Incredibox brings some fun against boring times

If you don't know it yet - go, go check it out! Click here!

I just wanted to share the site with you since it's really great fun ^_^
Whoa, I remember when I got my Sony Ericson W810 back then and it had something similar to incredibox, where you could mix up some stuff. I literally sat there for hours thinking that I am the best DJ in the world! (Of course, I wasn't :D)

incredibox combines good music pieces with really beautiful animations. It is so much fun to watch those little guys in their different outfits! The Top 50 chart suits well as background music when you work, if you're looking for something in that direction.

Anyway, that's all I wanted to share with you today!

Have a lovely day :)

Publisher: WalrusMarta - 14:08

Finally News concerning "The Last Guardian"

If you ever played "ICO" or "Shadow Of The Colossus" you will know, why this are really exciting news. This game has had it's problems in the past, because it was originally planned to be released in 2011 exclusively for PS3. Since it's 2014 you could ask yourself: Why isn't it released yet?

"The Last Guardian", known in Japan as Hitokui no Ōwashi Trico (literally "Trico, the man-eating eagle") was and is a highly aticipated game, where the atmosphere and the simple yet powerful gameplay plays an important role. ICO, as example, was game unlike anything else I have played before.
I think SophinaK catched the feeling quite well in her first paragraph from her review on Gamespot:

Forbidding battlements rise above a stark ravine. The stillness of the surrounding forest is broken by the sound of approaching hooves. A group of horsemen appears, masked and silent, carrying with them a struggling young boy. His wrists are bound and two curved horns jut from his head. Wordlessly, the horsemen enter the fortress. They bring the boy to a cavernous hall lined with stone sarcophagi. One casket opens and the boy is placed inside. There is the sound of receding footsteps and then he is alone.

This is the world of ICO.

If you own a PS2 and haven't played ICO yet, do so now. You can get it really cheap nowdays. Or get the HD version  for PS3 including ICO and Shadow Of The Colossus.

Anyway, I'm drifting away from the main reason I created this post. Despite the lack of news in the past years there is actually a glimpse of light (or let's say a huge lightball). 

Sony E3 Conference Details leaked some informations about games being shown at E3 and maybe also being released this year. Among titles like "Uncharted", "God Of War 4" or "Gran Turismo 6" was also... yeah you guessed right: The Last Guardian!

Sony Japan Studios debuting two, maybe even three titles. Project Beast – spiritual successor to Demon Souls. The other is The Last Guardian. Retooled for PS4, possible Winter 2014 title. The Other title is shrouded in secrecy.

You can read the full article from Dualshockers here.

But wait - did it just say PS4?
I remember back then that many people hoped it would be also published on PS2. Later those dreams were demolished after some footage was shown at the E3 in 2009. Thus some people got the PS3 thinking "Yeah, it might come soon, I guess I will find some other things to play until then." But they waited in vain.
Now with the Playstation 4 booming at the market and the graphical enhancements it's no wonder that they want to continue developing on this very console. But to me it seems like they don't want to make the game a better experience but rather want to make the game the best experience.
Don't get me wrong, I think that this is a really commendable attitude but it just seems that they expect too much from themselves. I even would bet that if I would travel right now to the studio of Team ICO and get to play the game or those bits of game which is there i would be blown away. And I'm pretty sure that I would've been blown away 2 years ago with less recent graphic.
I mean look at those beautiful graphics:

Considering that this screenshot is around 3 years old you still can say that those are some really sweet graphics. 3 years ago my face was literally this:

But sadly I must say: This are standard graphics nowadays. There are even games with better graphics.

My point is: They missed a great chance. They should've taken it when they could. In my opinion graphics aren't the most important thing, I would even buy the game if it would be released in 10 years for PS2. Because I know the game will be absolutely huge. Fans of ICO and SotC will think the same - but - most people won't actually know Team ICO for their games and go after the graphics or how cool it looks. And since those graphics are really common nowdays I really hope - for them - that they will show great enhancements to the game overall, so The Last Guardian won't be an overlooked game.

But hey, E3 is soon (June 10–12, 2014) and hopefully there will be great news or maybe even a release date. I'll stay excited ^^

Whoever is going to read this: Have a marvelous weekend weekend. Here's me, excited and pumped for The Last Guardian:

Publisher: WalrusMarta - 21:58

Listening to - Kings of Convenience

Many people are being silent when they work, because it helps them working more efficiently through the day. And other again love working while listening to music. But some music isn't made to work while listen to it, because you tend to sing along or you have that urgent feeling to jump up and dance. (or is it just me? :D)

About 3 years ago I was shown the music by "Kings of Convenience" and was enchanted. While you listen to it you really get to relax. It has smooth harmonies, beautiful piano chords and subtle guitar melodies and two absolutely amazing singers. Their voices assort very well with each other. Maybe you should hear for yourself:

By the way, I have this song also on a CD in my car and it is really relaxing driving with it, even when you're in a rush :P

Maybe I should write a bit more about the band itself, shouldn't I?
Consisting of Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe we have here another amazing band from Bergen, Norway (another? yeah and I think I will post soon something about the other amazing band from Bergen, Kakkmaddafakka). Erlend and Eirik both compose those delicate tunes. Before they formed "Kings of Convenience" they were also together in class and even were in a band called "Skog" for some time, releasing an EP "Tom Tids Tale".
Here's Blålysning from Tom Tids Tale for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4aHvkLd6Tg
You notice that the song goes already in the same direction, being smooth and calm, such as the most Kings of Convenience songs. But it is still different at some points. The drums play a more important role here than at KoC.

The first album Erlend and Eirik released was "Quiet is the New Loud" in 2001, following by Versus (a album of remixes from the album "Quiet is the New Loud") also in 2001, Riot on an Empty Street from 2004 and Declaration of Dependencein 2009.

I really hope that they will release another album and maybe even come to Germany again (I missed them last year ~_~).

So yeah, if you're not familiar with KoC you should definitely listen to it. I can recommend some songs I really like, such as: Boat Behind, Mrs. Cold, Failure and My Ship isn't pretty. Parallel Lines might be my favorite song of them all :)

What do you listen to when you work?

Publisher: WalrusMarta - 12:47

Watching Amour

I had this film for a long time in my watchlist and finally we bought it. Amour is truly heartbreaking but mesmerizing at the same time. It isn't a pathetic over acted movie, as many can be found nowadays, no, it shows you in a straight and honest way what age does to you and even more important how your beloved ones cope with it.

Now to the plot: Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) are a couple of retired music teachers enjoying life in their eighties. However, Anne suddenly has a stroke at breakfast and their lives begin to change drastically. Having that stroke that paralyzes her right side leads to the decline of her mental and physical health as Georges attempts to care for her at home as she wishes. He had to promise her that no matter what happens he will not take her to a hospital.
As Georges cares for Anne with the help of nurses who tend to her three times a week Anne's defiance keeps growing until she even neglects spoons of soft food or a sip of liquid. Her eyes are full of emotions, which we can only guess. Pleading? Resignation? Or maybe just pure Emptiness?  In the end, George, with his love fighting against his own weariness and diminished future on top of Anne's, is driven to make some critical decisions for them both.

Even though some other people appeared throughout the movie, you can easily consider Amour a two-character drama. And the main reason why this movie is so convincing in its simple yet powerful scenes is because Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva are acting so marvelous that you don't even feel as you would watch a movie. Actually you feel like a quiet observer who sees not only the film but also the realities of many people's lives.

Now, after watching the Making of too, you realize that this film by Michael Heineke is a personal film. The apartment resembled his apartment from his childhood, so he would know the exact structure of it.
What really thrilled me were those long tracking shots of the apartment, as we followed a character. The only way you can describe those tracking shots is perfect, honest and authentic. The sometimes longer scenes of a simple, daily thing might not be for everyone's taste, but in my opinion they're really down-to-earth and give the film such a pure feeling.


Conclusion

The film has truly deserved to have won so many prizes including "Palm d'Or" from the 65th Cannes film festival. This beautifully-handled, deeply devastating work is surely not for everybody, because it is so purely showing life as it is, with having its slow but beautiful moments.

The sad French walrus gives 90% on his Watch-O-Meter filled with French wine.

Publisher: WalrusMarta - 16:17

First steps

So it's about time to actually write my first post, even though it isn't even half finished. But letting the blog empty for too long would seem quite weird, wouldn't it?

My first post - I expected it to be a little bit more spectacular, but what can you do. It's 1am after gambling forever on the template. Ah but well. For now it should be fine. I guess?

I really wonder, how this project will turn out. I'm planning on writing reviews and other stuff, which matters to me, but I'll try to keep my focus somewhere.

Ew whatever. I'm babbling stupid stuff. Anyways, I really hope for a great experience, where I might also improve my nooby writing (since I'm no native English speaking person).

Ok, I think that should be enough for now. See you soon ^^ Publisher: WalrusMarta - 01:21