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Mmm Sexy Graphics.

= very good. More details to come when I’ve actually had chance to play the game. To settle your pants check out the EuroGamer review where they said it was basically very good but was a little short and not very fresh.

It’d be unfair of me to comment on that because I haven’t played the game yet (it’s downloading now) and they obviously had but I felt they are being a bit harsh given the title is essentially fan-fodder between the last release and the next one. It’s only £10 so you can be rest assured if it lasts me 4 or 5 hours I’ll be happy.

Just a quick post to tell you about the following updates:

• About page.
• Contact page.
• Advertising enquiries.

Normal service resumes…

Is Soul Calibur IV A Bit Pervey?

Haha this is a hilarious one: I’m hearing people talk about Soul Calibur IV as if it’s a little uncomfortable to play. On the GiantBomb.com podcast yesterday Ryan Davis described playing the game as “uncomfortable” and not because of it’s gameplay (which he stated “it plays like Soul Calibur should”). Ryan was of course referring to the outlandish characters and their scale on the perve-o-meter. Given that I’ve always considered Soul Calibur a pervey game I haven’t thought much of it. Until now.

So decide for yourselves, based on the following female characters that are present in the game, is Soul Calibur IV a bit pervey?

Cassandra Alexandra in Soul Calibur IV

Ivy Valentine in Soul Calibur IV

Seong Mi-Na in Soul Calibur IV

Sophitia Alexandra in Soul Calibur IV

Taki in Soul Calibur IV

Shura in Soul Calibur IV

There were tons more characters I could have put here. Look, I’m not going to pass judgement, all I’m going to say is that the artwork is fucking good - pervey or not.

While watching “22 Short Stories Of Springfield” the other day, I realised something that was subliminally depicted in the episode that is true to real life.

Every person you pass in the street has a story to tell.

It might sound like I’m stating the obvious here but it’s something that I feel might not dawn on you unless you really think about it. I mean, have you ever really considered that the person on the other side of the street has family stories, love stories, sad stories, happy stories, opinions, etc. I never have until now to be honest.

It’s quite interesting really and it all links back to something that a Wise Old Man once told me: “Your purpose is nothing more than to be special to a select few”,

In other words: you might well mean fuck all to the person passing you on the other side of the street but to your family and friends you mean the world.

I think that’s a cute way of looking at things.

I’ve been into Tyler based shoegaze band Eisley for a few years now. Given my recent spin of the Scarlett Johansson album I’ve rekindled my love-affair with the family based Eisley.

Originally catching my interest with the infectious “Telescope Eyes” and it’s bizarre haunting video I’ve become quite a follower of Eisley’s eclectic collection of folk, pop, rock and shoegaze music.

Telescope Eyes is an interesting parody on how we push away those who may look different. “You humour me today // Calling me out to play with your telescope eyes // Your metal teeth, I can’t be seen with you”. The song and the rest of the “Room Noises” album it’s a part of has a haunting mix of piano, xylophone, guitar, bass and drums.

Eisley’s first full length was “Room Noises” which spawned a range of promo videos for: Memories, I Wasn’t Prepared, Marvellous Things and the above Telescope Eyes. The band manage to reflect their sound through the videos - Memories has a very natural, Tim Burton-esque video to it.

Having two lead singers in both Sherri (ex-wife of Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory fame) and Stacy DuPree virtually all the Eisley songs are based around complicated vocal harmonies and backwards and forwards singing flurries. Both vocalists have a certain eerieness to their voices which I think is the defining sound of Eisley and the reason I love them so much.

Eisley list The Beatles and Radiohead as their biggest influences which I think really shine through. You can hear The Beatles in the poppier aspects of their songs with the catchy chorus’ and constant use of harmonies. I also hear some Fleetwood Mac in their songs.

Second album “Combinations” gave home to latest single “Invasion” based on the cult movie “Invasion Of The Bodysnatchers“. Continuing on the haunting theme of “Room Noises”, Combinations offers a similar sound but with a growth in the range of instruments used throughout the album, “Come Clean” having a very Spanish sounding flamenco guitar running throughout.

Eisley will probably never be big but if you enjoyed the Scarlett Johansson album - I’m sure you’ll enjoy the Eisley songs. Both albums are on iTunes if you fancy splashing out on some new music.

This site has gone through a fair few changes over the past couple of weeks and I’m set to put it through a few more. Basically I’m selling out. This is going to be a blog less about me, how I feel and what irritates me like it used to be. I feel like I’ve exhausted that phase of my life now and I’ve moved recently into writing about stuff I love. That doesn’t necessarily mean anyone should agree or be interested in what I write about but I suppose I just like recommending things. Be they games, bands, sauces, chocolate bars, whatever.

This site is going to come under the new tagline “Popular Culture Personified”. But what does that mean?

The definition of popular culture - contemporary culture as defined by the objects, images, artefacts, literature, music, and so on of “ordinary” people.

And to personify is to bring to life. So what I want to do basically is turn this blog into a commentary of all things that are being released, happening on the Internet, touching on films (though it’s not my strong point - I’ll look into that), video games, music, fashion commentaries, etc. Now I realise I’m stronger in some subjects than others but this site intends to deal with generally all the things that are affecting modern life. The objects of desire. The best things to listen to. The best things to watch. The best things to play. To wear. Etc.

Basically a magazine for everyone. And I hope some people will find some bits interesting.

Why am I doing this? Well like I said I feel like I’ve already exhausted my moaning. Have nothing more to offer in that front. I also have the pressure of university which I feel like I won’t be able to afford so - I need to find a way to make money. This is my solution.

I intend to implement the final upgrades to the site over the next week and get the new sites content flowing.

I hope people will enjoy the new site as I try to get it to flourish over the summer.

There is one thing I love at the moment and it’s not myself. It’s digital stores. I’m talking about those things called “iTunes Store” and “Wii Shop Channel” and “Playstation Store”. The people that invented them should be shot - for like, causing addictive-compulsive-impulse-spending disorder.

Seriously though - why are these digital stores so good?

• It’s so easy. You search. Find what you want. Click buy (your credit card details are saved and thus you don’t have to punch in all those annoying numbers). It downloads. Simple.
• You get a preview of what you’re buying before you buy it. I mean you can’t sample hardly anything in shops these days. Even magazines are put in fucking wrappers.
• When you buy something you get recommended something else. Before you know it you’ve spent hundreds of pounds on stuff you didn’t want. Believe me. I’ve been there.

The Playstation Store is particularly good. Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix? Yum. ONLINE TEKKEN? YUM.

It’s just all so tempting.

However the sneakiest of all is the Wii Shop Channel. Given that nothing on there actually has a price but instead costs “Points” you never know how much you’re actually spending. Well you do if you do the maths. But who thought 1000 points would be worth £7.

I hate you Nintendo. I hate you Apple. I hate you Sony.

I want control of my spending habbits again.

To a new beginning. Meaning it’s the same site with the same old boring nattering but with a new fresh look. And also some stuff I haven’t quite managed to get to work yet. But soooooon there will be:

• Fuck ass sexy Last.FM integration. If you ever wondered what I was “spinning” it’ll be right here. In real-fucking time.
• Fuck ass sexy YouTube integration. Maybe? My favourite videos showing up in real-time. Although that might be a bit gay really. Haven’t decided yet.
• Fuck ass sexy tag cloud. If it doesn’t look shit.
• I’m making it all a bit more CV friendly so expect new about me’s and shit that no one cares about.
• Documentation I’ve all the reviews I’m writing (why didn’t I keep the several thousand I did for GMF?)
• Shit. Various tweaking and “finishing off”.

So here you go. This is the new site. Minus a few bits and bobs. DO YOU LIKE IT?