syafeerul: My 2010 (Jan-June) Game Review

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Genre: First Person Shooting
Gameplay: tactical shooting game i should say. u can always go out and simply shoot people but to be the best, use less lethal attacks. so i ended up learning on shooting with tranquilizers and using the MK-2 for electric shocks. its different from the previous games i’ve played. since i’ve never had any experience with PS2, this MGS4 is totally a new experience for me. the storyline was movie-like. u are part of the storyline.. you are Snake. u felt his sadness. u feel how he feels. no wonder this game have so many followers across the globe.
Graphics: satisfactory. the cut-scenes was nicely displayed. characters are very detailed. the ladies are extremely gorgeous. even the tear-drops are detailed to the very inches.
Worthiness: pretty good buy for the storyline. haven’t played online with this.
Rating: 4/5
Why not 5?
an issue of replay-ability..

each game was given a rating. that was my rating from my own point of view. i played the game and i judge how i felt about them.

5: best game i’ve played. i’m totally satisfied with gameplay, graphics, in-game control and cut-scenes.
4: a nice game but lacks at least one of the quality mentioned above.
3: considerable game but too much flaw on either of the qualities or maybe lacking at least 2 of that.
2: quite ok game but not up to my expectation in many ways.
1: regret buying the game as it lacks so much of my expectation.

after 6 months from my previous review of my games, finally i came up to make the second review. but this time just fot MGS4. i haven’t finished GT5P yet. not without the stable G25 table i guess but soon i might just have that..

i’ve just recruited another 3 new games. Modern Warfare 2, Assassin’s Creed 2 and Demon’s Souls. recently i’ve got NFS: Shift as a temporary exchange with a friend of mine. 4 games in hand. 2 currently in progress. Shift was awesome so far. currently at 13% progress. the other being Demon’s Souls. tough as hell. might give up on playing this game soon. but we’ll see how far can this carry on.

no Xbox 360 game listed this time. i’ve modded my Xbox 360. why mod it? i’ve supported the industry by buying originals on my PS3 and earlier the Xbox 360. but Xbox 360 requires further payment to play online of which i don’t quiet agree cause i’ve paid such hefty sum to buy the console, the game and internet connection. then they want me to pay more just so that i can play online. mod it and enjoy offline gaming. but there’s always some risk playing with a modded console. some? haha.. my Xbox 360 just got banned few months back. access to HDD was blocked. i haven’t revive my Xbox 360 yet. maybe soon. the plan is there but doing it consumes time. that’s what i don’t have much. as for now, my Xbox 360 lies quietly in my room. no new games on Xbox 360 then..

syafeerul: PS3 Games for Sale

dear readers of CTRL+V…

listed here are my used Playstation 3 games on sale. all games are in excellent condition. all games are complete with manual and inside box.
price are stated in Ringgit Malaysia (RM).
preferable cash on delivery. cost of either postage or shipment to be paid by buyer.

Shooting

Rainbow Six: Vegas [Region 1] – RM60

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of Patriots [Region 2] – RM200
Limited Edition with bonus blu-ray disc included

Sports/Racing

Racedriver: Grid [Region 2] – RM90

Role-Playing-Game (RPG)/Action

Assassin’s Creed 1 [Region 1] – RM110

Demon’s Soul [Region 3] – RM150

PS3 Accessory

Logitech G25 Steering Wheel – ask for price 🙂

Item	Particulars	Qty (unit)	Unit Price (RM)	Sub Total	Delivery Period
1	Fluorescent light fittings set – 4’ Lamp – 40W, 220V, 50Hz – For outdoor usage	50
2	Fluorescent light fittings set – For outdoor usage – Without fluorescent tube	50
3	Portable RCD – plug type 220 VAC, 50Hz	40
4	Electrical Ballast for fluorescent lamp 20W	100
5	Electrical Ballast for fluorescent lamp 40W	100
5	Insect killer	1

syafeerul: WC2010 Group Stage Review and Round of 16 Preview

Group A – France, Mexico, South Africa, Uruguay

my prediction was wrong all over. france had their worst world cup tourney i guess as the finished bottom of group A. south africa fought well but did not get through based on goal difference. uruguay was far better then i expected. mexico was way better than france. no doubt the two qualified.

Group B – Argentina, Greece, Nigeria, South Korea

as i predicted, argentina had no problems qualifying. greece and nigeria didn’t do enough to qualify. south korea showed some fast attacking with lots of running and they deservedly qualify as runner-up to argentina.

Group C – Algeria, England, Slovenia, United States

my choice was england but they struggled to qualify. the usa showed some good football to top group c while england was lucky to go as 2nd place.

Group D – Australia, Germany, Ghana, Serbia

as much as i predicted, the four teams fought hard to the last group game. all had their eyes on the round of 16 but germany and ghana squeezed through at the end. no shame to aussies and serbs as they played well through this group stage.

Group E – Cameroon, Denmark, Netherlands, Japan

netherlands had no resistance from their opponents as they advance as champion of group e with maximum 9 points from the three games. cameroon didn’t do well this time in comparison to the previous world cup edition. denmark played ok but japan surprised everyone with their pace and set-piece ability. japan qualified to the next round proving that asia is not that far behind in football arena.

Group F – Italy, New Zealand, Paraguay, Slovakia

no goal galore and surprisingly italy had a dismal tournament. they finished bottom with only 2 points from two draws. even new zealand was better than italy in this group. what explanation can marcello lippi do to justify this italian job? paraguay and slovakia emerge victorious from this lot..

Group G – Brazil, Ivory Coast, North Korea, Portugal

its that easy. ivory coast tried to challenge but the two nations are too powerful for them.

Group H – Chile, Honduras, Spain, Switzerland

i thought spain had an easy group here. surprisingly they lost to switzerland and had to wait on the last group game to book their spot in the next round. chile accompanied spain in 2nd spot.

ROUND of 16 Predictions

Uruguay vs South Korea
Uruguay to win this despite tough challenges by South Korea..

USA vs Ghana
balanced game although i quite like Ghana gameplay better..

Argentina vs Mexico
Mexico could attack and attack but they are vulnerable in defense. Argentina to take this…

Germany vs England
from group games, England had a bad start and Germany was somewhere in between. but im a Germany fan. so i’d go with Germany..

Netherlands vs Slovakia
Netherlands might be too strong for Slovakia..

Brazil vs Chile
Not going to be easy for Brazil but they’d get through.

Paraguay vs Japan
Paraguay seems to have slightly better chance to advance from here..

Spain vs Portugal
the game to watch in this knock-out stage. both had a good chance to move on from here.. anyhow i choose Spain.

Africa expects Black Stars to shine

The eyes of the African continent will be focused on Ghana as their only representative with a realistic chance of making it to the second round. After some good displays in their win and draw thus far, facing the experienced Germans in their final game is a tall order, but not one that is beyond them.

Having coped admirably with the loss of Michael Essien before the tournament, Ghana have impressed more than any other African side with their style of football and won’t be expected to lie down as Germany look to rebuild their form after a crushing defeat to Serbia.

In fact, the Germans are under a great deal of pressure as a point will not be enough to secure their progress if, as expected, Serbia beat Australia. And they must manage without Miroslav Klose, who was sent off for a second yellow card against the Serbs as well. Coach Joachim Low has targeted the Africans’ fitness and stamina as something to watch out for and revealed that ”fitness is written with a capital ‘F’ in the Germany squad” so he remains confident of progress.

Ghana player to watch: Kevin-Prince Boateng. The focal point of Germany’s anger before the World Cup as he injured Michael Ballack in the FA Cup final – thus ruling the Chelsea midfielder out of the tournament – Boateng actually spurned Germany’s advances and chose to play for Ghana before the tournament as well. You couldn’t write such a story but, amidst some loud booing from the German fans, he will surely have an impact on the match.

Germany player to watch: Bastian Schweinsteiger. If the Germans are to make it through the group, the Bayern man will have to show a lot more than he did against Serbia. Often caught up in a heated discussion, Schweinsteiger’s head has to keep cool against a physical Ghanaian side, but he has shown in the past that he has the experience and skill to rise to the big occasion.

Key Battle: Asamoah Gyan v Per Mertesacker. Gyan has netted 50% of Ghana’s goals in the World Cup so far (three out of six) and uses his pace and strength up front to cause problems for defenders. One of the star performers at this tournament, his nerve from the penalty spot has been tested already and he has shown no fear in his attacking forays; but he comes up against a 6′ 5” defender that won’t shirk a physical challenge. Mertesacker oozes class on the ball and has the positional sense to make vital interceptions with his giant frame. He will have to cover if Ghana choose to attack the right side of defence (and 5′ 7” Philipp Lahm) from the air.

Trivia: Germany have won their final group matches in the last four World Cup tournaments, without conceding a single goal in the last three and, before Serbia, had not lost a group game in 24 years. In the preliminary stages of the 1986 World Cup they were beaten 2-0 by Denmark.

Stats: Germany have won all of their last 11 games against a non-European or South American side at the World Cup finals, keeping a clean sheet in five of the last six of these; while the last three goals scored by Ghana in the World Cup have all come from the penalty spot.

Odds: Ghana (6.00), Germany (1.53) and a draw (4.20) are all available at Bet 365, but Asamoah Gyan to score first and Germany to win 2-1 gets you 81.00

Prediction: Ghana have the passion, the support and a burning desire to make an impact on their own continent, but Germany are ruthless and experienced in this situation and it would be a shock if they didn’t progress.

soccernet wrote this… a must watch game no matter how late this will be. the germans must win this! viel Glück!

The eyes of the African continent will be focused on Ghana as their only representative with a realistic chance of making it to the second round. After some good displays in their win and draw thus far, facing the experienced Germans in their final game is a tall order, but not one that is beyond them.

Having coped admirably with the loss of Michael Essien before the tournament, Ghana have impressed more than any other African side with their style of football and won’t be expected to lie down as Germany look to rebuild their form after a crushing defeat to Serbia.In fact, the Germans are under a great deal of pressure as a point will not be enough to secure their progress if, as expected, Serbia beat Australia. And they must manage without Miroslav Klose, who was sent off for a second yellow card against the Serbs as well. Coach Joachim Low has targeted the Africans’ fitness and stamina as something to watch out for and revealed that ”fitness is written with a capital ‘F’ in the Germany squad” so he remains confident of progress.Ghana player to watch: Kevin-Prince Boateng. The focal point of Germany’s anger before the World Cup as he injured Michael Ballack in the FA Cup final – thus ruling the Chelsea midfielder out of the tournament – Boateng actually spurned Germany’s advances and chose to play for Ghana before the tournament as well. You couldn’t write such a story but, amidst some loud booing from the German fans, he will surely have an impact on the match.Germany player to watch: Bastian Schweinsteiger. If the Germans are to make it through the group, the Bayern man will have to show a lot more than he did against Serbia. Often caught up in a heated discussion, Schweinsteiger’s head has to keep cool against a physical Ghanaian side, but he has shown in the past that he has the experience and skill to rise to the big occasion.Key Battle: Asamoah Gyan v Per Mertesacker. Gyan has netted 50% of Ghana’s goals in the World Cup so far (three out of six) and uses his pace and strength up front to cause problems for defenders. One of the star performers at this tournament, his nerve from the penalty spot has been tested already and he has shown no fear in his attacking forays; but he comes up against a 6′ 5” defender that won’t shirk a physical challenge. Mertesacker oozes class on the ball and has the positional sense to make vital interceptions with his giant frame. He will have to cover if Ghana choose to attack the right side of defence (and 5′ 7” Philipp Lahm) from the air.Trivia: Germany have won their final group matches in the last four World Cup tournaments, without conceding a single goal in the last three and, before Serbia, had not lost a group game in 24 years. In the preliminary stages of the 1986 World Cup they were beaten 2-0 by Denmark.Stats: Germany have won all of their last 11 games against a non-European or South American side at the World Cup finals, keeping a clean sheet in five of the last six of these; while the last three goals scored by Ghana in the World Cup have all come from the penalty spot.Odds: Ghana (6.00), Germany (1.53) and a draw (4.20) are all available at Bet 365, but Asamoah Gyan to score first and Germany to win 2-1 gets you 81.00Prediction: Ghana have the passion, the support and a burning desire to make an impact on their own continent, but Germany are ruthless and experienced in this situation and it would be a shock if they didn’t progress.

Germany men have used controversial Jabulani ball SIX months before World Cup

If Germany appeared at ease with the controversial Jabulani ball in beating Australia 4-0 it was with good reason.

While most nations may have been caught out by adidas’ unpredictable creation, it has emerged the majority of the Germans used it at club level over the past six months.

Nike remain the official ball suppliers to the Barclays Premier League, but Bundesliga clubs were at liberty to use any ball of their choice last season, thus enabling them to take immediate delivery of the Jabulani when it was launched.

We're used to it: Germany striker Mario Gomez is happy he's been able to use the ball prior to the World Cup

Germany striker Mario Gomez, of adidas-backed Bayern Munich, scored the first goal with the ball in a 2-1 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach on December 4, and admitted Joachim Low’s squad are better prepared.

‘Once you have learned to make proper contact with the ball, you can make it travel very fast,’ he said.

‘It’s a case of catching it right. You learn how to do that with practice. We are confident about scoring with this ball.’

Schalke’s Manuel Neuer coped comfortably with everything Australia threw at him, but one of his predecessors as Germany’s No 1, Timo Hildebrand, expects more goalkeeping mishaps to rival Robert Green’s.

‘You cannot predict which direction it might go. You can only hope and pray you get a hand in the way.’

Germany centre back Per Mertesacker described it as ‘like a small cannonball’, while his team-mate Marcell Jansen added: ‘It seems to have been made more with strikers in mind than defenders or keepers, because it is so crazy and unpredictable.

‘But at least most of us have had first-hand experience of it with our clubs.’

oops… nevertheless i still support Germany.. good start! read this from DailyMail.

syafeerul: FIFA WORLD CUP 2010

Welcome to South Africa FIFA World Cup 2010!

After four years, the time comes again. the time where football conquers planet earth. for a month we shall witness the greatest sport, uniting the world in one place, with one goal – to be the world champion. this year, for the first time the world cup tournament made africa the center stage.

South Africa countdown to kick-off

After years of preparation, the World Cup finally gets underway in South Africa today, the first time it has taken place in the continent of Africa.

The open ceremony begins at 2pm (1200GMT) in Johannesburg’s Soccer City but there are doubts whether former president Nelson Mandela will attend after it was revealed his 13-year-old great-granddaughter had been killed in a car crash as she returned from the pre-World Cup concert.

The ailing Mandela was due attend some of the 40-minute opening celebrations which are expected to be watched by almost a billion people in 215 countries.

“South Africa has come alive, and will never be the same after this World Cup,” said President Jacob Zuma. “Nelson Mandela worked hard so that we could win the right to host this tournament. We dedicate the World Cup to him.

“There are a few moments that define a nation’s history. We stand on the threshold of one.”

On Thursday night there was a massive concert at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto where 30,000 watched Shakira, Alicia Keys, the Black Eyed Peas as well as local musicians such as Hugh Masekela.

Danny Jordaan, the chief executive of the local organising committee, said: “For me it will be a dream come true. It’s a great moment in the World Cup’s 80-year history.

“People said no African country could ever deliver this event. But we are showing that we can’t just match what others have done but that we can do even better. Now the doubters are the believers.”

“Everywhere, one can feel, I hope, that this World Cup is very special, the first on African soil,” FIFA president Sepp Blatter added. “We find ourselves in a position of indescribable anticipation. More importantly, this competition will prove that South Africa, and the African continent in general, is capable of organising an event of this magnitude.”

There was good news for the organisers on Wednesday when FIFA announced 97% of the 3.1 million tickets had been sold, although there has been much criticism of pricing which some claim has shut out many locals. However, last-minute initiatives have made unsold tickets available to many of those who had missed out.

the tournament shall start tonight with south africa playing mexico. i may not be in africa but i’d b glued to the tv once the event starts.. 32 teams qualified to the world cup finals. these are my personal opinion on each group..

Group A – France, Mexico, South Africa, Uruguay

a well balanced group. france however can be very good or may even be hopeless.. if i had to choose, i’d pick france and south africa for 2nd round. but never underestimate mexico and uruguay. both are capable of moving on. should france slip, the two will fight to the death. south africa had the home ground advantage here..

Group B – Argentina, Greece, Nigeria, South Korea

argentina sure is the clear favourite to finish top spot. the other three would fight hard for the second spot. and that would be tough to choose.

Group C – Algeria, England, Slovenia, United States

england seems the choice here. united states and slovenia will have to prove which of them deserves the 2nd place.

Group D – Australia, Germany, Ghana, Serbia

i would say this is the group of death. all four exhibits tough and hard gameplay. i choose germany since that’s my favourite team. ghana is damn quick at counters, serbia plays some safe, tough and hard tactics while socceroos have the strenght as an asian chanpion..

Group E – Cameroon, Denmark, Netherlands, Japan

netherlands form have been outstanding lately. no doubt they are the clear favorite to advance here. the rest shall compete for 2nd place.

Group F – Italy, New Zealand, Paraguay, Slovakia

not goal galore from this group i guess. italy might play like they always do while the rest does not show much of attacking football either.

Group G – Brazil, Ivory Coast, North Korea, Portugal

brazil and portugal to advance from here.

Group H – Chile, Honduras, Spain, Switzerland

spain had an easy 1st round matches. 2nd could be any of the three..

my favorite team: Germany

to those football fans.. lets enjoy this 1 month!

PS3 Firmware (v3.21) Update

The next system software update for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) system will be released on April 1, 2010 (JST), and will disable the “Install Other OS” feature that was available on the PS3 systems prior to the current slimmer models, launched in September 2009. This feature enabled users to install an operating system, but due to security concerns, Sony Computer Entertainment will remove the functionality through the 3.21 system software update.

In addition, disabling the “Other OS” feature will help ensure that PS3 owners will continue to have access to the broad range of gaming and entertainment content from SCE and its content partners on a more secure system.

Consumers and organizations that currently use the “Other OS” feature can choose not to upgrade their PS3 systems, although the following features will no longer be available:

• Ability to sign in to PlayStation Network and use network features that require signing in to PlayStation Network, such as online features of PS3 games and chat
• Playback of PS3 software titles or Blu-ray Disc videos that require PS3 system software version 3.21 or later
• Playback of copyright-protected videos that are stored on a media server (when DTCP-IP is enabled under Settings)
• Use of new features and improvements that are available on PS3 system software 3.21 or later

For those PS3 users who are currently using the “Other OS” feature but choose to install the system software update, to avoid data loss they first need to back-up any data stored within the hard drive partition used by the “Other OS,” as they will not be able to access that data following the update.

Additional information about PS3 firmware updates, including v3.21 (once it becomes available), can be found here:
http://us.playstation.com/support/systemupdates/ps3/index.htm

PS3 owners who have further questions should contact Consumer Services:
http://us.playstation.com/support/ask/
800-345-7669 (800-345-SONY)

the news is outdated.. but its heartbreaking. people hate it so much. most of us had to endure this and move on. some decided to sacrifice the feature and some reluctant to do so. im in the second group. hoping for either sony opens back the otheros feature or hackers to find a way to elude the blockade. ever since this update was up, i have yet to connect my ps3 to the net. the online gaming is quite a loss for the moment but im not playing much game lately. a couple of months passes by and still the update is still there. despite thousands of comments on the net expressing their anger, distrust and all sort of frustration, sony remains quiet on this matter. i bet the hackers are working hard as well. took geohot 3 years to break the ps3. how long would it take to break this firmware? hope… article from Playstation.Blog.

syafeerul: an Israeli view of the Mavi Marmara story

forgive me if i must use some harsh words. i do not possess any power to help the palestinians nor the people being tortured by the israelis. i do not hate them generally but i hate those who’s with them and supports their idea. read this article and perhaps u would understand why so much hatred we have towards them.

Navy to do it differently next time

The Israel Navy has begun drawing lessons from last week’s takeover of the Mavi Marmara Turkish protest ship and will, in the event that additional vessels try to break the Israel-imposed sea blockade on Gaza, use different methods to commandeer them.

Last Monday, commandos from the navy’s Flotilla (Shayetet) 13 fast-roped down from Israel Air Force helicopters to the upper deck of the Mavi Marmara and encountered a group of well-trained mercenaries who attacked them with bats, metal bars and knives. The soldiers fought back and killed nine men.

i bold those words by this writer. well-trained mercs? are u kidding? a group? those are normal civilians whom some of them might had never hold any weapons in their lives ever.
u came in with heavy weapons, with helicopters and speed boats equipped with heavy artillery. u demand them to surrender. why would they? how could u ask someone to surrender when that someone is not even in your territory? u jump into their ship without their permission. so they attack. hence u attack back as response. read the bold sentence again. they used bats, metal bars and knives. do you have to shoot them mercilessly? head shots? shots at the back? was that fighting or running away from those monstrous soldiers? why can’t u use something to incapacitate them. flash bangs? smoke grenades? tear gas grenades? non-lethal bullets? and u killed nine armless men. and u say that was ok..

“We will do things differently in the future,” a senior IDF officer involved in planning such operations told The Jerusalem Post. “There are issues that have to do with the timing of such a boarding, the way to distract the attention of the people on board from what is really happening.”

differently? so this wasn’t a mistake u think? u can simply jump on any boat and start shooting and killing people? what are u?

The Post has also learned that already two years ago, the Shayetet asked the Defense Ministry’s Research and Development Directorate (MAFAT) to develop technology that can be used to stop large cargo or passenger ships, like the Mavi Marmara, at sea.

“This is not a simple task and currently there is no such technology,” a senior defense official said. “The navy has been in touch with MAFAT for a couple of years already with the goal of developing such technology.”

Advisory issued to soldiers against traveling to Turkey

Meanwhile on Sunday, the IDF issued an advisory forbidding all soldiers from traveling to Turkey. The military advisory follows a similar recommendation that was issued last week, following the navy operation, by the Counter-Terrorism Bureau in the Prime Minister’s Office.

On Sunday, Turkey’s top newspaper, Hürriyet, published pictures of Shayetet 13 soldiers, with some of them appearing helpless and possibly unconscious, badly beaten and bloodied.

The paper claimed these images were censored by Israel and were deleted from memory-cards when the activists’ cameras were in Israeli hands.

The IDF said that while the images were difficult to look at, they proved Israeli assertions that the soldiers only opened fire after they were attacked and their lives were in danger.

in danger? such act of a coward.. u could’ve used non-lethal weapons at least.. why did u jump on their ship in the first place?

One of the images showed a soldier, with blood dripping down his head, being led down a staircase, seemingly into the lower decks of the Mavi Marmara.

The IDF has identified a group of about 50 men – of the 700 on board – who were well-trained and were stationed throughout the ship, mostly on the upper deck, where they laid an ambush for the soldiers.

ambush? who initiated the attack? they were protecting themselves. can’t u even see that?

IDF releases names of passengers with terror ties

and finally comes the list. just like when the US decided to attack Afghanistan and Iraq years ago. a made up story with no evidence, end up quietly with no proof.

Also on Sunday, the IDF released a list of at least five passengers aboard the Mavi Marmara who have ties to terrorist organizations.

They were named as Fatima Mohammadi, Kenneth O’Keefe, Hassan Ansey, Hussein Orush and Ahmed Omemun. It was unclear whether they were involved in the fight with naval commandos last week.

O’Keefe, according to the IDF, is a known American-British anti-Israel activist who wanted to enter Gaza to undergo training and help establish a commando unit for Hamas.

Another passenger, identified as an Iranian-American, allegedly tried to bring illegal electronic equipment into Gaza. A French national aboard the ship was identified by the IDF as a Hamas operative.

The IDF also noted links among the passengers to Viva Palestine, the IHH and al-Qaida.

additional note there i guess.. why don’t u link them up with Jemaah Islamiah (JI) in Indonesia and Malaysia, or maybe the one in Philippines. or perhaps u might wanna link this to OIC or any Islamic communities? idiots…

Yaakov Katz

i do not have the power. so my voice would be loud enough here to at least show some thoughts, open some minds. bring them to trials. judge them fairly. may Allah have its blessings upon us all. article from The Jerusalem Post.