LETS GO TO WAR- COD MW3 MULTIPLAYER REVIEW

This week saw the much anticipated release of the latest addition to the call Of duty video game franchise, Modern Warfare 3. As with most video games nowadays, it offers a single player campaign/story mode (which i will get round to playing and reviewing at a later date) and the popular online multi player mode. 

In previous years COD multi player has had it's good and bad points, from annoying things like spawn tube kills (mainly in MW2), campers and snipers to pretty amazing kill streak rewards, weapon choices and game modes. Now in my opinion MW2 was possibly one of the best games ever made, whereas last years Black ops was potentially the worst, so i had no idea what to expect from MW3.

Launch day arrived however due to issues with Amazon and Royal mail my copy didn't arrive and i had to wait another 2 days for it, but when it finally did it was straight out the packaging and into my Xbox 360. Into the multi player screen i went and was faced with some familiar game modes like team death match, free for all, demolition and search and destroy, however i also saw a new one, Kill Confirmed (similar to TDM but with added task of collecting dog tags from kills for extra points and stopping enemy from getting theirs), and after 5 minutes of playing this, i was already feeling the love for the game, i tried the other game modes aswell and quickly built up my level, and moved onto hardcore modes which i prefer.
The MP maps are also pretty impressive with loads of hiding places for the campers/snipers and vantage points to get good views. My favourite map has to be Underground, set in and around  a war torn London underground station. 
But the main thing i like are the weapon choices, all new guns, like Scar-l, similar to Scar H but lighter in weight, and old favourites like the UMP and AK-47. there is also the return of a old favourite last seen in MW1 weapon,  alongside the usual frag, semtex, c4 and claymores, Bouncing Bettys are back, a motion sensored landmine which unlike claymores, cover a 360 degree angle.

New perks have also been introduced like Stalker where you can move faster while aiming, marksman which identifies enemy from longer ranges and quickdraw which gives you faster aiming.

New killstreak rewards have also been introduced, this time seperated into assault and support catagories, the best of the new assault rewards in my opinion are strafe un, which involes 5 attack helicopters doing a fly over taking out enemies as they go, and assault drone which is a radio controlled mini tank that the player controls.  Support packages include ballistic vest for the team and sam turrets which take out air attacks.

I could have went in depth with this review but there is so much to the game i would have been here all day, but to sum it up, MW3 is certainly a million times better than Black Ops, and has potential to be just as good if not better than MW2. Happy gaming

FIX FACTOR??- IT'S TIME TO FACE THE MUSIC

This years X-Factor in the UK has seen no shortage of newspaper headlines, however it's most controversial story has been due to the on and off screen antics of Frankie Cocozza. From his late night drinking binges, to shouting "fucking get in there" live on tv when he was saved from the public vote despite the fact many thought his singing was awfull, he seemed to dodge the preverbial bullet every time. That was untill this week when news broke via Twitter that he  had broken "A golden rule" and had left the show. Rumours were quick to circulate as to which rule he had broken, and it wasn't long before an official statement was released stating that he had been boasting about taking the drug cocaine, leaving some in shock, some calling it a typical X-Factor publicity stunt  while others were just glad to see the back of him.
However the question on eveyones lips was "who, if anybody would take his place?".  Campaigns began on Twitter to bring back boyband "The Risk" and solo act Johnny Robinson, however yesterday (9th nov) ITV announced that viewers would actually get the chance to pick from the 4 acts sent home in week 1 of the live shows. a move some including myself have said is wrong. I feel these acts and all others voted off since have had their chance at the live shows and therefore should not be given another. Instead they shuld have got those acts not picked from judges homes stage to be given another chance, but With Simon Cowell in charge i guess things were never going to be fair or indeed straight forward.
Whoever gets another chance, one thing is certain come the end of the series, like every other year, the only true winners will be ITV and of course Simon Cowell.

Remember remember the month of Movember

No it's not a typo, this is indeed Movember, where men grow a moustache for the entire month of November to raise awareness of mens health issues, and people help by donating or sponsoring you. 

The Movember Foundation has been staging events to promote mens health isssues since 2004, and has bases all around the world.

I myself will be taking part for the second year running, and this year i am part of Glasgow rangers football club's Movember Team. i will be posting pictures on my twitter feed http://twitter.com/Scotty_Mctweety


Of course i would love anybody reading this to actually put their hands in their pockets and sponsor me, and you can do just that by going here http://mobro.co/McBaldy all donations small or large are gratefully recieved and will be going to a good cause.

FIFA 12 REVIEW

For the last 2 or 3 weeks my X-Box 360 gaming time has beeen pretty much dominated by Fifa 12, EA Sports annual multi platform football (soccer) game. each year they try to up the ante in the war against rival game Pro Evoloution Soccer (PES) and for a number of years, Fifa came out 2nd best. However in recent years PES has been the inferior game. Some have put this down to Fifa introducing more realistic gameplay and the addition of new game modes, a theory which i am inclined to agree with.
Fifa 12 introduced us to "Tactical Defending" where 1v1 situations require a certain amount of skil and judgement, unlike in previous years where the gamer had little control over defenders. I myself have found this a brilliant addition to the game, as it makes it tougher for people to get away with stupid schoolboy style goals. 
Another new addition to this years game is "Head to Head Seasons" where yu pick a club or international team and play online in a 10 division league set up, starting in league 10, you have to work your way up, an avoid relegation while doing so, the further up you go, the tougher your opponents become.
However the game mode whichtakes most of my time up is "Ultimate Team", a football manager style game with a hint of the card game, top trumps. In it you have to earn match coins and build up as best a squa as you can, you buy and sell players and other items such as club staff, kits, stadiums and fitness boosters and buy packs of virtual cards containing a mix of palyers, staff, and other items, you can also buy these packs using microsoft points, which i do a lot. Ultimate team proves very popular, with people selling players, coins and even full suads on ebay, with a top rated squad selling for amounts in the hundreds of pounds.
All in all fifa 12 has yet again proven itself to be the superior football game, and should be first choice for any fan.

BBC (Bloody Budget Cuts)

For decades now, the BBC has been at the forefront of television and radio broadcasting in the UK, providing us with some of Britains most popular shows such as Doctor Who and Eastenders, and in the past iconic comedy like Only Fools And Horses, Dads Army, Allo Allo, Fawlty Towers and Hi De Hi to name a few. 

At present they offer 10 television channels in UK, numerous national and local radio stations, the majority of which churn out programs 24 hours a day and BBC iplayer, a popular website and downladable app where viewers can catch up on tvand radio shows they may have misssed..

Some of these shows cost a lot of money to produce, be it wage bills or special effects costs and as a result the decision was taken last year to make cuts in budget of up to 20%, with some less popular channels and shows facing the axe, however some people have vented anger at the cuts, including staff at the BBC who have threatened strike action a number of times.

I wont bore you with details of what has been cut and why as i would be here all day, however i do feel money could be saved and earned in better ways, for example, not paying so called celebrities huge sums of money to appear on  shows such as strictly Come Dancing (despite being very popular) or the upcming talent show "the Voice".

However the main way i feel money could be made is for the BBC to scrap the television licence fee (currently we have to pay £145.50 per year) and introduce commercials and program sponsoring on its network, a move that may prove unpopular with some but as the majority of viewers are against the licence fee, it is something i am sure we could learn to live with, the licence fee is outdated and they could make so much more money in advertising and sponsorship revenue. Whether this will ever happen remains to be seen, and untill such time we face the risk of losing our favourite shows and channels.

WWE NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS PREDICTIONS

Ok i'm going to start a monthly preview of WWE PPV's, and give my predictions for each match, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment box, but if you are going to hit me with the "wrestling is fake" crap, don't bother, yes it may be scripted but it's entertainment at the ned of the day.


Right, down to business, tonight see's the annual "Night Of Champions" PPV, where every title is layed on the line (and tonight, a job is also at stake).


Divas Championship- Beth Phoenix v Kelly Kelly(dc):
Despite getting the better of Phoenix at last months Summerslam, i feel Kelly Kelly's reign as champ will come to an abrupt end tonight, Will Natalya play a part in it?, almost certainly, however i also feel we may see a new addition to the Divas of Doom,


Intercontinental championship- Ted Dibiase v Cody Rhodes(dc):
Cody has been pushing Dibiase to the limit recently,even forcing him to wear one of his brown paper bags, and tonight it comes to a head when theu square off for the IC title, a match i feel Dibiase will come out triumphant.


Fatal 4 way US Championship- Dolph Ziggler (dc) v Jack Swagger v John Morrison v Alex Riley:
With Ziggler and Swagger embroiled in a battle for the management services of Vikki Guererro, i feel that will pave the way for Riley or Morrison to reign supreme, Alex Riley has been on the up and up since parting company with Mizz and i predict this will be his night.


Tag Team championship- Kofi Kingstone and Evan Bourne (Dc) v Mizz and R-Truth:
this is a tough one to call as both teams are newly formed and proving their worth together, however i feel that Mizz and R-Truth will hold off the challenge of Air-boom and become new champs, unless the Little Jimmys get to truth of course.


Triple H v CM Punk:
This match has no title up for grabs, however should HHH lose he has stated he will give up his position as WWE COO, an outcome i think will happen with Kevin Nash and John Laurinaitis playing a major part.


World Heavyweight Championship- Mark Henry v Randy Orton(dc):
Henry has been a dominant force recently, especially where Orton is concerned, however i feel Orton will retain his belt albeit through DQ due to what i predict will be outside interference from a returning Kane or Big Show (both injured by Henry)


WWE Championship- Alberto Del Rio(dc) v John Cena:
Akberto Del Rio achieved his destiny last month at summerslam by cashing in his money in the bank against a battered and bruised CM Punk, and despite Cena being involvedin 2 great matches with Punk recently i fancy Del Rio to continue his destiny, whether it will be a fair victory or not remains to be seen.


whatever happens tonight, it has the potential to be a good quality PPV, fingers crossed anyway!

DAILY RECORD, SCOTLAND'S SHIT STIRRER!!

The Daily record, Scotland flagship tabloid newspaper as some would call it has today sunk to a new low. On the eve of the seasons first Old Firm game between bitter Glasgow rivals Rangers and Celtic and at a time when many are trying to ease the hatred between fans of the clubs, they decided to run a feature asking "Who is more hated at Ibrox, is it Lennon or the taxman", a move which has angered fans of both clubs and has seen Celtic release a statement this afternoon stating that they will no longer take part in any interviews with the newspaper.
I myself am a Rangers fan and i find this disgusting, to use the word "hate" is bad enough but directed at Neil Lennon and the day before the 2 clubs face of is nothing less than moronic. Recently we have seen death threats aimed at Lennon, bullets mailed to him and even bombs and for a well established publication such as the Record (owned by Mirror Group) to run this feature is only adding to the problem. Some are asking if they are inciting hatred ahead of tomorrows clash, the simple answer is yes, they are.
Whoever is responsible for letting this feature actually be published needs to take a good hard look at him/her self and think about what they have done, and if they have any sense of dignity, issue an apology to Mr Lennon and Celtic at the earliest opportunity. Lets remember at the end of the day it is only a game of football, and there is no need for any sort of hatred be it sectarian or otherwise, and we especially don't need a newspaper adding fuel to the fire. I can only hope that tomorrows game is not affected by this and that we get to enjoy a good old game of football.