The Gold, My Goals

A phrase that has been thrown around since Sunday night. How about that game? To be honest, I was thoroughly proud, excited, and most importantly, entertained. All of a sudden, the Canada and US teams decided to sober up their skills and play an awesome, intense, and epic game. I seriously did not recognize the team that were crashing into each other and bailing on the ice a few games before. Neither team should be ashamed of their performance, I sympathize with the idea that losing sucks to win a silver, but USA played a great game. I focus on their performance because we all know Canada did amazing with Lou's careful saves and that cinematic finish by Canada's favourite Crosby.

As our Canadian athletes sweep the Olympic gold record and improve their hockey game my ankle injury has- oh wait, some of you don't know yet.

...A few weeks ago in a competition far far away (Carleton, so not really) I was competing in an interuniversity championship. During my individual event I was making a comeback in a losing match when I miscalculated a lunge and sprained my ankle. Although painful, my swearing and tears were directed towards my inability to continue on to the team event, because I am the captain and anchor. Why me...

alright back to me in the present. After several multi-color bruises, physio, tender tendons, and a lot of Prince of Persia, I have finally gotten off of my crutches completely.

The worst part of this ordeal is that I have been unable to work out and fence for several weeks and only until recently have I been given the thumbs up to start doing some biking. Although an improvement from nothing, I dearly miss the sport running in my veins, I miss the way of the sword. It is without doubt I will be back as soon as I can walk without a tenser bandage.

The most important part about getting rid of an injury for an athlete is physio and working out your joints that are injured. Re-determine yourself to get better and you will surprise yourself with the results of recovery. The way this is going, Wolverine would be hard-pressed to heal faster than me.

Christian A.V. Petrozza

The Rain of Realism: Gaming crosses into Hollywood Borders

A Special Thanks to my Friend and housemate Charlie for bringing this game to my attention.

Ever wish you could watch a movie and interact with it through it's characters? Kissing the girl, punching the villain, or interrogating the tough suspects?

As of February 23rd a game by Quantic Dream by the name of Heavy Rain was released. Labeled as a Film Noir thriller (my favourite) the game immerses you into a film-like story, taking you on an interactive ride as several characters as they try to figure out the mystery of the oregami killer, a merciless and mysterious child murderer.

Now you must be thinking "aren't all video games interactive?" well of course, but the game's graphics and style as you will see in the trailer and review videos approach the gameplay and cinematics as completely immersed into one another. Many games limit your movement or improve graphics during cinematics before they switch back to the gameplay. The design of the game allows you to play with the most detailed and consistent graphics to date, almost bordering photorealism, and with a great soundtrack and compelling mystery I find it very hard to call it a videogame instead of a movie.

The nature of the movement-sensored gameplay and controls during the game do not take away from the camera positioning or cinematic techniques that are simulated in the game. Some reviewers wonder if this cross-over between cinematic storytelling and gameplay together is a watershed moment in video game and film technology.

If in a few years we are able to be part of our favourite movies by "playing them" would it be a cool new improvement? Or should we keep a healthy barrier between Hollywood and our ever evolving games?

I don't know about the rest of you, but I wouldn't mind fighting as russell crowe while watching Gladiator or Chasing a bomb maker through Madagascar as Daniel Craig in Casino Royale.


Christian A.V. Petrozza

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Mmm Mmmm Money- A Million Dollar company markets in an unstable economy

While watching the Olympic highlights on the CTV network, an anchor in the marketing department brought up the great decline of Campbell's soup and their cuts in order to give some money flow and new marketing strategies a chance to continue their sales. Strangely, much of their television advertising was pulled for these cuts and put towards person-to-product marketing, such as the rebranding of their iconic soup can.

The rebranding of the can would change the location of the red stripe, the omission of the spoon, a contemporary bowl, and the addition of some or more steam over the soup. This may sound very silly and terrible for the image of campbell's, and it was, but it was all in an attempt at funding their Neuromarketing strategy, sounds like a government conspiracy, doesn't it?

In a nutshell, the idea of Neuromarketing is to use popular imagery that has been studied through live subjects in order to evoke universal emotions. New tests were initiated to update their branding, and thus, the changes came, but it was all in vain.

Although their cuts raised their worth by 11% in the United States, their overall soup-sales dropped 18% in the US since the following year, and continue to suffer. So much for their evil Neuro-scheme to make money.

In these times of economic strife, other companies, are fighting to keep peices low while competing with sale brands like No Name in order to cater to the deal-seeking populous. Unfortunately not all companies can sacrifice much and therefore lose their customers. Market researchers believe that their consumer losses will not replenish with the economy, due to their lack of affordability in a time of need. Those who are able to prosper, have done so with re branding.

The mega store Wal Mart has recently changed the details of their brand and slogan during this period to "Save Money, Live Better". This change engages the audience to think that their traditionally low prices will affect not only their wallet but their life/family life at home. One of their most recent commercials, although hilarious, strikes home this message.

Some consumers seem to embrace change in their products or stores as they re brand, whereas they feel alienated by others in a brand's attempt to entice the user with cheap labelling tricks. But after such a long tradition of Campbell's soup giving nourishment to millions of Americans for decades, why are they in the decline? Why don't they continue to rise like World-sucking Wal Mart?

Christian A.V. Petrozza