After getting a chance to be a member of the WWE Network on launch day, I have put countless hours into the app. I would like to give my thoughts on some of the new shows and features that the network offers.
My main reason I ordered the network was that every single WWE, WCW, and ECW Pay-Per-View is available and able to view. This is a great addition for the ten dollars a month and there are over a thousand of hours of content just by watching the pay-per-views alone. Before the network was available I started a quest to watch every single WWE pay-per-view in order. It was hard because I didn't want to buy dvds so I was looking through videos and videos on the internet to try and find a good quality video of the pay-per-view I want to watch. Now, with the network I have them all at my disposal for a small price. I also like that they are, for the most part, in their original glory. They even included Over the Edge 1999 where Owen Hart fell to his untimely death. I have not made it this far in my chronological viewing, but I am interested how they edit the show. I know that during In Your House: Bad Blood 1997, which was the night that Brian Pillman dies, they still keep all references to Pillman's death. The difference between these two is that Owen died during the show and Pillman died before the show in his hotel room.
Another reason that I like the Network is that all of their original shows are very well done and I enjoy each and every one of them. Here is a rundown of each of the shows:
Raw and Smackdown Pre-show and Backstage Pass: To make the WWE seem more like a sport there is now a pre-show and a post show. These shows include interviews and segments that can only be found on the WWE Network. I enjoy watching these just to see which legend will be joining Josh Matthews, Alex Ryley, and Booker T as a special guest.
Wrestlemania Rewind: This show looks at a famous match from Wrestlemania's history and what lead up to it and what was the fallout. It includes interviews from superstars and legends about the impact of the match and even the backstage news that was going on at the time. Each episode even includes the full length math. Matches that have been looked at so far are Hulk Hogan and Mr. T vs. Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff from Wrestlemania 1, Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant from Wrestlemania 3, Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels from Wrestlemania 14, Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart and Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna from Wrestlemania 10, John Cena vs. Big Show from Wrestlemania 20, John Cena vs. JBL from Wrestlemania 21, Triple H vs. Chris Jericho from Wrestlemania 18, and Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho from Wrestlemania 19.
WWE Countdown: This is probably my favorite show on the WWE Network. It is a top ten list show that counts down WWE's history. It is interesting seeing the current and past superstars give their point of view on a certain subject. I like that they, for the most part, stay out of character and give their honest opinion. So far episodes have been Coolest Catchphrases, Awesome Entrances, Fantastic Finishing Moves, Backstabbers, Blunders, RAW's Most Memorable Moments, Infamous Gimmicks, and Greatest Tag Teams.
This Week in WWE: I also enjoy this show. This is just a recap show about what happened the previous week during WWE. Since I am busy on Mondays and Fridays I do not have time to watch RAW or Smackdown. This is a nice recap show to show me the important points that happened during the episode in a 30 minute episode.
Beyond the Ring: This is a documentary of a past or current wrestler. They are taken straight from the DVD's.
I hope that I have swayed some people to consider the WWE Network. You really can't beat that price with all of the programming and every single Pay-Per-View for free.
Friday, April 18, 2014
Saturday, January 11, 2014
WWE Network
On Wednesday, January 8 the WWE announced their new network will be released on February 24, 2014. This is way off their original target date of April 1, 2012. Even though I have been waiting for this since the beginning I am glad they decided to wait. Originally the plan was to have it be a typical channel on a cable provider. Since it kept being pushed back over and over they have eventually decided to release it as a streaming device such as Netflix or Hulu. On its release they will have every single WWE, WCW, and ECW pay-per-view. This is over 300 events already being announced for the network. They are advertising that they will have 1500 hours worth of content on launch date. They will also have their own lineup of TV shows available to watch and stream on the channel. Not only do you get all the previous pay-per-views, but every single pay-per-view will air live, including Wrestlemania. You get all of this for a monthly commitment of $9.99 with a six month commitment.
I think that the WWE network is a great idea. Not only does it appeal to the current fans of the WWE, but I think it will start drawing in older fans. They can go back and watch all of the older content from WWE television. They can relive their fandom of favorite wrestlers such as Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, and Rowdy Roddy Piper. It will also be great to watch other organizations to like WCW and ECW. Another thing I really enjoy about it is the price. $9.99 is a great deal for all of the content you receive. For example, if you order every single pay-per-view you would pay around $720 for the year. Now, you can watch them all for $120. I don't give the WWE my money very often. I usually stream the pay-per-views online or don't watch them at all. I only own a few DVDs and the only consistent money they get from me is when I buy their video game every year. I will be buying the WWE network on launch date and would urge any past or present professional wrestling fan to try it out.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
My Top 5 Least Favorite Trends of Modern Gaming
Bare with me. This is my first time attempting to do a list...
The very first video game that I remember playing is Super Mario Brothers 3 on the NES. That was way back in the early 90s. Since then gaming has evolved and the same games that were popular back then are being put on the back burner for more modern games. So, without wasting any time, here are my top 5 least favorite trends in modern gaming.
#5. Voice Over Acting
I figure that this selection may come as a surprise to most of you and that is why it is at the bottom of my list. Some games do voice overs great (L.A. Noire) and others leave a lot to be desired (Enchanted Arms). Now, I do not hate the fact that a lot of games have voice overs now, but I do not like that it has taken away the ability to name my character. Character's can't be named now because the developers want to include their character's names so that the player feels more intact with the game. THQ did fix this somewhat with their WWE franchise of video games. After you create your wrestler, you can choose how you want the announcer to say their name as they come down to the ring during their entrance. You can only choose from a selection of sounds and words that are already in the programming. So, for example, my creation of Jeff Hardy now enters the ring as Chef Hard ee.
#4. Online Gaming
I know that this is another topic that will have people causing an uproar. I'll be the first to admit it, I am not a fan of online gaming. There is nothing better than getting a few of your closest friends and racing each other in Mario Kart or beating each other up in Super Smash Brothers. Online gaming has proven that society has gotten lazy. It is too much work to go over to my friends house and play a game with them, so we will both log in at home and not even see each other face-to-face. I also don't like the idea of playing with random strangers. I would rather play with my own group of friends and not worry about anyone leaving the game early. If they do, I know exactly where to find them. I would have a completely different opinion of a decent MMO would come out on the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3.
#3. Casual Gaming
Casual Gaming is an interesting topic. It lead to both the Wii's success and its demise. When the Wii first hit the market, it was a big innovation. A video game company has never before completely based a console around motion control. The Wii had some great first-party titles to start off its history, but soon it was overrun with third-party titles that appealed strictly to casual gamers. This lead Nintendo fans to start leaning towards buying Microsoft and Sony consoles. They even started advertising their big series towards casual gamers. This is evident with releases like New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Donkey Kong Country Returns. Another reason for the casual gaming boom is the incorporation of mobile gaming. With the iPhone and other smartphones, the idea of video games are reaching a new group of people. People who just want to waste time while they are waiting in a doctor's office or trying not to fall asleep in class. If the only games you play regularly happen to be on your phone, I do not consider you a gamer.
#2. Motion Control
As I stated above, the Wii was a big innovation. I am not a huge fan of how much its games revolve around
motion control. I do not like that how good I am at a game is based around my athletic ability. When I play games it is because I want to do something that I never could dream of doing in real life. I play Madden Football because that is the only time I can be the star of the football team, not because I am an amazing quarterback. When I decide to play a game I want to sit back and relax. I am not planning on moving around a lot. Motion control has lead to a craze of dance games and a way for third party developers to go crazy with all the different games they can make. Whether it is the Nintendo Wii, the Playstation Move, or the Xbox 360 Kinect, I do not like them.
#1 First Person Shooters
Hold on as a duck as all of the Call of Duty fanboys throw something at me... Is it safe yet? I hate first person shooters. It may be because I am not good at them, but I loathe them. They seem to be flooding the
market all the time. You have Call of Duty, Halo, Borderlands, Fallout, Left 4 Dead, and the list goes on and on. I think the thing that bothers me the most about these games are their fans. All of a sudden I am the inferior gamer because I would rather play Mario or Pokemon than one of their games. I am not one of these people that say that playing violent video games leads to violence, but when violence is all that dictates a good game than there is a problem. I just cannot get into these games. I play games solely based on the singleplayer campaign and when there is a good multiplayer replayability that is a plus. I just do not see the need to release a new Call of Duty game every year. Sports games make sense, they need to update the rosters, but a game based around war does not. I understand what games like Doom, Wolfenstein 3D and Duke Nukem 3D did for the genre and video game history, but back then we weren't constantly having it thrown in our faces. That is why first person shooter is and will always be my least favorite trend of modern gaming.
What do you think of my list? Do you agree with some placements, disagree, or do you think that something else should have made it on the list? Leave your comments below. I will be happy to hear from you. Just please don't spam it with fights about what is better, Call of Duty or Halo.
The very first video game that I remember playing is Super Mario Brothers 3 on the NES. That was way back in the early 90s. Since then gaming has evolved and the same games that were popular back then are being put on the back burner for more modern games. So, without wasting any time, here are my top 5 least favorite trends in modern gaming.
#5. Voice Over Acting
 |
| That's right Professor Oak. Your nephew's name is Buttface. |
I figure that this selection may come as a surprise to most of you and that is why it is at the bottom of my list. Some games do voice overs great (L.A. Noire) and others leave a lot to be desired (Enchanted Arms). Now, I do not hate the fact that a lot of games have voice overs now, but I do not like that it has taken away the ability to name my character. Character's can't be named now because the developers want to include their character's names so that the player feels more intact with the game. THQ did fix this somewhat with their WWE franchise of video games. After you create your wrestler, you can choose how you want the announcer to say their name as they come down to the ring during their entrance. You can only choose from a selection of sounds and words that are already in the programming. So, for example, my creation of Jeff Hardy now enters the ring as Chef Hard ee.
#4. Online Gaming
I know that this is another topic that will have people causing an uproar. I'll be the first to admit it, I am not a fan of online gaming. There is nothing better than getting a few of your closest friends and racing each other in Mario Kart or beating each other up in Super Smash Brothers. Online gaming has proven that society has gotten lazy. It is too much work to go over to my friends house and play a game with them, so we will both log in at home and not even see each other face-to-face. I also don't like the idea of playing with random strangers. I would rather play with my own group of friends and not worry about anyone leaving the game early. If they do, I know exactly where to find them. I would have a completely different opinion of a decent MMO would come out on the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3.
 |
| Give these kids a few more years and they will be arguing with 30-year-olds on Xbox Live |
#2. Motion Control
As I stated above, the Wii was a big innovation. I am not a huge fan of how much its games revolve around motion control. I do not like that how good I am at a game is based around my athletic ability. When I play games it is because I want to do something that I never could dream of doing in real life. I play Madden Football because that is the only time I can be the star of the football team, not because I am an amazing quarterback. When I decide to play a game I want to sit back and relax. I am not planning on moving around a lot. Motion control has lead to a craze of dance games and a way for third party developers to go crazy with all the different games they can make. Whether it is the Nintendo Wii, the Playstation Move, or the Xbox 360 Kinect, I do not like them.
#1 First Person Shooters
 |
| The only first person shooter that matters. |
market all the time. You have Call of Duty, Halo, Borderlands, Fallout, Left 4 Dead, and the list goes on and on. I think the thing that bothers me the most about these games are their fans. All of a sudden I am the inferior gamer because I would rather play Mario or Pokemon than one of their games. I am not one of these people that say that playing violent video games leads to violence, but when violence is all that dictates a good game than there is a problem. I just cannot get into these games. I play games solely based on the singleplayer campaign and when there is a good multiplayer replayability that is a plus. I just do not see the need to release a new Call of Duty game every year. Sports games make sense, they need to update the rosters, but a game based around war does not. I understand what games like Doom, Wolfenstein 3D and Duke Nukem 3D did for the genre and video game history, but back then we weren't constantly having it thrown in our faces. That is why first person shooter is and will always be my least favorite trend of modern gaming.
What do you think of my list? Do you agree with some placements, disagree, or do you think that something else should have made it on the list? Leave your comments below. I will be happy to hear from you. Just please don't spam it with fights about what is better, Call of Duty or Halo.
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