V.S.

Last year it was Penguins that topped the Box Office for the kiddies. This year it’s Surfing. (oh and Surfing with Penguins) I have to admit it seems as if Hollywood as run out of ideas. There is Pirates3, Shrek the Third, Oceans 13, and Now the Fantastic 4-2.

The latest Superhero flic (or as I like to call it: Stan Lee’s 401 k plan) is like a Beach Boys album. It’s Seaonal and Nastalgic. It is also very entertaining. The first film had to introduce the heroes and their powers. That sometimes works: Batman Begins. But more often it doesn’t: Superman Returns. With introductions out of the way, the 4 are back for more. More action, More Powers, and More effects. All of which make no sense on the surface but come together to create a great Summer Popcorn Hit.

On the other TIDE we have Surfs Up. Think Lords of Dogtown in CGI. It’s your basic underdog story with some comical fare and Napolean Dynomite. The voice acting is superb (expecially Bridges reprising his “Big Lebowski” schtic). However the appeal for kids is only feathers deep. There isn’t much for them to get into other than an occasional “Pee” joke.

There is plenty to see at your local Cineplex this June. So wax up those boards and catch the big one to the silver screen. But if you want my opinion; 4 heads are better than 1 cold Turkey. Or is he a Rooster?

What is the one of the biggest holidays of the year? Memorial Day. What’s so cool about it? Well, while many people like it because of the 4 day weekend or because it signals that summer is near, Memorial Day is a day that we are to remember all those that gave their life fighting for this country and what they believe in. This day is also about thinking of those that are risking their lives overseas every day. So here at XBL Radio, we decided to hold a game drive for these awesome and sometimes forgot about troops.

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Steve519 and MrCarpalTunnel have an interview with the awesome guys at Red Octane this Thursday for there upcoming Guitar Hero 2 release for the Xbox 360. We want to know what you want to know! So please go and submit any questions you in our rockin forums and next Tuesday we will have the interview right back here on The XBL Radio Podcast, ver 38.0!

Comments disabled, please post in our forums with link above.( I still want comments open, sorry Rusty)

This is just an observation:

I use to buy a lot of electronics from Circuit City, Best Buy, and other large electronic retailers. No matter what the cost I was always hit up to purchase a warranty. Even if the product came with a manufacturer warranty I was asked to buy thier warranty as well.

I always answered, “No thanks! If it lasts for more than two years and they make a good enough product, why would I need to buy security that what I bought isn’t going to “F”up?”

Leap forward to nowadays: Every console sold (Nintendo, Sony, MS) are having thier share of problems. Ipod batteries are failing. Laptops are blowing up. My hi-tech inflatable “friend” just got a leak.

So I ask: are we making rushed crappy products or are we just buying the wrong ones? Whichever way you answer it doesn’t matter. The real money is being made on the warranty side. So this is my observation. If we are all willing to take the risk of buying the first launch of new products (which have a track-record for problems) and we know we will buy the warranty (you can’t afford not to now), what incentive is thier for companies to strive to make sure the products they put on the market are worthwhile?

If I could sell you something (anything at all) and it never broke, no returns, no mass recall, no updates needed; then why would you want to buy a warranty? So are we, as consumers, not demanding these products work well and last? I mean if companies had made better products that had longevity, then we could spend all that warranty money on other products. However since we are all so scared that what we are buying won’t last, the companies continue to profit off products they have already sold us.

So why not make a product that wont screw up? Because it’s not profitable!

The video marketplace, Microsoft’s newest tool to get you to spend those MS points, seems underwhelming at best. I am an avid movie viewer. I watch 2 to 3 movies, on average, per week. Example: This week I rented and watched; How to Eat Fried Worms & World Trade Center. Both films were “New Releases”. Neither of which I could get on the 360 Marketplace. So if I want the latest releases, I won’t want to cut up my Blockbuster membership card just yet. So whats the problem with launching a service that only offers up a limited supply of past t.v. shows and month (if not years) old films? Here are my impressions of whats wrong with the Video Marketplace:

1. JACK BLACK must be the majority shareholder of Xbox media:

First it’s Nacho gamerpix. I can’t join one game of UNO without playing against 4 Nacho avatars. I wouldn’t mind but at least make a patch where I can limit the amount of Nacho avatars to 1 per game session.

Then there is the HD DVD with the special release of KING KONG. Has anyone not seen this film yet? And givin Jackson’s past DVD release schedule; by the time you watch the HD KONG there will be a newer release on store shelves with NACHO remastered as the heroin in the film.
Then the Artist of the month is Tenatious D. Hmmm are we sensing a pattern here?

2. If MS can’t get their own content on; what hope is there for us?

My kids are not big fans of Viva Pinata the game. However they did enjoy the short t.v. episode that came with the game. While scrolling through the Video Marketplace at launch I stumbled upon the Viva Pinata section. I clicked to download (for the kids) and nothing was there. Not even the premier episode. So I figured they were busy with the other content. Two weeks later (and a new 360 I might add) I tried again to get the Viva Pinata show for my kids. But now the entire Pinata catergory has vanished. I can’t locate it under t.v. shows, family, or even all shows. I guess they are waiting until Jack Black makes a voice over as one of the characters before they invest any time into the episode downloads.

So to sum it up:

Let’s hope Jack Black has a good year. Let’s keep our rental memberships. And lets remember it’s not who was 1st to do it (video on demand) rather it is: Who will be the 1st to do it right. So far it isn’t MS. Just ask a Pinata! (Don’t ask Jack Black!)

I tried to write 360 things to do, like our friend Trixie, but I have to admit it’s too much work. So while I wait for MS to send my return box, it’s been 2 days since my call, I figured I might as well add something to the BLOG. Here are some things you can try to do while you wait for your 360 to get repaired…

1. Go to http://support.microsoft.com/kb/907586 to seek help.

2. Call MS Support at 1-800-4myxbox to get the ball rolling.

3. Surf Google for: Xbox 360 broke. (It makes you feel not alone)

4. Call a friend. (Headsets are not the only way to communicate nowadays)

5. Go out to dinner. (Give the pizza delivery guy a break)

6. Play some Solatair

7. Talk to your Family. (It’s been a while, they may have changed)

8. Read a book.

9. See a movie. (That doesn’t take 4 hours to download)

10. Break out the old gaming consoles. (and realize how many MS points you’ve wasted)

11. Take a walk.

12. Learn a new language.

13. Start a forum for abandoned 360 owners.