Put on the last suit you’ll ever wear. Help defend the Earth from an impending alien invasion. As a rookie, you’ll need to get trained….and fast!

Activision’s MEN IN BLACK: Alien Crisis is just what you need. Check it out at http://www.opposingviews.com/i/entertainment/activisions-men-black-alien-crisis

Ubisoft dropped a slice for all of us to taste in the form of an Assassin’s Creed 3 trailer. Check out the link to the article i did for Opposing Views here http://www.opposingviews.com/i/entertainment/new-assassin-s-creed-3-gameplay-trailer

I LOVE the detail of Conner’s Tomahawk! The blade being the Assassin’s Creed logo and all!

When Nike posted on their site, that there was something revolutionary coming on 1.19.2012, the world (mostly sneaker heads like myself) waited in anticipation to find out what the House of Swoosh had in store for all of us. When that glorious day fell upon us, the Nike FuelBand was unveiled to the world. According to Nike, this was going to change the way we look at exercise as a whole.  The Nike FuelBand is the new addition to a stable of products Nike has developed, especially for running. With that being said, the Nike FuelBand is not strictly made or meant for running and runners, it was meant for everyone.

The FuelBand:

The FuelBand tracks everyday movement of any user, runners, basketball players, soccer moms and even Joe Schmoe. If you’ve ever wondered how much physical movement you perform in a 24 hour period, the Nike FuelBand can provide you that answer.

The FuelBand is made from thermoplastic elastomer, polypropylene, magnesium and stainless steel (the product uses no polyvinyl chloride, or “PVC”), weighs in at just over one ounce (30 g) for the medium model, which is what I got. There are only three sizes sold (small, medium and large), each band comes with two easily removable links (8mm and 16mm) for a more customizable fit. At its  “thickest” or “fattest” point (the latch), the FuelBand is 8 mm thick.

There’s a lot of sweet tech that went into the Nike FuelBand. The LED display on the front of the FuelBand uses 100 white and 20 color LED lights seated just under the FuelBand’s surface. One small button works the display, which cycles through four readings: Fuel, calories, steps and time. Yes, time. The FuelBand also acts a watch, which I found convenient while at the gym. Although if you’re just getting it for that purpose, I recommend getting an actual watch instead.  An ambient light sensor in the display detects light levels, automatically adjusting the brightness of the LED display depending on the current environment lighting.

I got the FuelBand on my birthday and decided to try it out over the weekend…..so a 3-4 day period to see how it works and if it is hype or not. Unboxing the band was easy. All I needed to do for set up, was to plug my band into my laptop into the USB port, download the Nike+ Connect software and then input my information (height, weight, gender) and then FuelBand specific information (left or right wrist, daily NikeFuel goal) and it was ready to play. It just took about five minutes. That’s all . If you want to get a little bit more comprehensive, especially if you’re into social media and sharing events with friends, you can sync your Nike account with Facebook and Twitter. You then can share your achievements and daily NikeFuel points with your friends.

What is NikeFuel?

NikeFuel is the new metric that Nike calls “the ultimate measure of your athletic activity.” Right out the gate, people assume it’s a fancy way to market Calorie counting. That’s not true. According to Nike, NikeFuel is the result of highly developed research. The metric, which was developed by Nike with the assistance of sports and science experts, is based on oxygen kinetics – the amount of oxygen intake necessary for a given activity or movement. Fuel points are essentially derived from comparing movement, measured by the device’s three-dimensional accelerometer, to data collected on oxygen kinetics for different activities. Thus, instead of just measuring calorie expenditure, which is variable by both gender and body type, Fuel is a normalized score that awards all participants equal scoring for the same activity regardless of their physical makeup or gender. A calorie burn counter is also available in your options, along with a step counter and time. Yes time…..the band acts as a watch as well.

I downloaded the NikeFuel app on my iPhone and synced it with the FuelBand. It’s as simple as syncing a Bluetooth headset, actually easier. When synced to your wireless device, in this case my phone, the app shows your stats, from Fuel Points totals via graphs and charts, which chart your hourly totals from 12am to 12 am, to daily/weekly/monthly/yearly totals.

First thing I did when I got everything I wanted synced up and running was jumping jacks. I wanted to see how the band would tally up Fuel points and it’s difference with the calorie count. True enough, there was a difference. I also noticed that because the device is on your wrist, solitary movements of the lower body like cycling, or lower body exercises were hardly recorded as there’s hardly movement from the upper body. This was also addressed and acknowledged by Nike in their instruction manual in the box. This however, is probably being looked at and quite possibly sees a solution down the line. The way Nike+ is evolving from strictly running and now in basketball and cross training, I foresee a solution soon.

With that being said, I was excited to see what my day would be like, graphically. Day 1 was a non-gym day. It consists of errands, walking and going to the movies. Even though you could tune your daily Fuel goals as you go along, I decided to just set my daily goal at 3000 points (Nike’s baseline standard for an “Active” setting). I was surprised to see how much activity I had in my day, based off the stats on the Nike FuelBand.

Day 2, Gym day. Besides the everyday activity, the gym helped push my Fuel point total past my daily goal of 3000. So you’re probably asking, what happens when you reach your goal? When you work towards your goal, each of the 20 LEDs light up from red to green. When your Fuel goal is attained, a “GOAL” animation takes place, like a celebration for your hard work. When you sync it with your wireless device or computer, the Nike Fuel mascot pops up (it reminds me of Sackboy from Little Big Planet) celebrating your achievement. It also makes an appearance when you hit certain markers and milestones. This concept is nothing new to gamers, who might be familiar with Trophies and Achievements and Gamer Scores that are utilized by PlayStation Network and Xbox Live.

The Nike+ Connect program uploads your data and saves your progress and achievements into your profile. On your profile page, you’ll see a tally keeping track on your “Goal Streak” and the number of times you hit your goal. With social media integration, all this information can be used as a form of competition among friends, athletes and anybody for that matter. Very much like a multiplayer campaign in a video game. Through the app, users can join “missions,” where they can compete against fellow FuelBand users, friends and professional athletes alike. Examples of recent “missions” include Fuel point challenges against Kevin Durant and Andrew Luck, a fundraiser for LIVESTRONG and a scavenger hunt with DJ duo Duck Sauce. This video game like form of gain and reward feels familiar and helps keep me motivated. Which in turn helps me out in the overall scheme of things. So it’s practically a win-win.

In the grand scheme of things, the Nike FuelBand justifies the $150 price tag. It’s not just a “wristband” or a “LIVESTRONG bracelet”. It’s a sleek, beautiful technological athletic tool that helps motivate and drives one to achieve their goals on a day to day basis. The design is simple, clean and fashionable as well.

On a personal level, the Nike FuelBand has help me through days where I feel tired, drained and unmotivated. To attempt and keep my Fuel goal tally consistent, I find a little something extra to try and make that mark. With this device, the possibilities are endless. Combined with the advancements of Nike+ technology in running, basketball and training, I can’t wait to see what the future could bring.

Check out Wil’s fund raising page http://www.active.com/donate/kona12/woneal

Thank you.

Capcom has confirmed and announced that the playable demo of it’s forthcoming open world action–RPG, Dragon’s Dogma, will be available to download globally via Xbox LIVE Marketplace and the North American PlayStation Store from Tuesday, April 24 and on the European PlayStation Store the following day, Wednesday April 25.

The game has two different character classes and the demo will allow you to experience the different styles your pawns would play in the demos two levels/encounters.

Fans of the Darksiders franchise can expect the highly anticipated game Darksiders 2 to have an updated release date of August 2012. This is for all platforms and the date is a global release date. Honestly that’s around the corner, so you guys don’t have to wait that much longer.

The guys at THQ have released a small Q&A on their blog about the Darksiders release pushback and any other inquiries you might have. Check out

http://www.darksiders.com/blog-post/darksiders-ii-release-date

That sounds like a huge step up than being a tester….Damn! Check out the press release.

PRESS RELEASE:

Newest Santa Monica Studio Production Associate Revealed in Season 3 Finale of PlayStation®Network’s Exclusive Original Competitive Reality Series, ‘The Tester™’

Winner Also Receives 2012 Ford® Focus Titanium, $5,000 Signing Bonus, 55” 3D Sony® BRAVIA TV and PlayStation®3 System

April 4, 2012 – Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (SCEA) today announced the winner of the third season of PlayStation®Network’s exclusive original reality series, “The Tester™.”  Wilson Santiago, aka “akilleezmight,” outlasted the other 11 contestants in a series of physical and mental challenges throughout the nine episode season earning a job as a Production Associate at the world-famous Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios Santa Monica Studio, home of the best-selling first-party God Of War® franchise for PlayStation systems (see a tour of the studio here). As part of the grand prize, Santiago also received a $5,000 signing bonus, 55” 3D Sony BRAVIA TV, PlayStation 3 system and a 2012 Ford® Focus Titanium.

“To say this is a dream come true and an opportunity of a lifetime is an understatement,” said Wilson “akilleezmight” Santiago. “I’m ecstatic that I was able to make it through all of the eliminations and become this season’s ‘Tester’ winner. Now I’m focused on my next challenge working at Sony’s Santa Monica Studio. There’s a legacy to live up to at the studio and I’m going to work hard to prove that I belong and hopefully move up in the industry from everything I learn working with the top talent in the world.”

The third season of “The Tester” premiered exclusively on PlayStation Network on February 7, 2012 with 12 new cast members. Panelists Brent Gocke, senior release manager at SCEA, and Adrianne Curry, avid gamer and reality television star, joined host Meredith Molinari along with weekly distinguished game industry guest panelists, decided the fate of the contestants based on their weekly performance in competitions and their overall drive for the coveted Production Associate position at Santa Monica Studio.

“Our goal from day one, when we initially decided to produce our first original reality series, was to deliver a show that would be compelling to PlayStation fans — the gamers,” said Kevin Furuichi, executive producer of original programming, PlayStation Network. “From Season 1 to Season 3 I think we have delivered an entertaining gaming lifestyle series, and the fans have responded as we’re on track to deliver over 4 million viewers for Season 3 of ‘The Tester.’”

To catch up on the entire third season of “The Tester” in both high-definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) formats, visit the PlayStation®Store for free downloads of all the episodes, or watch full episodes in PlayStation®Home – Theater 2, on Crackle, or at http://www.thetester.com. The complete Seasons 1 and 2 of “The Tester” are still available for free download from the PlayStation Store as well.

The guys at THQ are at it again. This time UFC Undisputed 3 predicts the upcoming Evans vs Davis fight on Fox. Personally, I’m rooting for Davis!

This Saturday live at 5PM PST / 8PM EST on FOX, we’ll see what could be a classic Light Heavyweight battle to be the next contender against the champ Jon Jones. Young gun Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis takes his 9-0 undefeated streak against the 16-1 veteran and former LHW champ, Rashad “Suga” Evans.

In UFC Undisputed 3, Evans overall rating is “89″ while Davis is an “88″, it’s fairly even keel, but is that going to make a huge difference inside the Octagon? You tell us after watching the official fight simulation video.

PRESS RELEASE

SAN MATEO, Calif. — December 14, 2011 — Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced Capcom® Digital Collection exclusively for the Xbox 360 ® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.  Jam-packed with eight hit games previously available via Xbox LIVE® Arcade for Xbox 360, the collection features popular titles including Super Street Fighter®II Turbo HD Remix, Final Fight™: Double Impact, Super Puzzle Fighter™II Turbo HD Remix and several more for the value MSRP of $39.99.

All eight games will be available together on a disc at retail for the first time. Each game preserves all the features, online functionality and Achievements from their download versions.  The full list of games in the collection are:

1942: Joint Strike (Rated “T for Teen”)

1942: Joint Strike combines classic shoot-em-up gameplay with 3D HD graphics. Maneuver WWII-era aircrafts and take on huge waves of incoming enemy fire, duck and dodge explosions and missiles while challenging huge enemy bosses. Recruit a wing man and employ new “Joint Strike” attacks, combining the powers of both aircrafts into one devastating barrage. With new weapons and power ups in the arsenal, prepare to rejoin the battle!

Bionic Commando® Rearmed 2 (Rated “T for Teen”)

Equipped with his famous bionic arm, Nathan “Rad” Spencer swings back into action in order to stop General Sabio from launching a deadly missile strike. Swing, leap, and shoot through lush new environments while encountering countless enemies and huge bosses throughout the island of Papagaya in this retro side-scrolling action game.

Final Fight™ Double Impact (Rated “T for Teen”)

Final Fight: Double Impact takes players on a hard-hitting journey with the quintessential versions of arcade classics Final Fight and Magic Sword. Both games feature HD-filtered graphics, a host of unlockables to discover, an integrated online leaderboard, and seamless online and local co-op multiplayer modes.

Final Fight follows the heart-pounding adventures of Cody, Guy, and Haggar – three heroes fighting their way across crime-ridden Metro City in hopes of saving Haggar’s daughter from the evil clutches of Mad Gear. Magic Sword stars a fierce warrior who bears the daunting responsibility of cleansing evil forces from an ancient tower. The hero is accompanied by eight uniquely talented allies that will lend their assistance throughout the game.

Flock! (Rated “E for Everyone”)

Ready the cornfields and lock up the livestock, because Flock! is here! Use a unique UFO tractor beam to herd and protect cute, cuddly animals back to the mothership through more than 50 sandbox puzzles rife with dangers. Players can flock with a friend or create and share crazy levels online with a built-in level editor.

Rocketmen™: Axis of Evil including Rocketmen™: It Came From Uranus expansion (Rated “E10+ for Everyone 10 and older”)

Join the Rocketmen and the Alliance of Free Planets in a white-knuckled struggle to free the solar system from the tyrannical grip of the Legion of Terra in this RPG-style shooter. Players have the choice to save the galaxy alone or cooperatively with up to three other players over Xbox LIVE or locally on the same console. The game is joined by the popular expansion pack Rocketmen: It Came From Uranus which features three new levels to explore and additional weapons.

Super Puzzle Fighter® II Turbo HD Remix (Rated “E for Everyone”)

Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix brings together the worlds of Street Fighter, Darkstalkers and other Capcom characters to provide extremely addictive puzzle mayhem. Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix features 1080p HD graphics, several new game modes and improved game balance. Gamers can enjoy single player, local & online versus modes or just watch other players duke it out. Players can earn Achievements and track their high scores on the Xbox LIVE Leaderboards.

Super Street Fighter® II Turbo HD Remix (Rated “T for Teen”)

One of the most popular games of the early ’90s is reborn! Updated with 1080p HD redrawn art and widescreen support, this updated version of the innovative fighting game offers a unique experience that appeals to new fans and Street Fighter® purists alike. Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix includes both online and offline competition for one or two players.

Wolf of the Battlefield™: Commando 3 (Rated “T for Teen”)

One of the most popular arcade shooters is back! Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 revives classic Commando action with an all new adventure. This frantic war fest combines precise, old-school gameplay with Hi-Def 3D graphics. Players blast their way to victory utilizing a huge arsenal of weaponry, controllable vehicles and a rag-tag group of specialized soldiers. Up to three players can enjoy the classic arcade-style experience together on a single console or online. With a comprehensive scoring system and online leaderboards, players can see how they compare to the best digital soldiers in the world.

BUNNY POPPER (iOS, iPad)

Developer: Jupiter Moon Entertainment

Publisher: Jupiter Moon Entertainment

Release Date: 5h January 2012

REVIEW

Jupiter Moon is a brand new studio on the scene and their first offering is an iPad game called Bunny Popper!

In the likes of run away hits like Angry Birds or Fruit Ninja, Bunny Popper is a simple game with really fun, yet at time intense gameplay. The game is in the name. You, the player, need to protect your carrots from this evil space bunny. To acquire the carrots, the evil space bunny launches different varieties of rabbits (bunnies) at you. Your objective is to “POP” all the bunnies!

The first thing that jumped out at me was the music. It’s absolutely fitting for the game but I found myself wondering if “Dueling Banjos” was going to make an appearance. Game menu’s easy to understand. The developers basically let you physically tap on each item/character to find out what it does (it’s an iPad game…contact is the name of the game). This is really elementary, yet not all devs employ such a strategy. This allows the player to interact and connect with the game on such a basic level.

There are twenty total levels of gameplay and sixteen unlockable rewards. As each level progresses, you’ll be provided help in the form of stars, cats, dogs and Easter eggs. The intensity really gets cranked up as you start approaching level 7 onwards. Honestly I felt like I was playing  “Horde Mode” in Gears of War at one point! You just get bombarded with hordes of bunnies just coming at you and you really need to strategies and multi task well to get through the rounds. I tend to get really competitive and almost threw my iPad on several occasions as I’d failed the level only to find out I was a couple of bunnies left to completing, which speaks well for the game.

All in all, Bunny Popper is a really fun and interactive game that utilizes simple gameplay to deliver boat loads of fun and enjoyment, all for the low low price of $0.99 in the Apple App Store. If you’re a fan of Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja, you’ll love Bunny Popper!

Check out the trailer: