Apollo Leader

Just to add in my own 2 cents, I like my 360 controllers a lot. Very ergonomic, the button layout works great, and I like the triggers (makes sense since the Xbox and the 360 are home to a lot of FPS's). Sony's whole family of controllers starting with the original PS1 controller up through the Dual Shock 2 have always worked fine with me and I hope they stick with it for the PS3, but I guess I shouldn't knock the "boomerang" until I've tried it?

Soonest PS3 to arrive ANYWHERE to be November. The now public conference Sony is holding in Japan tomorrow is supposed to have the official skivy on what is up with the PS3. The above story though does not make it clear if a November release would be Japan only or worldwide. When the PS1 came out right around Decemeber 1st of 1994, it wouldn't hit the US until September 9th of 1995... over 9 months later. The PS2 hit Japan in March of 2000 with a US release that October... a 7 month gap. Unless Sony can prepare itself for a simultaneous US/Japan or worldwide release, it's looking more and more likely that the PS3 may not show up in the US until next March. The same thing happened with the PSP. I know I sound like a broken record, but I have to say again that it is way to soon to be pushing Blu-Ray or HD-DVD for a gaming console. I know there is a lot of hype to the PS2 having pushed the DVD market, but when the PS2 came out, DVD movie players had been out for like 2 or 3 years and was a proven technology. Also DVD players had already been really coming down; that fall of 2000, I bought a few GE DVD players as Christmas gifts for under $150 each. But the longer the system's delayed, the higher chance it stands for me to buy one at launch. I'll maybe have the extra dough, it might help to lower the cost, and I would have had a good year plus to have enjoyed my 360 as my primary system.

Of course this is all pure speculation, but I'm going to probably have to say that Yamato probably has pushed Big West to let them negotiate with Harmony Gold for the international market. Something has changed, but we are going to have to just wait and see. If I become privy to more specific information and if I can release it, I will.

In Toynami's case, they were a small up-and-coming company tackling a high end product for the first time and holding to a specific quantity run. Yamato has already ran a bunch of their 1/48th scale VF-1's over 3+ years and their 1/60th VF-1 approaching almost 5 years (geesh, time sure has flown!). Since these have already been mass produced products tied in with a better shipping rate, though it wouldn't be an astronomical savings, I think it would be a decent savings none the less. Not including my two sets of GBP-1S armor I got several weeks back, I have not boughten any 1/48th VF-1's in over 2 years. The Hikaru type Super VF-1 was the last one I bought. Paying about $400 for both the Super Max and Millia together was just a little too rich for me at the time. Even now I am very hesitant to preorder the "Stealth" VF-1J and that new camo scheme VF-1 because it just cost too friggin' much! If the situation has indeed changed to let a less expensive, domestic release of Yamato's Macross goodies finally take place, FANTASTIC! I have done some digging and it looks like something has changed for this to possibly take place (don't bug me, I don't know the exact specifics!). We'll hopefully find out soon if this is indeed the case.

I saw on Big Bad Toy Store that the Z'Goks they gone in all have these goofed up heads. Are all the Zeonography Z'Goks screwed up like this? Can the problem be fixed (or I should say FIXed? )?

Bittersweet sight indeed. So how long will it be now until all the Tomcats are gone?

On a light hearted note, has anyone come up with any parodies of this movie? I have a few. "V" for Vishnu - starring Apu from the Simpsons as a Hindu vigilante! (sorry if I misspelled "Vishnu") "V" for Venison - one of Santa Claus' reindeers becomes a vigilante super hero and stands up to the "man" (in this case, Santa).

What are you talking about? I brought up some food for thought for you to consider. I didn't launch into any personal attacks directly on yourself though I may have some ideological differences with you. Sorry that you took it that way. And since this movie is loaded with political commentary, it's sort of hard to avoid the subject matter isn't it? Anway, where's AgentONE been these days? He'd have a load of fun with this topic.

Saw that on Gamespot a few days ago. Awesome news! Now us aviation nuts here on Macross World can duke it out online!

Kevin, remember back around 2002 the story of Jerry "VFX" Tsai hanging out with Steve Yun and Steve giving his opinion on Toynami's stuff? I just wish we had access to the old forum so I could pull up that story!

As far back as 2001 there were negotiations by Harmony Gold with Yamato and Bandai to get their Valks over here (I presume as Robotech merchandise, but I'm not a 100% sure). Big West was firm in not letting either company deal with Harmony Gold, and that was that. But I wouldn't be surprised if some sort of negotiations continue to this day especially since Toycom is now officially the US arm for Yamato.

Not neccessarily so. Look at the 1/100th scale VF-1 toys and the 12" character figures... they are Macross TV and Macross DYRL stuff! At this stage in the game, I would think they would probably keep them as Macross licensed products instead of Robotech. Also there are a fair number of guys there at HG that are Macross fans. Robotech had the MPC, us Macross nuts will get the good stuff! ... I hope!

What exactly did she change (chin?)? She was just beautiful the way she was.

Just read that article again... the guy writing this piece for Time is an idiot and just doesn't get that he is making apple and oranges comparisons. In the case of what happened September 11th, 2001 here on US soil was an act of TERRORISM committed by FOREIGNERS motivated by HATE of this country and of its people - 1) The attack on 9/11/01 was aimed at not only hurting the government of the US but at hurting all of its people. Besides attempting to assassinate George Bush (either with plane#4 or with the one that ended up hitting the Pentagon was thought to have been going after the White House) and hitting various government buildings in Washington DC, the buildings that make up the World Trade Center were aimed at and attacked... this was done for the impact of killing a whole bunch of people, taking down two of America's largest buildings (status symbols), spreading fear throughout the land, hurting the US and others economies. Besides the direct death and devastation that occurred that day, during the next few months and years ahead, how many jobs were loss, how many businesses ruined, and how many "freedoms were lost" (either potentially lost or "just made up" losses) because what happened? 2) Not only do you have the death and destruction on the ground, but you also have the fact that these guys that commited the act, took CIVILIAN commercial airliners loaded with innocent CIVILIANS and flew them in a SUICIDE attack on all these buildings. Again, this wasn't aimed just aimed at a government or a few government heads, this whole attack was aimed at the United States and all its people by a group of hateful fanatics from a foreign land.

If you want to talk about REAL censorship, move to North Korea, China (Google is gladly helping the Communist Chinese government) crack down on people they don't like [pro-democracy supporters, Christians, etc.], but Google won't help the US government go after pedophiles and terrorists), and pretty much the entire Middle East. For all the bitching, moaning, and lies being spouted out by the likes of George Clooney, Michael Moore, and now the Wachowski's, if the US and West have become such a dark, "facist", "police state" place, why do these guys have no problems getting their movies and messages out and making fools of themselves if this is indeed the case? It is wise to remain vigilant and make sure that the tools that we are using to fight the bad guys of today aren't used and misused in the future on our own population, but what these guys in Hollywood and the far Left are doing by the way they are always throwing George Bush, our troops, and our country under the bus all the time and giving moral support and comfort for the enemy solely for the purpose of political gain is just down right wrong and evil. ...and again, Larry Wachowski will have to fund his sex change operation with someone else's money.

Had the chance to play it (GRAW) for a few hours last night (I played a little bit of the quick action game and a bunch of online play). Very impressive! The graphics are very detailed and awesome, loads of multiplayer/online options (unlike COD2), lots of weapons... I like what I've played so far. Just a few gripes, though. I'm still used to being able to jump and being able to go over ledges in other shooters like COD2 and I wish it were easier to use your other weapons on the fly, but at least the grenades are much more effective to use then in COD2!

'V' for very careful It is funny how Hollywood won't touch real places of tearany (sic), fear, and death like Saddam Hussein era Iraq, Iran, Kim Jong Il's North Korea, Fidel Castro's Cuba, the Soviet Union (especially Joseph Stalin who was as bad if not worse then Adolf Hitler), Islamo facism, etc., but of course it's the good ol' USA (in the case of this movie, Great Britain) and George W. Bush that get thrown under the bus. If the movie had come out some other time, I would probably be a lot more interested in seeing it, but clearly there is an agenda in it being produced and shown now. I believe it was Christ that said, "...cursed are those who call evil good, and good evil."... I've noticed Hollywood's ticket sales have been down the last few years. Anyway, not going to see this steaming pile of poo. Larry Washowski will have to get the money for his sex change operation elsewhere.

I should be picking up Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter later today. Who else plans on getting it? Who's interested in playing multiplayer either competively or coop play?

Namco Bandai admitts spring launch of PS3 "impossible" Where is MGREXX at these days any way?

Well I guess that explains why a number of pages back when Graham talked about the Roy Focker looking guy being the "boyfriend" of the main character!

Just watched it last night. Very intense! Edgar's death was deinitely a shocker and pretty sad. But on a funny note, while Edgar was dying right in front of Chloe, they should have started playing Whitney Houston's song from The Bodyguard... and Iiiiiiieeeiiii, will always love youuuuuuuuuuu. Gotta agree about the lax security there at CTU especially since the place was BOMBED just a few years earlier. Also with what these guys are doing, I would think their operation would be more clandestine and their base of operations more secured and classified. With the place having been bombed by terrorists already, I think they would have moved to a new location. As for Lynn, he is proof that it best to seek help and take care of a problem early on instead of letting a problem fester. His sister might be alive and all those CTU agents, including Edgar, would still be alive. As for next week, who wants to bet that Tony will sacrifice his life to save everyone in the sealed rooms?

The article references XB-70 Valkyrie: The Ride to Valhalla which I have. From what I remember, something like 80% of Valkyrie number 3's parts and sub-assemblies were completed. There have been attempts by the author and other Valkyrie fanatics to find these parts, but it appears pretty much all of it was scrapped though I think some parts are floating around out there. I don't think it would have been practicle to have finished Valkyrie #3 out of bits and pieces that were built, finished, and scattered all over the place 20 some years earlier. But the stories of a XB-70 size aircraft flying out of Groom Lake has been around for quite a few years. Testors even had a model out that looked like an A-12 Blackbird on steroids! It had the natural metallic finish with black leading edges.

Duke, why don't you tell us the story of how you went through about 4 or 5 names before you finally settled with Duke Togo? I can remember you going by Godzilla, Godmars, and I think you went by The Cat on the Macross newsgroup (AFM - anime.film.macross).

Of course in my case, in Macross DYRL besides the Skull team there was also an Angel and Apollo team. When I started posting on the Macross newsgroup (ugh, have forgoten the acronym!) back in November 2000, I wanted to come up with a unique name. I saw that their was a number of people already going by Skull Leader, Roy Focker, et al. I started thinking of the other teams/squadrons from the TV series and movie. I almost went with Angel Leader, but in the end Apollo Leader just had a nice ring to it. A few weeks later, Shawn opened up the full blown forum here on Macross World and I caried over my alias to here. On even non-anime and non-Macross websites and forums I have continued to use my Apollo Leader alias. I use my Apollo Leader alias on Xbox Live, too. Of course in late 2003, Saga/AM2's PS2 Macross game actually has a character who is the actual "Apollo Leader" for the DYRL portion of the game... I wonder if someone from AM2 hangs out on Macross World?

It was my way of saying the PS3 might be delayed far enough into the future that Halo 3 might end up coming out at the same time the PS3 is launched. Though Halo 3 is probably a ways off, I wouldn't surprised that they show something at the upcoming E3.