... I'm just stunned that this game actually exists. Heard about it from GAF today... it's a new arcade game from some of the original Hydro Thunder team, or at least from the team leader, and is being made at Raw Thrills.

The core Hydro Thunder people left Midway after making the game and went to form a new studio, Swinging Ape, which then made the great third person shooter Metal Arms: Glitch in the System for the GC/Xbox/PS2. They then were bought by Blizzard, tried to make a version of Starcraft Ghost, and when that was canned were absorbed into Blizzard. Evidently some have left... and went to Raw Thrills, where they decided on a sequel in all but name to Hydro Thunder.

Of course, if there are console ports, and if Midway picks it up, it could indeed become Hydro Thunder 2, like how The Fast & The Furious became Cruis'n when Midway ported it to the Wii... here's hoping. :) Actually, any home port, under any name, is what I'm hoping for. This game looks far too spectacularly great to be left just in the arcades. And the game does look amazing, simply amazing... great graphics, classic great Hydro Thunder gameplay with a few new twists like stunts while you're in the air... this game looks SO, SO much fun, just like the original. I want to play it, now. :)

The only question: Racing GOTY 2009?


http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/23452
http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/23454
http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/23453





http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=349857

Well I'm sure you've all heard of this.

Here's what gets me, there's already a conspiracy theory saying it was all faked. For the life of me I can't imagine why anyone would bother.

http://skepticblog.org/2009/01/22/the-us...onspiracy/

The biggest argument is that the plane wings couldn't support the weight of "more than 20" people.

Um... this is why conspiracy theorists never seem to have an engineering background. Do they not realize that for a plane to fly, the wings have to support the weight of the ENTIRE PLANE against the force of the upward lift of the air flowing over the wing? Do they honestly think the weight of the passengers alone compares at all?

To drive it home, watch this:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pe9PVaFGl3o&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pe9PVaFGl3o&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Now that wing snap was epic, now imagine the forces you'd need to get it to snap that hard. Do you think a bunch of people standing around are going to compare to this?

Other than that is the typical cry of "photo shop!".

I am not of the opinion that everyone's opinion should be respected. A lot of them are idiotic, and I'm going to call them on it. Heck, the video calls this conspiracy stupid from 7 different angles. MORONS! /Farnsworth

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eOFRIWx5F9c&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eOFRIWx5F9c&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Role Play
Each Tendo-night pair off, how would you handle each situation?

Scenario 1

You are a customer service professional in a dry cleaner's shop. A customer who has been coming in for years stops by with a silk shirt that has a stain that, according to him, was not there before the most recent dry cleaning. He is upset because the garment is expensive and was to have been worn to a class reunion yesterday.

Scenario 2

You are member services representative in an automobile club that provides maps, trip information, towing and travel services, and a variety of travel-related products. A member has stopped by to find out whether she can get a replacement membership card and assistance in planning an upcoming vacation.

I think you can guess why. :)

... Really, the idea that Bush is really gone now is amazing... it'll take a while to fully sink in, I think. He's gone... the worst president in at least the last 30 years, and maybe ever, is finally gone. It seemed like this day would never come... I don't know what to say, but that it's an amazing, amazing feeling. Wow... Bush is gone.

Emphasizing Education

What do you believe the role of schools are today and how well are schools preparing young people for the work world. Share specific personal examples from your own educational background or that of someone your know.

http://kotaku.com/5131154/new-final-fant...ulous-afro

Wow...

http://www.paleycenter.org/collection/it...m=T85:0355

Someone somewhere take a crazy road trip to get this sucker converted to an avi and uploaded somewheres!

I salute Mr Dolmer for emailing the FCC and telling them they should all burn in hell. :)
And then I solute him again, for getting a reply from the FCC commissioner apologizing for the unintentional delay of his fiery damnation.

I love CNN.

I double solute you Mr Dolmer, a true American hero!

http://kotaku.com/5127251/nintendo-paten...-in-design

It seems that the step towards "casual friendly" involves embedded hint vidoes during gameplay, and a cinematic mode that plays the game FOR you until you want to jump in.

At first the gamer in me screamed "no this is aweful" but now I'm of a more supportive mindset. Here's why.

If done right, the hint mode can be disabled completely so you can wander around aimlessly for weeks like Cranky Kong intended. In other words, thinking further, this would mean that not only could you play the game without these incredibly obvious hints, this would also free up the team to make very hard puzzles without fear of shooing away the casuals. They get frustrated too quickly? They can use the hint mode.

As to the cinematic mode, from my perspective that basically is like including that great story you wanted to share with your non-gamer friends in movie form so they can just watch it that way.

So I'm actually cautiously optimistic about these features.