Author: Steve Murray

2 Comments Posted on by Steve Murray Columns, Video Games

Forget the Silver Screen, Put Mass Effect on TV

mass-effect-the-movie-posterHollywood and the video games industry don’t have a very good track record of adapting the other’s work. A quick look at the movie adaptation of video games shows a track record of consistent critical flops with Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within scoring the highest Tomato Meter score of 43%. Video games based on movies and TV shows haven’t fared much better as good licensed games are more the exception than the rule.

As the week’s go by, I hear more and more about the planned Mass Effect movie. It’s not just Hollywood’s terrible track record in turning video games into a live-action dramatic presentation that worries me. It’s that Mass Effect can’t be turned into a movie without removing its soul.

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Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Sports

F1 Chinese GP: Time for Tyres

The talk about tyres has been growing since Pirelli took over as the sole tyre manufacture in Formula One. This weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix saw tyres and pit strategy play a significant part. Fernando Alonso won the race but he certainly wasn’t what people were talking about. Even on the podium, the drivers were talking amongst themselves about the effect the tyres had on the race.

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1 Comment Posted on by Steve Murray Link-Off

Sunday Link-Off: The Business

christina-hendricks-flare13-05It’s the end of the week so it’s time for links. Formula One is back this weekend so I’ll have some racing content over the next couple of weeks. I don’t think I’ll have time for a gaming column this week because I’ll be busy playing through a few games. In the meantime, since Mad Men is on tonight, here’s Christina Hendricks.

As someone who, on occasion, considers himself a member of the media, I’m a little unnerved by the lack of attention being paid to a court case in Colorado over a journalist’s sources in the James Holmes investigation. Taking a reporter to court for reporting is the beginning of a slippery slope. (New York Times)

Justin Trudeau is seen by many as being in the shadow of his father but he is his own man and has economic policies that should make Bay Street happy. (Canadian Business)

I don’t know what Bitcoin is or why it’s having a crash but I find the fact that a virtual currency can have a crash fascinating. (Yahoo News)

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1 Comment Posted on by Steve Murray Humour

Caption This: April 6 – 12, 2013

Inspired by the Globe and Mail’s caption writing person, we waste our time writing funny picture captions for some of the more interesting photos we come across when blogging. So here are some of the best pictures from the past week with a funny (-ish) caption. Continue reading →

6 Comments Posted on by Steve Murray Columns, Video Games

Console Wars: A Battle No One is Trying to Win

nintendo-vs-sony-vs-microsoft-console-warsOne console has a sharing feature that nobody wanted and unveiled with a slightly underwhelming line-up. Another console is strongly rumoured to mandate a permanent connection to the internet to play games and is likely to prevent playing used games. The third console is so underpowered that some third-party publishers have abandoned it less than six months after release.

For as excited as everybody was about this generations console wars, it sure seems to be shaping up to be a race to the bottom and a case of not survival of the fittest but survival of the least weak.

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2 Comments Posted on by Steve Murray Entertainment

Superman vs. Batman: Who Wins?

Ahead of next week’s release of the DC Comics fighting game Injustice, Jackie and I have been debating who would win in the ultimate fight between Batman and Superman. No other pair of battling superheroes can stir up the same debate that these two can, even the whole lot of Marvel heroes.

Yesterday, we made our cases for our superhero of choice. As a long time fan, Jackie said that Batman beats Superman. Being a fan since childhood, I said that Superman would beat the Bat. Now, it’s your turn to tell us which superhero would win the ultimate fight.
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5 Comments Posted on by Steve Murray Entertainment

Superman vs. Batman: Why Superman Wins

batman-vs-supermanIn the run up to the release of Injustice: Gods Among Us next week, we’re looking ahead to the game by answering the ultimate question. It’s not life, the universe and everything. It’s who would win in a fight between Superman and Batman. Today, Steve looks at why Superman would win.

Superman wins because he’s freaking Superman! That’s it. Mic drop…

Okay, you want an actual answer? Well, Superman is very appropriately named because he is the most super of all superheroes. He can fly, he has x-ray vision, he has super hearing and vision (not just x-ray vision), he can shoot solar energy from his eyes and is almost completely invulnerable.

There is only one way that you can hurt Superman and there lies the only possible way that Batman can beat Superman.

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Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Sports

F1 Power Rankings: Chinese Grand Prix

After a couple of weeks off, the 2013 Formula One World Championship returns to action with the Chinese Grand Prix. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I really hate the schedule’s two weeks on, two weeks off, two weeks on, two weeks off schedule to start the year. Still, I don’t hate it as much as Adrian Sutil must hate returning to the scene of the crime.

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Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Link-Off

Wednesday Link-Off: Spoilers

magdalena-frackowiak-victoriassecret13-04It’s time for the middle of the week which means it’s time for the links. Let’s skip the intro and go straight to the show. First, here’s Magdalena Frackowiak who is making her first appearance on the blog.

Thanks to DVRs, Netflix shows, downloading and social media, has the spoiler warning gone the way of the dodo? (Wired)

Speaking of going the way of the dodo, could Microsoft not be long for this world? (Yahoo Finance)

You may not know but I’m a bit of a cricket fan and watch the IPL every weekend during the spring. Anyway, here’s a look at how Washington National (I think that’s the singular) Bryce Harper would fare in cricket. (Natstradamus)

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1 Comment Posted on by Steve Murray Video Games

Injustice: Gods Among Us Demo Impressions

injustice-gods-among-us-posterIt seems exceedingly rare that a developer or publisher releases a demo of an anticipated upcoming game. Fortunately, we got one for NetherRealms upcoming DC Comics fighting game Injustice: Gods Among Us. The game has been hyping the debate between comic book fans as to whether Superman or Batman would win in a fight but is there more to this game than that?

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