Soda vs Pop - Geographically Explained

The war between Soda and Pop helps everyone draw lines in the sand between the Hatfields and the McCoys. You are either on one side or the other and God help anyone who finds themselves in a Soda vs Pop argument – it will not end well. Now you can geographically prove that you are right with the image attached to this post. It’s a study of 125,000 people who answered the age old question: Soda or Pop?

While manufacturers of this disputed beverage category may seem like innocent bystanders, please remember that they do refer to their products as Soda – check their websites if you don’t believe me.

Me though? I call ‘em all Pop.

[via Digg]

[URL for the PNG]

When is it my turn to demo SSX Blur? - Update 1

I want to play SSX Blur. I'm a fan of the genre, the series, and demo'ing games. Sure everyone's already had their hands on her, but that just means she could teach me a lot. A lot about love and a lot about heartache too, I'm sure.

The game looks better than most of the other games out currently for the Wii. You can see that the extra time spent playing with textures in development have paid off, which is something that this game needs because the SSX series has always had nice eye candy. The controls, from what I hear from the links below, sound good too. I think the controls for the Wii could really get things moving with some multi-SSX action, but only two player multi is mentioned without a whisper of any online-manship. Harsh.

Links
Joystiq gets its hands on SSX Blur for the Wii and their low expectations transmogrify into praise. SSX Blur is turning out to be a winner.

Videos from IGN posted on Jan. 19th.

1UP seems to kind of gloss over the game without as much thought as Joystiq, but they give good post. I always appreciate another opinion.

Gamespot puts on their 500 lbs. gorilla outfit and dishes up plenty of insight. Seems all positive so far from the noise machines.

The game is expected to release late February.

I will buy it unless the online tides dramatically change against it prior to release.

[Update 1: IGN has added some amazing screenshots of SSX Blur that really showcase the shockingly swell graphics in addition to how the gesture-based Uber moves will go down. The Uber moves look pretty complicated, but probably not any more so than button mashing until you miraculously score some big tricks.]

Putting On The Ritz Sans TV

Young Frankenstein is such a great movie.

Yes, I am alive. Rumors of my demise have been somewhat exaggerated, but not entirely. I've been sick the past couple of weeks.

The stomach flu hit me hard. Took me off my toes for awhile then I had some allergy issues. I was laid up on the couch watching movies on my computer monitor. Why on my computer monitor? Because my TV is still gone. The saga of my lost TV is as follows...

It took me a week and a half to get a hold of the local repair company that I got farmed out to. They had no idea who I was and they were surprised to find my order "on the bottom of the pile." Frustration doesn't stop just because some bowling ball of a man named Big Jim (putting his weightlifting gloves on as soon as he walks in) and his sidekick show up. It only intensifies.

Today is my one month anniversary without a TV and the cake is getting old. I want to play my Wii.

Soon, though. Soon.

Metroid 3

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
release date: tenative March 2007

Gamepro gets its hands on a more up-to-date version of Metroid and, once again, the praise is high.

Go Nintendo links to the same Gamepro article, but they bring up some interesting points: it seems like the play session that Gamepro attended happened awhile ago, but there are new bits of information contained within. Go Nintendo also has another link that they throw out for some Metroid preview action. I just want this game out now. Now. Now. Now. I need this FPS to be the end-all-be-all so I can justify the Wii as the greatest console interface ever to all of the non-believers.

[via Gamepro and Go Nintendo]

Mario Party 8 Preorder = $35 Shipped

The folks over at ToysR'Us have Mario Party 8 on preorder for $30+$5shipping ($25 if you're a new Google checkout user and you ordered before December 31st... Time machine, anyone?).

[via SlickDeals]

Wii Media Center & Flash Gamer - Link Compliation

Fine Tune has a Wii version of Pandora (the popular personalized internet radio station that caters its music based on what you like - really good at doing it's job). It sounds like Fine Tune has something going for them, but it isn't quite as refined/awesome as Pandora. Still, worth a check.


Wii Related Sites
Warp Pipe - great portal for the Wii with quick links to Penny-Arcade, YouTube and Google. Video of it in action (video only viewable from a non-Wii; if you're on a Wii, you get something else).

Wii Fii - mimicks the Wii interface nicely - has some flash games (the original Duck Hunt) and other interesting bits.

Wii-Cade - games to play on your Wii.

Quasimonodo (uses the D-Pad for a flash game)

Tiny URL - Wii portal

Wiigg - Wii focussed Digg-like site

[all via Digg all but the lead story via this guy]

Wii Plays iTunes Wirelessly - Update 1

Wii Media Center X is still in the Alpha stages and doesn't let you play MP3's yet, but a dark horse has come out of left field to save the day.

Using dot.Tunes you can haxxor Opera into playing iTunes from your Wii. All this love ain't free though, ya peacnik! If you pony up during the 15 day demo, it's $15, but if you wait to pull the trigger until after the 15 days, it's $30.

All of this love could turn hateful if Apple disables this nifty feature in a future version of iTunes, but you can always just *not* upgrade to the DRM-enhanced version if that Big Brother world turns into a reality. Though I don't know why they would. Apple and the Wii were meant to be together. Look at an iPod and a Wii side by side and tell me that they're not related; that they wouldn't have genetically challenged children if they mated. Let it happen, Apple. You know you want it.

[via Gizmodo]

[Update 1: For the record, Sean e-mailed me this story before I found it myself a day or so later - I'll check my e-mail next time, I swear!]