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A bit of [Big] Apple history: visiting Tekserve
It may have lost a bit of luster compared to the chrome, glass and steel of Apple's nearby retail stores (one within easy walking distance, in fact), but there's no denying the draw of New York City's original Apple emporium, the delightfully idiosyncratic Tekserve. Featured on an episode of Sex and the City, the venerable Mac repair and retail shop maintains its own clientele and distinctive look as the possibility of yet a 4th NYC Apple store looms large. Not to take anything away from the city's other indie Mac shops; we love them dearly, but they often find themselves overshadowed by the Big T. Since my office is roughly equidistant from both the W. 14th Street Apple Store and Tekserve (although, now that I've checked, I realize I'm slightly closer to Mike Volchok's Mike's Tech Shop -- noted for next time!), I decided to go old school today when I picked up my copy of Snow Leopard, and I snapped a few iPhone pics of the store while I was there. Enjoy! %Gallery-71241%
8-track Walkman makes the 70's portable, more funky
The evolution of portable music players toward greater storage in physically smaller dimensions is well known. Cassette tapes are now seen as a quaint anachronism from an era gone by, but what about the history that didn't happen? What about, specifically, the 8-track-playing Sony Walkman? Such are the questions that plagued the mind of one XenonJohn, who has spliced together the chunky beast you see above. Looking like something Maggie Thatcher might have used in her private moments, the portable (compared to, say, a fridge) device is composed of an audio amplifier from an old cassette tape Walkman and a dismantled car 8-track player. Another snap of the exposed components after the break, but if you must know how to recreate this great feat, or are just curious about the lengths people will go to in the pursuit of retro-glorious ideas, hit up the read link.[Via Make]
Blu-ray releases on December 16th 2008
With about a week to go until Christmas and a week after The Dark Knight, it's no wonder this week's lineup is way less than exceptional. So because there really isn't anything to get too excited about we're going to prop up a title that we'd bet will be a classic one day, Old School. If you haven't seen this one and you enjoy a good laugh, what are you waiting for? If you have, and can't wait to enjoy it all over again for the first time in HD, then say it with us, "You're my boy blue!" Also this week, Criterion's long awaited titles finally hit the street along with plenty of catalog titles form Paramount and Universal. Universal has what is arguably the biggest day-and-date title with The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, but it's IMDB score of 5.2 has us unimpressed. Next week slate isn't much better, but it does have one we're looking for with Burn After Reading. Bottle Rocket (Criterion) The Cheetah Girls: One World (Disney) Chungking Express (Criterion) Coach Carter (Paramount) Death Proof (Weinstein) The Heartbreak Kid (Paramount) Hot Rod (Paramount) In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (Fox) Into the Wild (Paramount) Mamma Mia! (Universal) The Man Who Fell to Earth (Criterion) The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Universal) Old School (Paramount) Planet Terror (Weinstein) The Third Man (Criterion)
Legacy Entertainment's Atari-style joystick isn't as old as it looks
There are plenty of reasons to return to the classics: maybe they're better than the currents, maybe it's an ironic move (like listening to Kajagoogoo and wearing giant eyeglasses), or maybe you're just aged and yearning for old-timey days. Regardless, Legacy Entertainment's classic controller looks exactly like an Atari joystick, but it's Windows / OS X / Linux compatible, and connects via USB. The company assures us that it runs with "nearly any emulator," so you and your friends should be 80's-style partying in no time, if that's what you're into. $14.99 and it's yours -- if you have any moola left after you buy that tubular car-phone-looking Bluetooth handsfree.[Thanks, Silver Serpent]
The Daily Grind: "Are we there yet?"
Some of you surely played EverQuest back in the day. Whether it was your first MMO or not, one thing's for sure: it was the first huge MMO. When we say huge, we're not referring to subscription numbers; we're talking about the size of the world. It was much grander than that of Ultima Online, Everyone who played EQ remembers his or her first trip from Freeport to Qeynos or vice versa.That trip was a very dire one, especially for a level 10 character. If memory serves, you had to go through Kithicor, the goblin dungeon of Runnyeye, the Beholder's maze (that was the most dangerous part, since it was all narrow canyons), the orc-sieged Highpass Hold, and of course all of the Karanas, griffins and giants be damned. It was not safe. It also took a really, really long time. If you were coming originally from Faydwer, before any of this you also had to take a fairly long boat ride -- certainly much longer than the almost-instant inter-continental rides in World of Warcraft.But the journey was exciting. It actually felt like it was an epic adventure. In most recent MMOs, fast travel is prevalent and everything is streamlined to take as little time as possible. As the genre has become more casual with regards to travel time and danger, have we lost something? Are there no more epic cross-continental treks full of thrilling close calls?
The Daily Grind: Are the stakes too low in modern PvP?
Player vs. Player gameplay has undergone a drastic change in recent years. Games like Meridian 59 and Ultima Online didn't pull any punches. Anyone could kill anyone anywhere, and the penalties could be quite severe. When you died In Meridian or UO, you dropped all of your gear. The person who killed you could steal whatever he or she pleased.Of course, in games like that, gear wasn't quite such a big deal. In Meridian a sword would wear out after a few of hours of use anyway. But combined with stat and skill losses, death in the games of the 90s was comparatively harsh. Now, in World of Warcraft, Age of Conan, and Warhammer Online, the stakes are lower. You have absolutely nothing to lose by dying in PvP in WoW, and AoC and WAR's designs aren't much more aggressive.But here's a question from a veteran of the oldschool: with stakes this low, does PvP really matter? Will it really get you sweating? Will you really care that much about winning or losing? Some oldschool folks will argue that PvP is boring and meaningless now that death has been de-clawed. Maybe we should go back to the barbarism of the old days. What do you think?
Cartel's nostalgic handsfree system brings back the car phone
Yeah, we did a double take upon seeing the above image too, but believe it or not, that car phone is actually a new Bluetooth handsfree system. Developed by Cartel Mobile Solutions, this in-car setup can reportedly be installed into nearly any whip and will connect up with most every BT-enabled handset. From there, it mysteriously warps you back to the 1990s where you can dial on near-Chiclet sized buttons; once the haze clears, it ushers you back to modern day by enabling motorists to chat without holding anything up to their yapper. Users can opt to wire it to their vehicle's sound system or plug in an external speaker, and yes, that display you see does indeed handle Caller ID duties. Unfortunately, no price was readily apparent, but you can can bring that 1979 Buick of yours a few years closer to the 21st century by hitting Cartel up for purchasing details.[Thanks, Mickel]
Forum Post of the Day: You're old school when...
Over on the official forums, there's a nostalgic discussion of how to tell an old-school WoW player from a newbie. (Of course there's game knowledge -- but there's always the chance a newbie might have taken the time to read up!) So what makes the difference between an old-school player from the rest? Well, if you remember any of this, you're old school: When Dire Maul was new When Warlocks were free HKs When you had to go to the Barrens or Ashenvale to sign up for WSG When Alterac Valley lasted at least 8 hours a match When you could run 40 players through Stratholme, Scholomance, Blackrock Depths, Blackrock Spire, etc. When the sight of a full dungeon 1 set was impressive So, what makes you old school?
Tabletop gaming con comes to Iraq
We know that those serving in Iraq tend to be big on first-person shooters like Halo and Star Wars: Dark Forces, but what about Army gamers whose tastes run a little more cerebral? For them, Ziggurat Con will provide the opportunity to blow off some steam with a day of good, old-fashioned tabletop role-playing.Described as "the very first D&D convention/game day ever held in a war zone," Ziggurat Con will give soldiers "a place where we can go somewhere far away from the IED's, mortar attacks, and gunfire, without ever leaving the safety of our camp," said Con organizer David Amberson. The Camp Adder/Tallil Airbase Community Activity Center will become a role-playing and anime-watching paradise for nine hours on June 9, with the blessing of the Army's Morale, Welfare and Recreation Department.Many game manufacturers have agreed to donate materials for the gamers, but the scarcity of gaming stores in the greater Iraqi area may force attendees to share dice. It's true what they say ... war is hell.
Zack Morris chic: China's BW-A888 brickphone
Following a uniquely Asian trend as of late, the BW-A888 brings retro-cool to an everyday handset. This phone can run on its own or be snapped into the giant brick enclosure to instantly impart that early '83 Motorola DynaTAC cool. Not only does the "brick" component give you extended battery life, added weight, and a big speaker, it has what appears to be a compass mounted on the side in place of bothering with fancy technology like GPS. We kinda like this idea; not enough to go out and buy one mind you, but enough to at least check out the pics and smile a little wayback-when smile.
Roguelike magazine launches, focuses on game aesthetics
Real gamers know that if you see an uppercase letter D, turn tail and run. Dragons are fierce. Forget polygons, forget sprites, Roguelike games do it with text on a black screen. And they're some of the most complex and enjoyable games ever to grace a computer. Unfortunately most modern gamers turn their noses at the dated visuals and refuse to give Roguelikes a second look.Well, Mario Donick is not gonna take it anymore. He recently launched Roguelike. The magazine, a publication dedicated to increasing awareness of the art and aesthetics behind the Roguelike genre. Each issue will dive into the inner workings of these games and discuss things like typography, interface, coding, and more. The first issue is online and ready for consumption, while number two is on its way April 2nd. It's a little slice of old school heaven for many gamers, and required reading for whippersnappers who can't tell their NetHack from an Angband.[Via TIGSource]
Retro gamers' next-gen battle is between SNES and Genesis
The Washington Post takes a nostalgic trip into the homes of retro gamers. These players are satisfied with the NES and other classic systems; they don't need any next-gen battle.The article portrays those gamers as just growing up with those systems; there's not a crazy, technology-hating gamer in the bunch. We hang on to as many old systems and titles as we can and, once in a while, we revisit the classics. But there's a Zen simplicity in primarily gaming with a controller that has two -- or fewer -- buttons.
Mad Catz readies Xbox 360 Live Arcade Stick for holiday release
Manufacturing hiccups, or intentional delays to ensure a holiday release? Whatever the reasons behind Mad Catz taking its sweet time on the Live Arcade Stick -- which we were (fairly) certain was eventually coming -- remains unknown, but at least it's (almost) here. According to our pals at Joystiq, the retro-styled controller slated to help Xbox Live Arcade gamers feel a bit more like 1985 is just a month or so away from hitting store shelves. Aside from sporting all the familiar Xbox 360 buttons and rumble functionality, purchasers will also get Frogger, Time Pilot, and Astropop when they throw down their $49.99, and if you're into multi-purpose gizmos, you'll certainly appreciate its ability to play nice with PCs. So if you had every intention of delving into Nintendo's classic library of games today, but couldn't scrounge up an actual Wii for yourself, Mad Catz will hopefully deliver that dash of yesteryear before too long.
Modojo rounds-up retro PSP games
I can't remember a time in a system's life when it had more retro compilations than the PSP is seeing right now. And with games the likes of Sega Genesis Collection, Metal Slug Anthology and EA Replay releasing this week, it's a veritable wet dream for us old-school gamers out there.And Modojo has gone through each title and decided which are worthy of your purchase and which are worthy of the trashcan.We're Not Worthy!
