Ask questions to The Digital Bits team (Bill Hunt, Jeff Kleist et.al.)

[mikejet]

Is there any chance of a new release this year being released as ONLY a BD w/DVD package?

I didn't include flipper because I don't like those.

[MerrickG]

Jeff,

Rob Enderle is at it again!! This time he is trashing the Xbox 360!!!! Has hell frozen over??!!!

http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/...uilt-the-xbox/

Apparently the shill checks stopped coming.

EDIT: He is just talking about the pros and cons of the 360 just using his controversial article title.

[Jeff Kleist]

Is there any chance of a new release this year being released as ONLY a BD w/DVD package?

I didn't include flipper because I don't like those.

No, you'll only see paired packages, and only for the Disney stuff really, which Disney is doing for the OCD collectors among us who want all the cases to match. They just better send the Blu case for Toy Story. I think there were enough complaints about Snow White

They're trying an osmosis move, so that people try the Blu and hopefully see that they really do look a lot better than upconverted DVD

[Jeff Kleist]

Definately no one has been paying enough attention to Rob lately
It's a nicely disguised shill piece to be sure, even though his conclusions are totally wrong in his perceived negatives

Apple is stronger because they indoctrinated more cult members with iPods, which then gave them the kind of capital and media attention they needed to grow the flock even more.

PC Gaming is weak because the price of entry, and continual upgrades is so high, combined with the gigantic piracy rate (COD:MW2- 90% of the copies out there are pirated). Why are the MMOs successful? Because you have to pay every month to play, or game doesn't work. When will MMO on PC die? The second MS and Sony are finally willing to take a low enough percentage of the monthly fee that the creators bite.

And he can already play Halo 1 and 2 in his hotel room Though I'd be willing to put money that old Rob has never touched Halo or any other serious game outside of a work setting for any length of time.

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

If our bribe checks weren't a decade plus late, Bill and I could afford our die-cast Saturn Vs, and get the special post splashdown capsule Pre-order bonus . Damn bureacracy

Jeff, I thought you'd bypassed the bureaucracy and they just handed the model rockets directly to you right under the table?

[Jeff Kleist]

If only the video section handled the models

No seriously, I doubt I'd be able to score one on the best of terms. I'm betting the per-unit cost on this thing simply to pour and paint them at the factory is $200 at least. I don't have any friends there that good

[cjamescook]

Originally Posted by Doctorossi

Jeff, I thought you'd bypassed the bureaucracy and they just handed the model rockets directly to you right under the table?

Sorry, no bribes in the rocket business.

-Jim
former Secretary for NAR Standards & Testing
(the rocket motor certification guys)

[gpn]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

No, sorry.

I should share with you guys the incredible model Bill and I were just drooling over. It's a 2.5 foot Saturn V rocket, die-cast, with every piece removeable.

It's also $500

I think I could justify 200.....not 5, but I want it ever so much

http://apollomaniacs.web.infoseek.co...on%20Testshot1

If it hadn't been behind glass, Bandai would have had to wipe my drool off of the one they had on display at Comic-Con last year. That thing is so nice looking. Unfortunately $500 is out of my range too; like you I think I could swing it if it were in the $200-$250 range.

Greg

[Jeff Kleist]

Another reason besides the Flynn arcade to regret missing out on SDCC this year

Supposedly there's one on display right down the street from my Tokyo hotel in a few weeks, so I'll go drool

You know, I was watching the mythbusters with the bottle jetpack the other night, and they couldn't get all the nozzles to release at the same time. Reminds me of the N1

[MerrickG]

Jeff,

I finally got around to playing and finishing Bioshock 2. I must say that I was slightly disappointed by it. The main thing that held it back for me was the lack of environment variety. The places visited just plain looked the same and were rather bland.

While I never expected to wowed as much as the first one, I did expect that it would have something memorable to offer. In the first one I kept wanting to see what the next part of Rapture offered. In this one that never happened. None of the locales visited offered anything memorable. Fontaine Futuristics was the only thing remotely close to being memorable.

Bring on Fallout New Vegas!

[Jeff Kleist]

my brother's going to lend it to me at some point

[MerrickG]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

my brother's going to lend it to me at some point

Dont get me wrong it was fun and Id even call it good, but I wouldnt call it great or even must have. It wasnt a game that I felt that I HAD to keep playing just to see what was offered next. Thats my main gripe.

I would also point out that its a WHOLE lot tougher than the first one.

[aygie]

Tell me you guys have got Heavy Rain, its so good, kudos for Sony for going with it.

[MerrickG]

I got Heavy Rain and look to start it after I reach level 61 on Borderlands.

Jeff,

How long can we expect Avatar to remain in the theater since it appears that film will continue to have legs? I am now wondering if it has a chance to break $800M. It seems unlikely, but if it continues to take in $20M per week I cant see any reason for Fox to yank it out of theaters.

The theaters also have to be loving it because after so many weeks they get to keep a greater portion of the films ticket sales. Am I right about that?

[SpaceDog]

Originally Posted by merrick97

I got Heavy Rain and look to start it after I reach level 61 on Borderlands.

Jeff,

How long can we expect Avatar to remain in the theater since it appears that film will continue to have legs? I am now wondering if it has a chance to break $800M. It seems unlikely, but if it continues to take in $20M per week I cant see any reason for Fox to yank it out of theaters.

The theaters also have to be loving it because after so many weeks they get to keep a greater portion of the films ticket sales. Am I right about that?

Avatar is about to lose a ton of it's 3d theaters this weekend to Alice in Wonderland. This will have a profound impact on it's future ticket sales.

[Jeff Kleist]

How long can we expect Avatar to remain in the theater since it appears that film will continue to have legs? I am now wondering if it has a chance to break $800M. It seems unlikely, but if it continues to take in $20M per week I cant see any reason for Fox to yank it out of theaters.

Alice will boot it from most 3D and all IMAX this week. Keep in mind as well that it's had essentially zero competition. I'm sure it'll be back at some point when 3d theaters aren't booked some slot in the fall. But they have to pull it by the end of march for the video.

[MerrickG]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Alice will boot it from most 3D and all IMAX this week. Keep in mind as well that it's had essentially zero competition. I'm sure it'll be back at some point when 3d theaters aren't booked some slot in the fall. But they have to pull it by the end of march for the video.

If it is still making money why would they pull it? Fox did say that they werent going to pull the film as long as it continued to keep printing dough for them.

Its closing in on $2.5 billion worldwide, which is pretty freakin remarkable.

Speaking of Alice in Wonderland...

What kind of film is it? Will it be basically a live version of the kids cartoon of will it be darker and more in tune with the actual books? (aka like American McGee's Alice the outstanding game from 2000) Have there been any reviews?

[Jeff Kleist]

Because it's about to lose its 3D and IMAX theaters to Alice. These things are actually booked, so tey get booted whether they're making money or not

Plus they can rebook the 3D in the fall doldrums when nothing else has the space for a month and make even more dough. Why do you think Fox doesn't want to do 3D Avatar this fall? It still might happen, but it's definately not their first choice.

It's a Tim Burton movie, there's reviews on Rotten Tomatoes hovering around 80.

And I'm not getting into the "Why Avatar isn't that remarkable" debate again. Fanboys can have their fun designating it the second coming, I've explained the realities behind it, those interested can search back.

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Because it's about to lose its 3D and IMAX theaters to Alice. These things are actually booked, so tey get booted whether they're making money or not

Witness Coraline- yanked from the 3D houses just as it was picking up steam, to make way for The Jonas Brothers Concert Experience, which promptly fell on its face.

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Fanboys can have their fun designating it the second coming, I've explained the realities behind it, those interested can search back.

Remember, kiddies- there's the opinions of people who are not Jeff and then there's the realities.

[Jeff Kleist]

Remember, kiddies- there's the opinions of people who are not Jeff and then there's the realities.

Peer reviewable observations as opposed to fanboyism, yes