Notes on earlier posts

I thought it might be worth following up on a few things.

1. Microsoft’s browser ballot screen proposal still isn’t enough for Opera, who complained in July that having icons on the ballot screen (specifically Internet Explorer’s familiar blue “e”) would be too much of an advantage for Microsoft. That’s right, icons. They also suggested Microsoft offer the ballot screen (which is Europe-only) to Windows users across the world, which ain’t gonna happen.

I’m starting to think Microsoft bent over so far backwards just to show the world what a whiny bunch of babies their competition can be.

2. I said in my iPhone post that AT&T had not given me a discount on my first bill; I’ve since corrected the post, but it took me a while to get to it. They did give me my discount on the first month, it’s just that they also charged me an upgrade fee of eighteen bucks that I had no idea was coming. Oh, well. Just got another bill and it’s all good.

The one time I needed my phone to last a whole day, it let me down, running down to seven percent after 3:21 of usage. This was a day when my sister made a surprise visit to town and I drove down to my parents’ house late that evening. Something weird was going on because even while just listening to the iPod app that day I could practically watch the battery life drop in real time. (Seriously, every minute or two I’d look and a percentage point was gone.) Before that day and since that day it’s been fine, and overall despite my concerns the battery has been good enough, but I figured this warrants mentioning.

3. Microsoft told a reporter that the Zune HD will be the only model of Zune going forward. This means that the 16 and 32-gig models of the slick new touchscreen device will soon be the only options for Zune buyers, though the older models are still available while supplies last.

While I said I was looking forward to the Zune HD, I was also hoping to get a refreshed hard drive model. The current 120-gig Zune has a large 3.2-inch display and plenty of capacity. I figure if I’m ever going to spring for a music subscription, I’ll want as much space as I can get, right? Unfortunately I’m not blown away by the battery life (30 hours of music is solid, but four hours of video isn’t great). The iPod classic, on the other hand, is listed at 36/6, but iLounge got an amazing 42:29/7:59 out of it last year. So I was hoping a new Zune 160 or something would provide space and last longer.

Am I ever going to watch four hours of video in one day on an mp3 player? Probably not. Still, it seems that the device I was hoping for is not going to exist.

4. I was playing Batman: Arkham Asylum the other night and some parts were getting pretty tedious. I can’t really say what they were without giving away plot points. I still think it’s an awesome game and highliy recommend it, it’s just not as perfect as I was gushing earlier.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is awesome

I’m only 36% of the way in, but so far, Batman: Arkham Asylum is the best single-player video game I’ve played in years. It’s brilliant, it’s fun, and it’s creepy. The game has excellent pacing, good graphics, and awesome sound, and it makes for an incredibly immersive and addictive game. And I’ve been losing sleep because I can’t stop playing it.

The game takes place, predictably, at Arkham Aslyum, which in this game is located on an island. This simple design decision gives the game focus: while you acquire plenty of gadgets, you’re never driving the Batmobile or flying the Batwing (so far, at least). Instead you’re usually moving through a bunch of rooms and a limited set of outdoor areas, trying to sneak around and, when necessary, kick a ton of butt. I love stealth-action games, like Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell, and I’m really enjoying the Batman twist on one. You don’t merely sneak around; you can also break up a party of Joker henchmen and take them all out with brute force. You are Batman, after all. The game’s combat system is very fun; it’s just complicated enough that there’s variety, but not so hard that the learning curve hurts the game. It captures the enviable feeling of being Batman. When in rooms full of enemies, a view toggle lets you see their heart rates and emotional states. It is so much fun to go into a room and take guys out, one by one, as the rest of their group becomes progressively more terrified. Nothing beats it. The fighting is so much fun that I’m almost disappointed when I head into a room or hallway and no one is in there waiting for me, because I want the challenge. I haven’t felt that way about a game in years.

Of course, it’s a bit tougher when the bad guys are carrying machine guns; only a couple hits then and you’re out. (And then the Joker or some other villian comes on screen and taunts you.) Fortunately you don’t have to replay large sections of the game over and over; you usually come back in the same room (or just about to enter it) so you can immediately try again. It’s excellent. One nitpick: I played through a tough area one night with a ton of guys you have to fight in it, as well as occasionally-electrified floors. Took me a few tries to figure it out. I waited for what I thought was the Autosave icon before turning off the system, then returned the next day to find my game saved right before the room, meaning I’d lost that victory. I didn’t mind playing it again because the game is a blast, but that shouldn’t have happened.

Seriously, it’s great. I am a big fan of the Metal Gear Solid series and have been looking forward to playing Metal Gear Solid 4 literally for years. MGS4 came in the mail last week the day before Batman did. I still haven’t played it.

Batman has a Teen rating sort of similar to The Dark Knight’s PG-13; it sounds tame, perhaps, but it’s not for kids or even some teenagers. You’ll find and hear recordings of interviews with asylum inmates (Batman villians), and hearing the Joker talk trash can be kind of disturbing. It’s fun when he starts cracking on his own goons when they’re afraid of you, though.

The game is out for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and if you own either system, you owe it to yourself to get this game. The PS3 version lets you play as the Joker, rather than just Batman, in a challenge/practice mode, which I didn’t find to be all that compelling in a few minutes of trying it. The game also comes out for PCs later this month. I love it. Go buy it.