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By Richard Hamilton, June 5, 2008 3:08 pm

This is probably long overdue. In my first post here on epic (It’s A Shame About Blu-Ray), I expressed my disappointment with the PS3 and its Blu-Ray player. Since that time, Sony has made great strides. Between Blu-Ray winning out in the High Def Wars, and Sony offering critical updates, the PS3 has proven to be on the right side of technological history. While I still think the price point is way off (and has been since the get-go), and am left wanting for a Blu-Ray gamming experience, I must admit, the PS3 has done some things right. Sony, I am sorry.

For more technical details on the PS3′s improvements, check out Ben Kuchera‘s article “They Say It Got Smart”on arstechnica.com.

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By Richard Hamilton, July 6, 2007 2:56 pm

Transformers was on the top of my “Must See” list of summer movies. I have been a fan of Transformers (primarily the cartoon) since my childhood.

For those of you not familiar with the Transformers franchise, I will give a brief history. In 1984, a line of toys was launched. To promote these new toys, they also started TV Cartoon and Comic Book series. I was four when this happened, and it was a significant childhood cultural phenomenon. The basic idea thought behind the toys and accompanying series involved alien robots who disguising themselves as earth machines, some bent on destroying humanity (the Decepticons), others on protecting it (the Autobots). Transformers had so much commercial success, other companies began importing similar toys into the US.

The Cartoon series ended in here 1987.

Needless to say, I was excited to hear Transformers would be on film.

The visual effects lived up to the hype. The bots looked amazing! The interplay between CGI and live actors was great. This film brought the cartoon to life. There were even a few tidbits of consistency with the original series thrown in for the geeks watching the film. For instance, Bumblebee (originally a VW Bug, who got a much needed overhaul and is a Camaro in the recent film) was still the first Autobot to encounter humans. The film also did a decent job filling in some of the blanks. Why do these alien robots look like common vehicles on earth? They have the ability to analyze and replicate machines they encounter, of course. The only drawback to the film was the goofy dialogue and predictable plot, minor inconveniences. The film was shot with a extremely dramatic feel, which the storyline just did not deliver.

The film came out the week of the Forth of July and scored nearly $153 million that week alone. But should you see it? There is a lot of violence (albeit digital robot violence), some strong language, and sexual tension between the leading actor and actress. It is rated PG-13 for a reason. I do not recommend you take your young children to see Transformers. But, any respectable child of the 80′s or Comic/Si-Fi/Action fan should check it out before it leaves the theaters.

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By Richard Hamilton, March 19, 2007 10:32 pm

Last fall I came home and turned on my television to find that my networks (CBS, NBC, ABC, and FOX) were no longer on my Dish package. In their place was a message from the CEO of my provider, reassuring the public and giving up instructions on how to help remedy this issue. When someone has a mini-dish, they may receive networks from another area. The networks sued the dish providers, claiming that this is illegal distribution of their product. Our civil servants in Congress were working hard to pass a bill to remedy this disservice to the American public.

The implications began to dawn on me: no 24, Lost, The Office. It would have to find a place other than my home to watch my OSU Buckeyes play in the national championship game (I wish I had missed the game altogether.)

So I did something I had never done before: I called my representative and senator and urged them strongly to remedy this situation as quickly as possible.

Several thoughts dawned on me later.

How sad is it with all the things that should motivate me to apply pressure to political leaders, the only thing that ousted me from my apathy were the loss of four channels on my TV.

As disturbing as that may be, I vote every election and many people don’t even do that. The 2006-midterm elections marked a rise in voter turnout because just over 40% of registered voters voted. That number doesn’t even include those who are not even registered. It is always a mistake to rely on the government for anything, but it is an arena where we can influence what takes place in our country and around the world.

Equally as disappointing was the trivial nature of the things that motivate me. I didn’t call anyone about foreign policy, civil rights, disaster and hunger relief, or even the war on terror, because those things are only a mild irritant to a selfish person like myself. It was only when my routine was interrupted as I spurred to action.

I know there are many people like me, but justifying my apathy does not change it.

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By Richard Hamilton, January 17, 2007 10:29 pm

Sony launched their latest gaming system with promises of revolutionizing the industry. With a host of new features (massive hard drive, wireless controllers, and a user friendly interface) and improved game play the future seemed bright. Lines of faithful geeks and hopeful parents camped out at their local Best Buy or Circuit City waiting to get their hands on the future of video gaming.

This hype was short-lived.

According to the research group NPD, this past November, prime Christmas shopping time, Sony sold less than half as many PS3s than Nintendo sold Wiis and Microsoft sold year old Xbox 360s. Sales have not fared well to date. Two factors fueled this tech-fizzle: 1) the overextended price point and 2) impotent technology. The two are related. Between research, development, and production, the Blu-Ray drives tack on a hefty price to the PS3. Much of this cost was passed on to the consumer. To make matters worse, Sony has not been able to conquer the Blu-Ray technology for gaming application, effectively turning the PS3 into a big, over-priced PS2. Throw in the mix the limited number of features available on Blu Ray, and Sony has a costly disaster on their hands.

Is there a future for Sony? There will always be a spot for Sony in the gaming industry. There will need to be some delivery on the hype the next go around. How about for the PS3? Is there any hope? If the Blu-Ray technology becomes useful, or if Hollywood settles on Blu-Ray over HD (which seems unlikely), PS3 has a chance. But these advances need to come soon. If Sony does not get the inks worked out of their Blu Ray, you can always convert the system into a grill (no joke, check out therealps3grill.com)