re not talking about Live here people!) as I went to Zaps (http://www.zaps.co.za) for the midnight launch event.
I arrived there early to join in on the Xbox 360 LAN and towards the end of the night there were quite a few people patiently waiting in line for their copies. Amidst reports of real life violence in other parts of the world surrounding the launch of the game, most of us went home in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, a copy of GTA IV (or its exclusive limited edition counterpart) in our possession - not a bad turnout for GTA IV in SA if you ask me. In the time since then many have finished the game, some taking leave during those two days between our two long weekends in order to put in some monster marathon sessions, while others discovered the bliss of experiencing GTA in the multiplayer arena for the first time in the franchise’s decade-long history.
I foresee that GTA IV will be spinning in South African Xbox 360 drives for a long time still, slowing down the traffic for other popular Live titles such as Call of Duty 4 and Gears of War. That is until Gears of War 2 hits Xbox 360s worldwide this spring (fall for them, spring for us! J)
I would like to get some feedback on the newsletter so please feel free to hit me with your suggestions & comments.
AGASA 2008 Xbox 360 League
By now most of you should know that the league registrations are open and in full swing. For more info follow these links:
Official Announcement - http://www.xbox-360.co.za/forum/xbox-360-hardware/announcements.html
League Games & Registrations -
http://league.agasa.co.za/games.php?platform=2
AGASA 2008 Discussion Thread - http://www.xbox-360.co.za/forum/xbox-360-events/18509-agasa-xbox-360-2008-national-league-dicussion-thread.html
If anyone is interested in helping, please do not hesitate in contacting me, as any help in any form would be appreciated.
Our New Sister Site!
We are also proud to announce and open our new sister site:
Playstation 3 Community http://www.playstation-3.co.za/forum
If you’re at all interested in the Playstation 3 console or becoming part of the local community, do not hesitate to give this site a visit. We are confident that given our success with Xbox-360.co.za, the PS3 Community will grow to be another great South African Gaming Community Site.
Well that’s it for the first newsletter – stay tuned for the next one, and gaming.
MiNeM
Editor In Chief
Xbox-360.co.za
Xbox gets a kicking
PS3 Outsells Xbox 360 2 to 1
Sony Australia’s Managing Director, Michael Ephraim, recently confirmed that, on a console level, PlayStation 3 had outsold Xbox 360 2 to 1, after Grand Theft Auto IV’s blockbuster release.
Chatting to Chris Stead for www.gameplayer.com he said that according to sales information received from Australia market research specialists, GFK, “The week of launch, GFK showed that PS3 outsold Xbox, the other format that GTA was on, by over 2 to 1.”
Console sales are the more important statistic in the next-gen war, and GTA IV was always going to be a tussle between Sony and Microsoft. Only time will tell if this battle is a pivotal one to win the war, or not.
Souce:http://www.gameplayer.com.au/Home/NEWS/NEWS/tabid/1482/Default.aspx?CID=26849ec5-6d0d-480c-81d7-1d4a05c60962
Sony Australia’s Managing Director, Michael Ephraim, recently confirmed that, on a console level, PlayStation 3 had outsold Xbox 360 2 to 1, after Grand Theft Auto IV’s blockbuster release.
Chatting to Chris Stead for www.gameplayer.com he said that according to sales information received from Australia market research specialists, GFK, “The week of launch, GFK showed that PS3 outsold Xbox, the other format that GTA was on, by over 2 to 1.”
Console sales are the more important statistic in the next-gen war, and GTA IV was always going to be a tussle between Sony and Microsoft. Only time will tell if this battle is a pivotal one to win the war, or not.
Souce:http://www.gameplayer.com.au/Home/NEWS/NEWS/tabid/1482/Default.aspx?CID=26849ec5-6d0d-480c-81d7-1d4a05c60962
Hot for 2008
Noki launched the N-Gage mobile games service in April 2008. It enables customers to buy and download games straight onto their handsets in the Nokia N81 and N95 series. You’ll be able to try out the games before paying for them and the number of games available, currently 30, is likely to go up to 60 by the end of the year.
Nate Ahearn plays video games, talks about them or writes about them – not a bad job, if you could get one like it, hey? He works for IGN in California as part of the Xbox 360 team. He recommends that for the remainder of 2008 we should be looking out for the Playstation 3 to make a big push with Metal Gear Solid 4. He says Xbox 360 fans can expect to hear more about Gears of War 2, and Ninja Gaiden 2. And although everyone laughed at Nintendo’s system when it first came out it, Wii will continue to be big right on through this year.
Robert McGinty, The Times-Union, www.jacksonville.com.
Nate Ahearn plays video games, talks about them or writes about them – not a bad job, if you could get one like it, hey? He works for IGN in California as part of the Xbox 360 team. He recommends that for the remainder of 2008 we should be looking out for the Playstation 3 to make a big push with Metal Gear Solid 4. He says Xbox 360 fans can expect to hear more about Gears of War 2, and Ninja Gaiden 2. And although everyone laughed at Nintendo’s system when it first came out it, Wii will continue to be big right on through this year.
Robert McGinty, The Times-Union, www.jacksonville.com.
Review - Grand Theft Auto IV
Review - Grand Theft Auto IV
Platform: Xbox 360
By: scratchy
From: www.xbox-360.co.za/forum
This game is just amazing.
I can't remember the last time I've played a game so well made, so full of atmosphere and so well thought out.
The city is just stunning and it feels like a real city. Ubisoft promised us living, breathing cities in Assassins Creed and thought we would be fooled by over-populated drones walking into each other and not doing much.
Rockstar promised us a city full of life and that's exactly what they delivered. Not once have I seen the same person twice. Somehow Rockstar exceeded in adding people to their game and not bots. Everybody is on a mission and everyone does things that you can expect from real people, in a real city.
The thing about this game has to be the attention to detail. It's just fantastic driving around the city and seeing how people interact with each other and how the city reacts to its current situation. About an hour in I decided to watch the sunset (which was brilliant, but we'll get to that later). I was just standing there when a fellow decided to join me. As we were watching this sunset, said fellow took a sip of his coffee, turned to me and said, "nice isn't it?"
Little details like that are what makes a game.
Graphically, I can't complain. I've heard numerous complaints about bland textures and uninspiring landscapes. Maybe these okes need to get out of the apartment and start exploring the city. The lighting is just top shelf stuff and accurate to real life. It really does add to the overall feel of the game.
I do however have to complain about the frame rate. It really does feel sluggish and as if the 360 is struggling to keep it steady. It does get really frustrating and I'm crossing my fingers for a patch.
The controls are also on my list of "to fix". It feels as if the 360 just didn't have enough buttons for all the functions in the game and just piled them on the controller. The left analogue stick feels overly sensitive as well. Of course, this is purely my own opinion and I'm sure after a few more hours I'll get used to it.
I'd like to comment on the story line, but I don't think I'm far enough into the game to be granted that privilege.
While the driving has definitely been improved, I wouldn't say it's been for the better in my honest opinion. I liked being able to take corners at 100 plus miles an hour without any slowing down and still being able to come out on the other side unscathed. The cars feel sluggish (as they do in real life) and I think it takes away from the excitement of the game. I much prefer the driving style of Vice City.
That's about it for now. Like I said - fantastic game with some small technical faults, but nothing a patch can't fix.
Scorecard
Evolutionary, not revolutionary
Graphics: 9
Controls: 8
Gameplay: 10
Overall: 9.3
Platform: Xbox 360
By: scratchy
From: www.xbox-360.co.za/forum
This game is just amazing.
I can't remember the last time I've played a game so well made, so full of atmosphere and so well thought out.
The city is just stunning and it feels like a real city. Ubisoft promised us living, breathing cities in Assassins Creed and thought we would be fooled by over-populated drones walking into each other and not doing much.
Rockstar promised us a city full of life and that's exactly what they delivered. Not once have I seen the same person twice. Somehow Rockstar exceeded in adding people to their game and not bots. Everybody is on a mission and everyone does things that you can expect from real people, in a real city.
The thing about this game has to be the attention to detail. It's just fantastic driving around the city and seeing how people interact with each other and how the city reacts to its current situation. About an hour in I decided to watch the sunset (which was brilliant, but we'll get to that later). I was just standing there when a fellow decided to join me. As we were watching this sunset, said fellow took a sip of his coffee, turned to me and said, "nice isn't it?"
Little details like that are what makes a game.
Graphically, I can't complain. I've heard numerous complaints about bland textures and uninspiring landscapes. Maybe these okes need to get out of the apartment and start exploring the city. The lighting is just top shelf stuff and accurate to real life. It really does add to the overall feel of the game.
I do however have to complain about the frame rate. It really does feel sluggish and as if the 360 is struggling to keep it steady. It does get really frustrating and I'm crossing my fingers for a patch.
The controls are also on my list of "to fix". It feels as if the 360 just didn't have enough buttons for all the functions in the game and just piled them on the controller. The left analogue stick feels overly sensitive as well. Of course, this is purely my own opinion and I'm sure after a few more hours I'll get used to it.
I'd like to comment on the story line, but I don't think I'm far enough into the game to be granted that privilege.
While the driving has definitely been improved, I wouldn't say it's been for the better in my honest opinion. I liked being able to take corners at 100 plus miles an hour without any slowing down and still being able to come out on the other side unscathed. The cars feel sluggish (as they do in real life) and I think it takes away from the excitement of the game. I much prefer the driving style of Vice City.
That's about it for now. Like I said - fantastic game with some small technical faults, but nothing a patch can't fix.
Scorecard
Evolutionary, not revolutionary
Graphics: 9
Controls: 8
Gameplay: 10
Overall: 9.3
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