Battlefield 3 and Beyond

Battlefield 3 will be a landmark in the video gaming world. It is pushing the limits of the power of personal computers to new heights and produce the closest thing to "real-life" action. From the physics of the game to the small details, this video game puts the player in real live action as a soldier serving his/her country. The player gets first hand experience for his/her own eyes how it feels to be part of a real battlefield of the modern warfare.

From this short clip, they use real actors and the actual game play interlaced in one another to compare how realistic the game looks.





An engine of a video game is the system that is designed to create and develop the game from rendering the physics, lighting, special effects, audio, animations, artificial intelligence, and 2D or 3D graphics. Battlefield 3 uses the game engine called "Frostbite 2" in which has proven to be state of the art with its many rewards including Best PC game, Best Graphics, Best Shooter, and many more from many various gaming websites, critics, and companies. In the following video clip, pay attention to each detail that is shown about Frostbite 2 and see for yourself why they have won over 40 awards.





Notice how the movements of the soldier reflects to real life physics. Every time the rifle is fired, the recoil is seen absorbed into the body. Frostbite 2 enables the player to see the outcome of his actions The destruction produced from this engine is one of its most amazing features. Notice the fine details and the physics happening to the buildings as they are shot by the tank. There is a tremendous amount of dust in the air and the large pieces of the building falls to the ground. Even the audio complements every detail of the destruction.

To run such a powerful gaming engine, it requires a powerful desktop computer with many components that will put a whole in your wallet. The minimum system requirements that are listed for Battlefield 3 are:

• OS: Windows Vista or Windows 7
• Processor: Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz or Althon X2 2.7 GHz
• RAM: 2GB
• Graphic card: DirectX 10 or 11 compatible Nvidia or AMD ATI card, ATI Radeon 3870 or higher, Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT or higher.
• Graphics card memory: 512 MB
• Sound card: DirectX compatibl sound card
• Hard drive: 15 GB for disc version or 10 GB for digital version

This computer build that will meet these minimum requirements will cost you approximately $500-$600 (excludes keyboard/mouse, monitor, and other small accessories). Now, that is only the minimum requirements to be able to run the game at its lowest settings. You will not be able to experience the potential of Frostbite 2. Battlefield 3 will merely be another Call of Duty game. 

The recommended system requirements listed from the website are:

• OS: Windows 7 64-bit
• Processor: Quad-core Intel or AMD CPU
• RAM: 4GB
• Graphics card: DirectX 11 Nvidia or AMD ATI card, Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 or ATI Radeon 6950.
• Graphics card memory: 1 GB
• Sound card: DirectX compatibl sound card
• Hard drive: 15 GB for disc version or 10 GB for digital version

This particular build for a computer will cost you approximately $1,200+ (excludes keyboard/mouse, monitor, and other small accessories). This is the kind of computer build will harness the potentials of Frostbite 2 and give the player an experience of a lifetime. This investment is not ideal in this economy. $1,200 on a desktop computer just for Battlefield 3?  If you were to ask me if it is worth putting the money down for  it, I will not hesitate to say "The experience is worth every detail." You cannot afford to miss out on this landmark in video game history as it sets new standards for other video gaming companies to compete against. The evolution of video games has just took a quick turn for the better. 

source: http://www.battlefield.com/

My Next Best Buy

SONY DSCHX7V/B Black

The Sony DSCHX7V/B Cyber-Shot has caught my eye. Throughout my whole camera career, I have been through 2 Sony Cyber-Shot cameras. They did not last me for too long. The first one lasted me about three years. I dropped it out of the camera bag and landed lens first onto the cement. It took me through my high-school years, but wish I had it through my college years. The second lasted only for one and a half years. I took it camping and I believe a small amount of rain built up moisture inside and burned out as I turned it on. I was very frustrated indeed. 

I really do not want to buy another Sony camera because of my past experiences with it, but I just cannot let go of its features. No other point and shoot brands can do what this baby can. It has a whopping 16.2 megapixels. That is literally three times as much as my previous Sony. 16 megapixels is presently the most megapixels for a point and shoot. It also comes with a 10X zoom. How neat is that? I find myself zooming into the desired photograph a lot but many point and shoot cameras are not capable to zoom into an object far away. 

Another feature I really like is its HD recording. I know there are many point and shoots that can do that as well, but this will be my first HD recording camera. Time for some YouTube uploads!

The Feature that really sold this to me is its 3D still and panoramic capabilities! At the moment, I do not know of anyone who has a camera that can do that! I want to be the first to take 3D pictures amongst my friends. There has not been any bad reviews about this 3D feature yet, so I will have to test it out myself. I do not have high expectations for it because it is the first 3D camera I will have to play with. 

A few dislikes that I already have is that it is a little big for its dimensions, 4" x 2.36" x 1.18". 1.18 inches is pretty thick for a point and shoot nowadays. Come on Sony! What were you thinking?! If I want a thick camera, I rather get a SLR digital camera, but it is just way out of my budget right now. 

The second dislike is that I do not know how long it will last me. I will have to take extra good care of it and get a 2 year extended accidental warranty because I do not trust its durability. Spend an extra $50 for a replacement? Hell yes I am in!

Problem: Retail value right now is $300. Where in the world am I going to get that money??

Only Time Will Tell the Story

My window of opportunity shines through that window at me every morning that I wake up, and remains lit until I return from a hard day's labor. Even though, I am in a bitter pot hole in the road of my life right now, having to deal with my legal frailties with the State and its upcoming punishments; it reminds me that with time, I will achieve my dream and goals. Those dream and goals will always be there, just like every morning, after the bitter cold nights, it will shine at me, waiting for me to capture it, indulge in it, and share it with everyone around me. I do not know when I will achieve it and let tears of joy stream down my face, but I am still walking this right path, knowing that it will take me somewhere, somehow to my state of being in the next 50 years; an old man looking back and smiling or frowning upon this moment. However, in this present moment, only time knows how this story will end.

Our First Outing

Here are some pictures of Yangmee's and Jaynou's first ever outing with me and Bao. Bao and I took them to Chuck E Cheeses where, by themselves, won 710 tickets together! Not many pictures because the mobile camera phone is not the best at capturing every moment. Time to invest in a real camera!

Her biggest smile.

His biggest smile.

His favorite ride.

War at Home

Today marks the first day where I realize what my worst flaw is. The flaw in which I never admitted to, even though I recognized that it was there in front of me every time I entered my own home. Who would think, your worst flaw lies in your own home? I never thought so.


I am the eldest son in a family of 6 children (3 being from my step mother). Being the eldest comes with many responsibilities, one in which to watch over and care for the younger siblings. I was great at it as we were still very young, taking care of them while my mom slept after working 3rd shifts and my dad was away selling homes. As we grew older, the family individually grew apart. As I entered high-school, my parents filed for divorce. I saw it coming and prepared for it.  My brothers, however were still young and not fully understanding the situation. I failed on preparing them for what was to come, to tell them that no matter what happens, we will still have each other as brothers and they were not alone. It was emotionally hard for me but it is no excuse for not being there for them. I cannot imagine how hard it was for them.


Now, we are all different. Different as in our social lives, education, behaviors, hobbies, etc. Being different is a good thing, but it can cause many different point of views that has clashed and will continue to if nothing is changed. My attention needs to shift. I need to start this change before it is too late. It may already be too late, but I still have to try. It first starts by knowing what the problem is.


My biggest flaw: not putting my attention at home where it is needed the most to tend to the ones close to me. It is as if I avoided all the problems at home. A war raged and I turned my back to it.