Dante’s Inferno - Actual Game Thread, not the Demo!
For God of War fans, this is a must. While there are similar themes and playing characteristics, one should note that this isn’t a pure rip-off (read as: Darksiders) of those qualities, rather, more of an homage to them. The hack-and-slash and button-sequencing is a nice break from the current orgy of CoD-type garbage being crammed down our throats.
While the gameplay itself consistently shows us some very good graphic capabilities, particularly entrenched within the background environment, the cinematic cut-scenes are nothing short of amazing. It’s nice to see someone finally pushing the envelope, showing us what may someday become the norm, rather than the exception. Virginal gamers beware (or salivate, as the case may be): if you’ve never seen a female breast, there are a plethora of them in realistic detail within this game. Make sure your mommy isn’t around when Beatrice shows up.
Playing on a regular setting, I found the game to be pretty much a cake-walk, save but a few brief instances. I would recommend the most difficult option available for anyone that’s ever picked up a controller. There’s no bonus for playing the hardest setting, but why not?
A word of advice…this is likely best served as a rental. This is NOT due to the enjoyment level of the game, but because of the length of play. I leisurely strolled through the first playthrough in about 8 hours and ran the second in under 4. Add in the War Arena, and you gain another 30 minutes. Speaking of the Arena, if you can’t complete the entire 50 levels with 20+ minutes to spare, you’re doing something very, very wrong. As a side note, achivement hounds will be glad to know that 900+ gamerscore can easily be done with little effort.
In conclusion, with the exception of Bioshock 2, this is what you should be playing right now. 
2009 Xbox Live Rankings
1 Halo 3
2 Call of Duty 4
3 Modern Warfare 2
4 Call of Duty: WaW
5 Gears of War 2
6 GTA IV
7 Left 4 Dead
8 Halo 3: ODST
9 FABLE II Episode 1 (of 5)
10 BioHazard 5 - Resident Evil 5
11 Halo Wars - Demo
12 RESIDENT EVIL 5
13 Fallout 3
14 UFC 2009 Undisputed Demo
15 Left 4 Dead 2 - Demo
16 Gears of War
17 1 vs 100
18 Guitar Hero World Tour
19 Guitar Hero III
20 FIFA 09
Top Xbox Live Arcade Titles (full downloads):
1 Battlefield 1943
2 Castle Crashers
3 Trials HD
4 Hasbro Family Game Night
5 Shadow Complex
6 Marvel vs. Capcom 2
7 Magic: The Gathering
8 UNO
9 Worms
10 Peggle
11 Worms 2: Armageddon
12 Turtles in Time Re-Shelled
13 ‘Splosion Man
14 A Kingdom for Keflings
15 3 on 3 NHL Arcade
16 The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition
17 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1989 Classic Arcade
18 Marble Blast Ultra
19 Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
20 Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
Top Titles by # of unique users:
1 Halo 2
2 Star Wars: Battlfrnt 2
3 Fable
4 Counter-Strike
5 Conker: Live Reloaded
6 Doom 3
7 Splinter Cell Chaos
8 SW: KOTOR
9 Star Wars: Battlefront
10 SW: Republic Commando
11 Burnout 3
12 Fable: Lost Chapters
13 Call of Duty 2
14 Call of Duty 3
15 Call of Duty Finest
16 MechAssault 2
17 Crimson Skies
18 Guilty Gear XX #Reload
19 Rainbow Six 3
20 Gauntlet Seven Sorrows
Top Indie Games:
1 I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES!!!1
2 Avatar Drop
3 RC-AirSim
4 Headshot
5 Miner Dig Deep
6 Rumble Massage
7 Who Did I Date Last Night
8 Kodu Game Lab
9 Avatar Golf
10 Aquarium HD
11 myFishtank
12 Head Shot 2
13 DrumKit
14 A Perfect Massage
15 The Impossible Game
16 Inside Lacrosse’s CL2010
17 ZP2K9
18 ezmuze+ Hamst3r edition
19 The Drinking Game
20 Physics Sandbox
disapointed with AVS moding
I was not aware that a asking the frequent visitors of the PS3 and 360 forums for their opinions on the two respective consoles would result in a thread lock down.
Maybe its my fault for thinking that such a question was perfect to be posted here, i mean i have been lurking around this forum for years before i made my 1st post, but I always came here and receive phenomenal advice on all my AVS questions and needs.
The thread i started was actually pretty flame free too, and it had some very good information in it coming from both 360 and PS3 owners and they all seemed to make good and bad points about both consoles. So the reason it got locked is missed by me in this case. I realize maybe your trying to avoid "future" flame wars but maybe you should go around that in a different way. such as warring the offenders, if there is any. I know im not the only one who feels this way, as if you read my thread others made the same point.
Most of us who come here are adults, looking to use this forum as the source of knowledge and find answers to our questions.
Instead now im forced to go else were, to another forum and find it there.
I dont know who the powers at be of this forum are, but im sure keeping your visitors coming here to reference their questions is in your best interest, instead of leaving and find them somewhere else, like i have on 2 other sites. with out any lock downs.
So I hope that a Mod reads my message and instead of locking it down, they understand the message im trying to make, and sends it to the people that run this forum and than some creative changes are made.
This is still my fav site for all AVS questions, and with out a doubt hands down the one with the most informed visitors. So why not keep them happy and keep them coming back.
I dont know if anyone else agrees with me, besides the few who i have talked to, but closing down a clean thread, on a topic that still begs for good discussion is a pity. As there is other ways of keeping the threads clean and friendly, unless some mods are just getting to lazy and opting to lock instead of actually MOD.
that’s my 2 cents. thanks to those who cared enough to read all of that.
still a huge fan of this forum, just hoping for some creative change. 
TheWalkingDead
Pro Logic II Support w/ 360
I recently acquired a Sony STR K660P from a buddy for a cheap bedroom home theater solution. I basically wanted some low-level 5.1 support for watching movies/playing games in my bedroom. Games specifically, I wanted to take advantage of the gameplay edge afforded in FPS’s by having a 3D sound setup.
The receiver supports PLII and I’ve piped the signal in from the audio outs on my TV (composite stereo cables). The receiver has presets for 2CH (straight 2 channel stereo + sub support), Movie and Music settings (that do decode for PLII), and AFD (auto format direct) which allows for you to either pick the setting you want (PL, PLII Movie or Music) or allow it to auto-detect your signal and decode accordingly.
When set the AFD to PLII Movie or Music, I get full 5.1 support from tv/movies. But from the 360 I only get center channel + weak L & R audio. No full surround even though the LED indicates that all channels are being used.
When I set the AFD to Auto, the LED for PLII support goes off and again I get 2 channels and sub output…no surround from any source, 360 or cable.
My 360 is set to "Digital Stereo", which should be giving off 2 channel stereo sound (all that is needed for PLII, from my understanding) with no special encoding etc.
So my question is, why can’t I get full 5.1/PLII support with my 360 as the source? I desperately want to have my setup in place for when stuff like Modern Warfare 2, Operation Flashpoint etc start arriving, but from everything I’ve tried it doesn’t seem like I can get full surround from any of my games. I’ve even tried games specifically stickered for Dolby support (which is probably just for Dolby Digital), but again, a regular stereo signal is all that should be needed, illustrated by how good movies sound on my PLII movie setting.
Any tips? I’ve got an optical cable that is too short to reach the receiver without moving it, but assuming I did get it close enough, would I be better served in piping the TV signal through the composite audio cables and going direct from the 360 to the receiver via optical? Would that afford me some greater surround capability?
Help a noob out!
Rumer: 1 vs. 100 pay-to-play
|
Xbox Live’s 1 vs. 100 has a unique premise among console games. Rather than charge Xbox Live members for the ability to play, the "show" is supported by advertisements, which occasionally break up the gameplay. In some ways, it’s a perk of being an Xbox Live Gold member, as Silver members are locked out of the virtual studio. That said, it looks like Microsoft might be reconsidering the strategy behind the game. A Joystiq tipster sent us the image seen above, which was supposedly taken from a survey on MyThoughtCounts.com. The survey asks quite simply, "If 1 vs 100 were not available as part of your Gold Membership account, how likely would you be to purchase 1 vs 100 for $15 per season (13 weeks)?" If the survey is genuine, 1 vs. 100 might not be free after all. Is this what the Season Pass was all about? We’re not sure what would trigger such a change of heart: perhaps the prize model isn’t as viable as Microsoft had hoped, or perhaps the number of viewers is lower than expected. Of course, it’s only a survey, and it certainly isn’t a confirmation that 1 vs. 100 will see any significant changes at all. We’ve contacted Microsoft regarding the possibility and will update this post with any new info. Update: We’ve heard back from Microsoft, which — unsurprisingly — didn’t directly address the survey or potential pay-to-play model for XBL Silver members. You can read the full MS statement after the break. |
It will be interesting to see what they decide to do. If they force users to pay, this essentially becomes gambling IMO. You pay $15 for a chance to win more then your initial "bet." Of course, MS (the house) still profits with all the $15 coming in and the ads they show.
Or maybe they’re planing on charging silver members but gold members get it for free?
My girlfriend likes to play it every once and a while… but she wouldn’t (nor would I) pay a cent to play that game (especially with all the ads).
Blackest Night DC Comics = best videogame storyline in history if done right
From WIKI about the story:
Millions of black rings fly across the universe. On Earth, the day that Superman died is now considered a holiday to mark the deaths of superheroes and those they failed to save. In Coast City, the Green Lanterns use their powers to light up a memorial while remembering their own lost loved ones. In Smallville, the reborn Conner Kent is with Superman and Martha Kent at Jonathan Kent’s grave. In Pittsburgh, Martin Stein is with Gen and Jason (the new Firestorm halves), remembering Ronnie Raymond (the original Firestorm) while Gen notes how all the flowers around them are dying. Elsewhere, Kid Flash notes how his statue at Titans Tower has been taken down, the Rogues remember their own fallen, Booster Gold and other Justice Leaguers gather at Ted Kord’s grave. The JSA tours Valhalla Cemetery where statues of their fallen members reside. Elsewhere, Tempest asks Mera to have Aquaman buried at sea rather than land. In Gotham City, Alfred heads to a cemetery only to find that Bruce Wayne’s grave has been dug up.
At JLA Headquarters, Barry Allen is looking over a morgue set up beneath the building for the remains of League enemies (a measure of protection from a body-snatching operation that harvests superhuman parts). Barry asks who else died while he was lost to the Speed Force and Hal shows him an image of said individuals from his ring. Barry is devastated to see Ronnie Raymond and Ralph and Sue Dibny among them. In St. Roch, Hawkman is on the phone with Ray Palmer, refusing Ray’s request to see Jean Loring’s grave together. He and Hawkgirl discuss the situation and note their own troubled relationship. Back at the JLA headquarters, Barry asks Hal about Carol. Hal explains that they aren’t together and she’s safer that way; unaware that Carol, now a Star Sapphire, is battling the Sinestro Corps in space at that moment. Alfred calls to say he made a horrible mistake burying Bruce with his parents.
On Oa, the Guardians see the War of Light erupting and realize that Ganthet and Sayd have been right all along. They are about to put out a call to the Lanterns when Scar attacks, biting the throat of another Guardian and then ripping out his heart with her bare hands. The rest of the Guardians are helplessly being bound by their former member to prevent them from interfering. Thousands of black rings smash into the Corps crypt, each one saying "flesh." Barry and Hal are at Bruce’s grave as across the universe, black rings fall, each one with a name: J’onn J’onnz, Katma Tui, Ronnie Raymond, Dee Tyler, Ryan Kendall, Al Pratt, Jenny-Lynn Hayden, Roscoe Dillion, Lisa Snart, Digger Harkness and Arthur Curry. On Oa, the Lanterns come to the crypt only to see all of the formerly deceased Lanterns now reborn as Black Lanterns as their rings intone:
"RISE"
On Earth, Hal and Barry investigate the violated grave of Bruce Wayne and are shocked to find themselves confronted by a Black Lantern Martian Manhunter, who tells them that they should have "stayed dead."
In St. Roch, Hawkgirl is still arguing with Hawkman when she’s stabbed from behind. Hawkman is stunned to see their two attackers are newly turned Black Lanterns: the Elongated Man and Sue Dibny. Elongated Man attacks Hawkman, smashing him over and over with a mace, and comments that Hawkgirl always hated him. With her dying breath, Hawkgirl protests that she loved Carter. Enraged, Hawkman retaliates but the Elongated Man rips his heart out of his chest. Sue has done the same to Kendra, each of them having their rings recharged .01 percent of their full charge before both hearts crumble into dust. Black Hand appears, still clutching the skull taken from Bruce Wayne’s grave, remarking that the two won’t escape death this time and that "death will take us all and the universe will finally be at peace." The issue concludes with two black rings floating out of the skull’s mouth, telling Hawkman and Hawkgirl to rise.[16]
Set to rise:
Kal El
Aquaman
Batman
A Look Into The NXE Xbox Live Update For Monday
What does this Xbox LIVE Update include?
Netflix Updates
Now you can watch movies with your friends no matter where they are and manage your queue from the comfort of your couch.
Movie Parties – Xbox LIVE Gold members can sit together in a virtual theater with up to seven friends no matter where they are while your Avatars watch a movie, flirt or even throw popcorn at each other.
Manage Your Queue – Browse the Netflix Instant Watch video catalogue, choose from the most popular movies and genres and add to your queue all from the comfort of your couch – no computer required.
Enhanced Playback Experience – Enjoy a smooth viewing experience when your internet bandwidth fluctuates.
Friends Info – Richer information is now displayed in the Friends channel and in the Guide showing what you and your friends are doing.
Avatar Marketplace
Express yourself! Deck your Avatar out with the latest clothing and props from the top brands and game franchises.
Clothing – Download premium items, including branded apparel from your favorite fashion labels and Xbox 360 games such as “Halo.”
Props – You can now equip your avatar with animated items they can carry around and interact with.
Awardables – The ability to earn Avatar clothing and props as rewards within games has been added. Please stay tuned for an update on supporting titles.
Games on Demand(Games on Demand will be available in the preview beginning early August.)
Enjoy 24 x 7 access to a growing online library of popular full game titles on Xbox LIVE whenever you want them, in the comfort of your living room.
Purchase Options – Browse and download a great selection of full Xbox 360 games using Microsoft Points, direct debit, or credit card.
Game Manuals – Game manuals for Games on Demand titles can be viewed, downloaded or printed on Xbox.com.
It’s Yours Forever! – As with other Xbox LIVE content, Games on Demand titles are linked to your Xbox LIVE account, so you can delete and re-download anything you have already purchased to the same console or another console.
User Ratings
User ratings help you find games that other people think are awesome!
Rate it – You can now rate every game on the Xbox LIVE Games Marketplace using a 5-star system.
Sort and Find it – Now you can easily find the games that everyone’s been raving about by visiting the Top Rated games in the Browse All category of Xbox LIVE Games Marketplace.
Xbox LIVE Parties
Everyone loves to Party! Check out the new and improved Xbox LIVE Party features.
Party Reconnections – If you are accidently disconnected from your party, Xbox LIVE will automatically reconnect you.
Streamlined Party Invites – Invites are now just one click away! No need to click through multiple screens to get all your friends together.
Video Display Options
We’ve made it easier for you to see your entertainment in the highest resolution possible on your TV using an HDMI connection.
• Display Discovery – Make sure you can see and hear your entertainment in the highest resolution and sound quality possible with the option to override and select audio and video formats independent of the information your television sends to your Xbox 360 console.
Other Improvements
We’re always listening to you for feedback, and this Xbox LIVE update will include numerous dashboard updates.
Gold Member Veterans – Xbox LIVE Gold members get to show it off with a stamp on your Gamer Card that tells people how long you’ve been a Gold member.
• Indie Games – Xbox LIVE Community Games has been renamed Xbox LIVE Indie Games. We feel this new name better represents the independent spirit of these titles.
Achievement Browser – We’ve revamped the Achievements browser so it’s now easier to read through all the achievements while playing a game. You can now also launch a game directly from the browser.
Achievements Tracking – A new view inside the profile panel which includes a summary of Achievements earned across all the games played, and shows of all your completed games.
• Streamlined Navigation - Streamlined navigation, including new entry points in the dashboard for Active Downloads, redeeming codes, recovering Gamertags and more.
Voice Messages – No more blank voice messages! When recording a voice message, a warning will pop up if no audio is detected.
Friends List Sorting – It’s now easier to find your friends! Find and sort your friends by activity, Gamertag or online status by pressing the Y button while viewing the friends list in the Guide.
Memory – Time stamps now appear in the memory area, which particular handy when managing saved games.
Account Management
We’ve made some changes to make your life easier.
Subscription Notification – If your Xbox LIVE subscription is about to run out, you will now be notified when you sign into Xbox LIVE.
Updates for Invalid Windows Live IDs – If the Windows Live ID you provided has expired, you will now be prompted to update it the next time you sign into Xbox LIVE.
Account recovery – We’ve enhanced the account recovery process to make it faster and more reliable.
What does this Xbox LIVE Update not include?
The following features will be coming in future Xbox LIVE updates, which we’ll be sure to let you know about.
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Zune video and 1080p Instant On
• Last.fm
http://kotaku.com/5316580/xbox-live-…ie-party–more
pics
360 Faceplace fit in Middle Atlantic rsh custom shelf?
Will an aftermarket XBOX 360 faceplate interfere with the fit of an XBOX 360 (either a red Elite Resident Evil or white Pro version) in my Middle Atlatnic custom rack shelf?
I have a Middle Atlantic rack in my home theater with an rsh custom rack shelf for an XBOX 360.
MA custom rack shelf - link
RSH4A3S - MICROSOFT XBOX360
I’ve been waiting to get an XBOX 360 Elite "Jasper" (in black since all my other gear is black).
I realize there aren’t any XBOX 360 Elite "Jasper"’s on the market now except the RED Resident Evil version
http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Resident-Evil-Elite-Console/dp/B001SHCFES/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1247689359&sr=8-4
I have also seen that you can get a non-Elite 360, but Jasper and buy and aftermarket faceplate, eg:
http://secure.llamma.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=73_84
http://secure.llamma.com/catalog/pro…roducts_id=617
In either case, I’m wondering if the faceplate causes any fit issues in the custom rack shelf.
Any recommendations or thoughts?
(There are pics of my HT setup in my signature link if people want to see more rack pics…)
If there is no fit problem, then I may just by a Pro or a locally available used Elite "Jasper" Resident Evil model.
Thanks,
Mike
MA rack
(old, pre Oppo BDP83 pic and with old XBOX in place. Opening under cable box is the custom shelf for XBOX 360)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
mine came home with me.
Today after playing several hours into the game last night I feel I’ve played enough to at least have a preliminary opinion of the game; so here goes with my mini review.
Graphics:
The game looks great but it doesn’t quite achieve that seamless integration that the best games do like GoW1 & 2 where you can’t tell the character from the background so to speak. Wolverine always looks a little to outlined and bright to me and he doesn’t blend as well as he should or could. Despite that the rest of the game is great, poly counts are solid, draw distances are excellent and other then some minor screen "tearing" once in awhile which I’ve come to expect from the unreal engine the graphics shine - several of the cut scenes I’m positive are digitized right off the celluloid of the film from the looks are they are extremely cinematic and life like but not "film"
7.5/10 Looks great but could be better on Wolverine himself
Controls and Game play:
Wolverine starts off with basic controls and the game really uses the first levels to teach you the many different ways you can use your various skills and attacks. There is an RPG element to the game in that everything you kill gives you xp and you level up adding skill points you get from each level into different attributes of wolverine so you have some flexibility on how you will / want to play - I’m sticking everything into "claws" as I’m playing like the true wolverine and it’s all out attack, all the time! I’m not worried about defense or health or special abilities I want to get in and kill them and do it quickly - so far my strategy is working by how I’ve been allocating my points.
Judging from the 5 hours I’ve played I’m guessing the game will be between 20 and 30 hours it really is quite large if the next 4 chapters are equal to the first chapter I’ve played through.
Wolverine does control very well - the controls are "tight" like they should feel for a fighter and the only disappointments have been when I’ve been forced into some of the action sequences such as running a turret - those controls don’t have the same level of control as the rest of the game and feel much looser in comparison.
They have collectibles in the variety of most games these days as well, there are dead soldiers scattered throughout the levels and if you find them you take their dog tags which give you various amounts of xp and of course a couple of achievements if you can collect them all!
Large boss battles are of course here - where if you don’t have a strategy you’re going to be restarting a lot!
I like the approach with the RPG elements and ability to replay levels you’ve already done them if you get stuck to "power up". Once you finish on easy or normal it looks like the standard "hard’ skill level will unlock as it’s not selectable right at the start.
There are also other collectibles in small statues of Wolverine in his many different marvel costumes scattered throughout the game in that I suspect once you collect enough of each type you do a bonus level and can unlock the "skin" to wear throughout the game.
There is no MP aspect the game only the SP adventure and the challenges that I’ve seen.
Gameplay and controls - 8/10 pretty solid and I’m ok with the lack of co-op or MP in the game it is after all Wolverine and he’s a lone wolf sort of guy. The game play is reminiscent of the marvel alliance game in many respects just with a deeper fighting engine and more RPG elements and better more up close graphics and camera angles
Overall - 8/10 - I’m enjoying the new game which is a rarity for a movie based video game but Raven has done a decent job of the title and it’s not quite polished enough to sparkle like a diamond but it is polished enough to be worth a look. If your a fan of the X-man and genre this is a game to buy if not and you like fighters with a blend of RPG"s elements like marvel alliance this game should be on your rental list to at least check out.
Cheers
CaLv1n1
braid ending (spoilers)
Please be aware before reading this, that none of this is my work. All credit for the creation of this post goes to IGN member lewismistreated
With that said I do wholeheartedly agree with his thesis on the matter though I don’t think I could do nearly as good a job explaining it as he did. Below you will find his post and ,I believe, the most definitive explanation around outside of Mr. Blow.
Apologies for making a new thread, but I didn’t think all of this could be spoiler boxed, and there are people in the Braid thread who might not want to read some things. But me and a friend have noticed a few things about Braid, and thought they were interesting enough to share.
Wankhat disclaimer: Braid is a game that involves climbing ladders and picking up keys. However, it also has a plot, and you could quite easily complete the game without ever really coming across half of it.
This is that half.
(All of this is the work of both myself and a guy called razedinwhite.)
Braid is a story that focuses on the development and deployment of the atomic bomb, and the irreversible impact it had on all human conflicts thereafter. At the very same time, it deals with the very human story of a relationship breaking down due to one person’s obsessive need to control this power. Finally, at certain points, the perspective of the bomb creator as a child comes through.
No, seriously.
The main source for all of this comes straight from the passages of the texts found in the epilogue screens, all of which are laid out openly below. Each screen has an alternative passage laid out, which only appears once Tim is located behind an object in the foreground. The italicised text is the alternative.
———-
QUOTE The boy called for the girl to follow him, and he took her hand. He would protect her; they would make their way through this oppressive castle, fighting off the creatures made of smoke and doubt, escaping to a life of freedom,
The boy wanted to protect the girl. He held her hand, or put his arm around her shoulders in a walking embrace, to help her feel supported and close to him amid the impersonal throngs of Manhattan. They turned and made their way toward the Canal St. subway station, and he picked a path through the jostling crowd.
His arm weighed upon her shoulders, felt constrictive around her neck. "You’re burdening me with your ridiculous need," she said. Or, she said: "You’re going the wrong way and you’re pulling me with you." In another time, another place, she said: "Stop yanking on my arm; you’re hurting me!"
—–
I’m coming back to this one in a second. For now, take note of the location (Manhattan), and the somewhat schizophrenic splitting of events hinted in the alt text. Three women are shown speaking; the first being the spurned partner, the second being that of the bomb, the third being that of the mother of a persistent child.
—-
QUOTE He worked his ruler and his compass. He inferred. He deduced. He scrutinized the fall of an apple, the twisting of metal orbs hanging from a thread. He was searching for the Princess, and he would not stop until he found her, for he was hungry. He cut rats into pieces to examine their brains, implanted tungsten posts into the skulls of water-starved monkeys.
Ghostly, she stood in front of him and looked into his eyes. "I am here," she said. "I am here. I want to touch you." She pleaded: "Look at me! But he would not see her; he only knew hot to look at the outside of things.
Again; I want to come back after the big reveal. But the search for the ‘Princess’ is important, and the description of a man obsessed with observing, with deducing but never really knowing.
—
QUOTE He scrutinized the fall of an apple, the twisting of metal orbs hanging from a thread. Through these clues he would find the Princess, see her face. After an especially fervent night of tinkering, he kneeled behind a bunker in the desert; he held a piece of welder’s glass up to his eyes and waited.
The desert unarguably being that of New Mexico; the bunker, the safe observation point for one of the single most important landmarks in the pursuit of scientific knowledge.
QUOTE On that moment hung eternity. Time stood still. Space contracted to a pinpoint. It was as though the earth had opened and the skies split. One felt as though he had been privileged to witness the Birth of the World…[1]
The above paragraph is a direct quotation (hence the footnote) from Robert Jay Lifton’s The Broken Connection, of which you can read some of right here: http://books.google.com/books?id=WPi…sult#PPA371,M1
He describes in painful detail the explosion of the nuclear bomb, the first cry of a newborn world. Robert Jay Lifton himself was a psychologist, notable for his work around the effects on war and genocide on the human condition.
QUOTE Someone near him said: "It worked."
Someone else said: "Now we are all sons of bit@hes."
The famous words of Kenneth Tompkins Bainbridge, uttered directly after the successful detonation of the first nuclear bomb, the "Trinity Test."
QUOTE She stood tall and majestic. She radiated fury. She shouted: "Who has disturbed me?" But then, anger expelled, she felt the sadness beneath; she let her breath fall softly, like a sigh, like ashes floating gently on the wind.
She couldn’t understand why he chose to flirt so closely with the death of the world.
The alternative text, written from the viewpoint of the bomb itself. The direct aftermath of the explosion, the fallout, and a failure to understand why anyone would want to bring such a thing into the world.
QUOTE The candy store. Everything he wanted was on the opposite side of that pane of glass. The store was decorated in bright colours, and the scents wafting out drove him crazy. He tried to rush for the door, or just get closer to the glass, but he couldn’t. She held him back with great strength. Why would she hold him back? How might he break free of her grasp? He considered violence.
They had been here before on their daily walks. She didn’t mind his screams and his shrieks, or the way he yanked painfully on her braid to make her stop. He was too little to know better.
She picked him up and hugged him: "No, baby", she said. He was shaking. She followed his gaze toward the treats sitting on pillows behind the glass: the chocolate bar and the magnetic monopole, the It-From-Bit and the Ethical Calculus; and so many other things, deeper inside. "Maybe when you’re older, baby," she whispered, setting him back on his feet and leading him home, "Maybe when you’re older."
Every day thereafter, as before, she always walked him on a route that passed in front of a candy store.
John Wheeler’s It-From-Bit theory describes that "… every it–every particle, every field of force, even the spacetime continuum itself- derives its function, its meaning, its very existence entirely–even if in some contexts indirectly–from the apparatus-elicited answers to yes-or-no questions, binary choices, _bits_."
(If we were being really analytical, Quantum theory also has things to say around (at a base level) multiple worlds existing at the same time, in alternative states.)
The Ethical Calculus "refers to any method of determining a course of action in a circumstance that is not explicitly evaluated in one’s ethical code." Not too much of a leap to state that the deployment of nuclear technology at the end of World War II was one of the biggest ethical dilemmas encountered by mankind.
The Princess is the bomb,and we are being told the story of a man so focused on the development and harnessing of an immensely destructive power that it inevitably falls out of his hands, and into the wider world. One of the pre-word books reads;
"This improvement, day by day, takes him ever-closer to finding the Princess. if she exists - she must! - she will transform him, and everyone."
It is, simultaneously, the story of a relationship so burdened by a man’s obsessive, inquisitive nature that the search for his ‘Princess’, his power is the one thing that drives them apart. More;
"Through all the nights that followed, she still loved him as though he had stayed, to comfort her and protect her, Princess be damned."
The hub, the city burst into flame at the title sequence as the brightest of lights burns in the background, could easily be seen to be Manhattan.
(IMG:http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/1…0656ha0.th.jpg)
Again, mentioned in the epilogue texts, and quite significantly, the placing of two very distinctive towers in the background of the attic screen.
(IMG:http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/2…0659ep8.th.jpg)
One of the paintings also shows a World War II era poster on the side of a building located on a busy U.S. street, as a young man stares mournfully into flame.
(IMG:http://img359.imageshack.us/img359/4…0658gj8.th.jpg)
The Princess, somehow harnessed and shackled, looms ominously in the sky, overshadowing everyone and everything with a threat, a power that can’t be taken back. Can’t be reversed.
(IMG:http://img359.imageshack.us/img359/7…0657yr0.th.jpg)
Stolen from another forum; the flags at the end of each world are nautical flags.
World 2: N
World 3: U
World 4: L
World 5: X
World 6: K
N: No
U: You are (standing into/approaching) danger
L: Stop instantly
X: Stop carrying out your intentions
K: You should stop, I have something important to communicate
The warnings directed towards a man intent on bringing an indescribable power into being.
Think about the ending. A purging wall of flame chases Tim and the princess, all the way up to the point of Tim is found lurking outside a bedroom window. At this point everything reverses; Tim is now chasing her, not following. She is now trying to trap and block Tim from ever reaching her, not aid his progression. Instead of trying to escape the hands of an aggressive knight, he is now the one figure that takes her away from Tim’s ‘ridiculous need’, his obsession with control.
And the one point that rounds all this off - in the pursuit of the eighth star, Tim finally manages to reach the upper half of the screen, and come into contact with the princess herself. What happens?
She explodes.
