Mr March

Why, how nice to be noticed Fellow MW Canuck, reporting for duty!

Well, good to see this incident bringing out the best in people

I'm glad both of you have survived and those you can account for are safe. I've belonged to a few online communities in the past when members have died, so it releives me to hear everyone here at MacrossWorld is safe. You have my sincere wishes all turns out well for you.

I'd have to say "relative worth" has been my postion on Macross 7 for quite some time. Though I'm far from the casual anime fan, I'd have to agree that there is simply more material out there far more worthy of viewing. Macross 7's meager contribution to the franchise is the offer of more Macross to fans starved for it. As has become the custom, a cut and paste will suffice: I've seen the first dozen episodes of Macross 7 and all four episodes of Macross 7 Dynamite. Having seen everything else Macross, I invest no effort to watch any more Macross 7 or related spin-offs for various reasons, all of which can be reduced to one word that describes Macross 7 in my eyes; forgettable. I tend to view art (Macross 7 is art, despite the controversy) in terms of its value in either one of two categories: Art that entertains relative to the state of the medium Art that contributes to the expansion and exploration of the medium to which it belongs Everything I watch can be measured by the success achieved in those two categories. It's a simple system that allows me to enjoy something silly, yet highly entertaining or enjoy other works more provocative and existential. Macross 7 is a work which offers insignificant value to me relative to the genre, the medium, or other works of entertainment or art. As such, Macross 7 becomes banal and is easily dismissed in favour of much more promising works that are more deserving of time and attention by the critical eye. Examining Macross 7 in great detail may ease the minds of those defending their adoration for the series, but the truth is Macross 7 is undeserving of such scrutiny and the vehemence of fans does little to persuade non-fans of its worth. As a piece of entertainment or art, Macross 7 succeeds only in as much as it can entice and maintain the interest of the viewer. As a viewer, I remain uninspired by Macross 7 and I'm unimpressed by what little it has to offer me or my love for entertainment and art.

I've managed to keep my habits in check and I've stuck to my promise of buying only 3 of the 1/48 Scale Yamato VF-1s. I doubt very much I'll buy so many of the new 1/60 scale VF-0, but like the 1/48, I'll definitely be buying the first release. I'm also eagerly awaiting a VF-0D in Blue. Most likely, I'll end up with two 1/60 VF-0s. I still have to purchase the 1/48 GBP Armor and no doubt I'll have to keep in mind that I'll be needing to purchase FAST packs for the VF-0 series as well. Plus I gotta remember to save money for stuff like the Aoshima Dropship and such that sneak up on me from time to time

How exactly was that effect achieved?

weeeeee

Thanks bigtime for the translation Renato! Well, like many have already said, it sounds as if this new VF-0 will be an even better product than the 1/48 line. That's going to be quite a feat, since I've got nothing but praise for the 1/48 Yammies. It does mean that we can expect just as good or better from the 1/60 VF-0 than the best of Yamato's Macross lineup and that's great news. I was hooked on the CAD drawings from the moment I saw them. Like I said before, the VF-0 just looks more properly designed because of the need for realistic transformation without generous use of anime magic.

LOL The Public Relations department is conveniently missing an e-mail address. Maybe a long distance call internationally wouldn't be so much, especially when you'll no doubt be placed on hold and transferred about a dozen times

I wonder if maybe a letter of protest over this incident would help inform this group exactly what it is they are inducting into their hall of fame? I suppose it couldn't hurt. If they look into it, it's a win. If they reply with "We've already considered this and are well aware blah, blah, blah" then a public declaration of this institution's credibility can go in the "history hall of fame".

Oh, and I'd just like to add that yes, I was right about the VF-0 feet...they do feature a bevelled point in the center of the front and back foot, just like the CAD drawing appeared; at least to me

If this prototype is different from the display shown at Wonderfest, I fail to see the differences. Examining the pictures of each for a good five minutes isn't lending any new insight. They look nearly identical save the paint job. So far, all the details and features appear to be what one would expect from a large scale Yamato product; which means really damn cool! I'm very happy with everything I've seen of this VF so far. I particularly like the wings and am very curious to see how this will look in Battroid mode compared to those schematics that were released last month.

The character perspective views could be good if used in a supportive context with a host of other camera techniques (I'm thinking minicams ala Ali here), but the trailer shows the gimmick used far to liberally. Seems kinda cheesy, thought the idea is innovative for an action flick. Still doesn't look very good, but it's no doubt worth seeing in the right mood.

Want it. Gotta bookmark this HLJ page for September

This is precisely my point. In film, story and character take priority (or at least, they should). In video games, the definition of a good story and characters translates to a rich backdrop and well defined, self-consistant universe. Being primarily an interactive medium, a video game will obviously need to stick to fairly linear, single choice narratives in order to progress the story. Film can go in a much more fluid fashion and take a greater number of directions within the constraints of the structure used. Having said that, the thing that makes games like Half-Life, Halo, and Starcraft such vibrant titles to many players claiming strong "story" is not the story itself, but the richly developed universe and setting that immerses the player in the game world. This facet of a strong video game is what would be highly coveted by a filmmaker wishing to create a film with similar themes. This is why Doom felt so much like Aliens or Half-Life felt so much like The X-Files. These themes and well-developed worlds translate easily from one medium to the other. It's no surprise to see filmmakers and game programmers embracing these aspects of other mediums to build successful products in their native medium. The story and execution is what so often fails in the hands of weak filmmakers and writers.

That is a fine hardware concept. I'm amazed the thing can pack a dozen soldiers into it, especially because it looks so damn small. The manuverability is presented as quite revolutionary, but I'm more curious exactly how fast this thing can go and if the operating range is comparable to current units. In theory, the hybrid system should be more efficient and allow greater range. In practice, I'd like to know what that translates to in terms of kilometers on full fuel. Comparing the AHED to the fictional M577, it looks much larger simply because the AHED wouldn't be as narrowly confined by design requirements like the drop ship

Making a big budget film is an uphill battle no matter what you got. Even if the Bungie staff gets the writer they want, the producer they want, the director they want, the actors they want, the creative control they want, and every production dream they have comes to pass, there is no guarantee of a quality film. Besides, I'm putting a lot of faith in Staten and Co. Writing an interesting video game is one thing, writing a successful screenplay is another. I don't care how many similarities visual storytelling mediums like video games and film may have, Garland better make sure he's thinking "film" when he writes this script. But I digress, so far the process is favorable. I can only hope a big Halo fan like myself will be treated to a worthy film adaptation.

If you can't state an opinion under 1500 words, why bother? Funny thing is, the guy would post obscene pages of text arguing over mostly subjective issues.

I can vouch for this. Not only is DHL terrible for delivery, but they have a hideously user-unfriendly system for arranging alternate pickup. Last but not least, they have no online payment methods available in Canada and any outstanding bill must be paid by Money Order (I swear to god) sent via snailmail to an address on the other side of the country. What decade do they think this is? I'm having flashbacks of WWII!

Hmmm, this news is quite old, but certainly worthy of conversation. My opinion, the Halo movie is, for once, a videogame film production that's starting off on the right foot. First and foremost, they didn't run to Hollywood and make a deal with the first group of concept-vampires they ran into. You know who I mean, the fellas that are currently scouring the planet and all manner of media to suck out any concept from foreign film, literature, music, whatever, to be used as mediocre film to fill all upcoming fiscal year release dates. The game creators - most importantly, the writer - have maintained creative input and even managed to attract a scripwriter with whom they see eye to eye. This is very good news. The producer is an unknown to me, being fairly new as far as I can tell. But he's got a better chance producing something good than someone we know sucks. The key ingredient will be the director. This is the big test for the Bungie staff. They've done everything against the grain and stuck to their interests with the Halo film so far, but they have to get the director right. Of the bigger names, I could see Soderbergh, Cronenberg, Nolan, Singer, Frears, and a few others being able to properly pull it off. Looking at someone relatively new, I'd say Vaughn, Aronofsky, Kelly, or Amenabar. The great thing about Halo was the weirdness and surreality of the whole setting. I'd like to see a director who can really capture mood and has at least some experience with special effects. I REALLY would not like to see Scott, Cameron, or any other old school director handle something like this. Halo has a lot of homages to old school science fiction, something in which an older director of the genre could easily fall prey to convention and cliche. Aliens is already the best sci-fi action movie in the same genre as Halo...last thing we need is a re-run. I'm gonna keep my fingers crossed and hope that the choice of directors goes well.

The things people do behind closed doors...and I imagine this example is pretty mild

Given the choices, I gotta go Misa

"It's a mystery space creature!" "The attack of the horrible alien!"

Realistically, one can't help but BE sexist offering opinions about those of a sex other than his/her own. You'll always lack perspective to properly judge those of the opposite sex. The degree of one's empathy is really the only difference. I agree that advice is often easily given, but there are many on the internet that probably shouldn't be dispensing it. It's hard to find good advice

"Oh Focky, I'm crushed! Say it aint so"