Final Fantasy - Countdown to Crisis Core

The time is almost upon us to receive the latest installment in the 'compilation of Final Fantasy VII'; the PSP game Crisis Core. Amongst fans of Square Enix's world-renowned RPG franchise Final Fantasy, the seventh episode is arguably the most famous and well loved. Final Fantasy VII, released back in 1997, was the first Final Fantasy game to appear in 3D on any platform, and also the first to be readily available to western gamers. The game clocked up an average of 40+ hours game play, filled with love, laughter, tragedy and unforgettable characters. It is a testament to the game that even now, 11 years since first entering our lives, Final Fantasy VII is still going strong, with a string of sequel games, animated films and merchandise still hugely popular.

As mentioned, Final Fantasy VII is one of the few in the gaming series to have gone beyond a single game, birthing sequels in various media formats. Before Crisis is a mobile phone based game centering on The Turks, an organization featuring in the original game and who play a major part in the history of the Final Fantasy VII world. Dirge of Cerberus was a sequel game focusing on Vincent Valentine, a side character from the original. And now we have Crisis Core, the long awaited prequel game centering on Zack Fair, a character only witnessed through flashbacks in the first Final Fantasy VII.

I'm not here to review the game, as I haven't yet played it, but the hype is building and the reviews so far seem largely favorable. It would be easy to assume this game will rock the foundations of the gaming world simply for being a scion of the famous Final Fantasy VII, but that would be short-sighted. Square Enix learned this the hard way with the afore-mentioned Dirge of Cerberus game. On paper it sounded so good; Vincent Valentine, the dark, mysterious and downright awesome secret character from the original game getting his own spin-off title. The reality however, resulted in an infuriatingly repetitive and basic shooter, with our character running through uninspiring locales (the opportunity to bring back key locations from Final Fantasy VII was criminally underused) basically doing the same thing level in and level out. The story was involving, the cut-scenes were amazing, but the gameplay itself left much to be desired.

After the lukewarm reception to Dirge of Cerberus, Crisis Core was in danger of being viewed in the same light. However, Crisis Core being a prequel will speak to fans on a different level. Players will visit scenes and events hinted at in the original, experiencing the tragic story of Zack Fair first hand. Anyone having played the original will doubtless know the outcome of this game, and it promises to be a moving experience regardless of gameplay.

This all goes to represent the evolution of gaming on the whole. Video games are no longer solely about the immediate satisfaction through gameplay, rather they have branched into an intricate media in which to voice a compelling story. RPGs by definition are expected to contain a weaving and involving storyline, wherein the gameplay is a complement to the experience rather than governing it. The trick is to find the right balance; a dynamic story to follow is great, but if the gameplay lacks the player will feel cheated, plodding through hours of levels as a means to an end. Conversely brilliant gameplay can still be a curiously empty experience if there is no deeper involvement to merit your actions.

For all their hits and misses in the past, let's hope Square Enix find the right balance for Crisis Core. If ever a video game deserved such treatment, it's this one.

Rich writes for the pop culture or memorabilia site starstore.com and its blogs, covering the latest and greatest in film, TV, music and comics merchandise and collectibles.

Reuters - Elvis Presley may have left the building several decades ago, but his earning power is far from diminished with Forbes.com ranking him the top-earning dead celebrity for the second year in a row.

Classic ASP Vs ASP.Net

ASP (Active Server Pages) was for the first time was released in December 1996. Since then it has been through major changes and has grown and tailored to the new methods of developing web sites and applications for the internet over the period of time. There are two major forms of ASP:

Classic ASP and
ASP.net

In ASP.net major weight is on n-tier architecture in the application development and there is separation of data presentation, business logic and data access layers. In classic ASP these layers are mixed leading to the development of ineffective solutions with huge architecture that are difficult to sustain. The ASP.net offers object oriented approach for the software development where as ASP does not support classes. Only VBScript and Javascript were available for scripting in ASP where as, in ASP.net there are no such restrictions.

The .net compliant languages can be used with ASP.net like C# and VB.net, where both of them are server-sided languages where as in ASP only VBScript and Javascript are available as options to be used. Then the ASP pages are interpreted and the ASP.net Code is compiled .Traditional ASP can run only on- Microsoft platforms but ASP.net can be run on non- Microsoft platforms also. ASP runs under the inetinfo.exe IIS (Internet Information Server) process space and can lead to application crashes due to the start and stop process used by IIS. While ASP.net process is separate from inetinfo.exe and is not related to the IIS process isolation settings. The debugging process is easier in ASP.net.

In classic ASP the executable code cannot be separated from the HTML making the page difficult to read and maintain. The code block has to be placed when ever the output is to be shown. This limitation of code is overcome in ASP.net by the use of server controls. The HTML and Web Server Controls created on the server require a attribute to work. This attribute indicates that the page will be processed on the server. At the same time it implies that the enclosed controls can be accessed by server scripts. Validation Server Controls are a big advantage in ASP.net. It saves a lot of time and developers do not have to write their own functions as it is with ASP. Built-in validation increases the application reliability. Through this Double validation on client and server side can be performed.

The use of ASP.net pages gives a performance and security edge. It supports the usage of any .Net language. There is no restriction over the use of JavaScript or VB Script on your Web pages. Finally it can be said that ASP.net has opened up a whole new programming model with the blend and combination of web forms, server-side controls, data binding along with web services. ASP and ASP.net has just scratched the surface of the Microsoft Active Server Page technology, which will continue to improve in the coming years with the latest additions on the technology front.

Tanuja Shah
Custom Software Development
Classic ASP development

webmaster@techgrowth.com
Web Development Company
C-103, Sector 2
Noida - 201301
India

AP - Wall Street received the interest rate cut it wanted, but still turned in a baffling late-day performance Wednesday, shooting higher and then skidding lower in the very last minutes of trading as some investors rushed to cash in profits after the previous session's big advance. The major indexes ended the day mixed, with the Dow Jones industrials falling 74 points - only the third time in October that the blue chips had just a double-digit close.

Review of Nintendo Wii Sports

The Wii console weighs in at just 2.7 pounds and measures 8.5 inches long by 6 inches wide and is less than 2 inches thick; it is one of the most compact consoles currently on the market. It also looks great with a slick glossy white finish.

Best of all about the Wii is the revolutionary controller design which offers unique motion-sensitive game play options. The Wii controller works extremely well with the highly addictive and entertaining Wii Sports game, which is a simple game about playing Tennis, Baseball, Bowling, Golf and Boxing.

Tennis can be played by one to four players, the Wii controller becomes the racquet in which there are no levels, tournaments or unlocking modes to master, and it's just simply about the game play and having fun with your friends.

Bowling in Wii Sports is also quite simple in concept and easy to master. The basic movement of the controller is just as you would expect you now swing controller through, if you were about to swing a bowling ball. You can adjust the approach - from the left, right or middle - and aim of your bowl and apply spin to the ball by twisting the remote as you follow through.

Golf like Tennis can be played with one to four players. There are different levels depending on your expertise - beginner, intermediate, expert levels. Again it is just like playing the real game where you go from hole to hole playing the fairways and greens.

Baseball is equally as simple, batting and pitching are the only required actions. Fielding is handled entirely by the computer and base running is dependent on how far the ball is hit, not how fast you can swing the Wii controller. Batting is nothing more than holding the controller like a bat and swinging.

Boxing uses the Wii technology the best, with your the two hands on two Wii controllers, one in each hand you are then in perfect sync with the on screen boxer, blocking and weaving as needed. Punching and blocking is performed as most of the actions are on the Wii Sports game - by moving the controller.

Advantages: Nintendo Wii Sports is a real triumph, very enjoyable, suitable for all ages and very affordable with hours of fun guaranteed.

Disadvantages: nothing really...

Average Ratings

Addiction Level: 9/10
Graphics: 7/10
Value for Money: 9/10
Reviewer Rating: 9/10
Overall Rating: 9/10

Dan Cole writes on gaming related issues. You can learn more by visiting my blog, Review of Nintendo Wii Sports
http://review-of-nintendo-wii-sports.blogspot.com/

E! Online - Steven Page has been presented with a get-out-of-jail treatment card.

Video Game Consoles - This Year's Cheaper Xbox 360

Could it possibly be true, did the real giant in gaming give the OK to lower the prices of their pride and joy the Xbox 360. This is apparently the rumor that has been circling around. Now this could be an attempt to take some momentum from Sony and their PS3 or is it possibly a way to make room for some new innovation that Microsoft has up their sleeve. Either way this will make the Xbox 360 a definite bargain when it comes to purchasing a video game console.

Now begs the question on whether or not Sony will follow suit in lowering their prices on the PS3 and possibly other systems, being their largest competitors with extreme realism in their design of graphics should make this an interesting holiday season for purchasing a console.

Apparently these changes will leave the Xbox 360 Pro version with a jaw dropping price tag of around $299.99. Imagine a great system at an affordable price without giving up any extras.

With the latest news predicting that we could see the new prices take effect as soon as mid September and adding this could be just the beginning. Let's hope that the gaming industry picks up on this trend and ensures excellent consoles at cheaper prices. Allowing consumers the ability to purchase more accessories and maybe even have multiple consoles. This is exactly what every consumer desires, more buying power. With this added empowerment you should definitely shop around.

Where can you find the better deals? Well, lately I've been searching for some new sites and even better buys and I stumbled upon some great deals. I found this to be among the best ways at giving you all the necessities you need for finding a really great video game console for enduring fun and excitement.

Article by Zak Mann. Zak is the owner of http://www.videogameconsoles.ca and an avid video game enthusiast.

AP - Republican John McCain, scrambling after one of the biggest battlegrounds of the presidential election, is touting his history on national security and trying to link the issue of the country's safety to the financial meltdown.