Fierce_LiNk

This picture would imply that Moyes has the capacity for emotion. Somebody on the RedCafe posted this photo. Followed by comments along the line of: "*sigh* He can't even get his finger up!", "Even Rodgers even points with more conviction!", etc.

That's the part that makes me sad. Well done. This feels worse to me than the 4-1 against Liverpool and the 6-1 against City, and we definitely played worse today than in those games. Against City, it was never a 6-1 game and we conceded three goals at the end when we over-committed. The sending off in the 4-1 game helped things along, but we played better than, too. We were shite at every stage. 0-0,1-0, 2-0 and 3-0. I'm amazed that a team with RVP, Rooney, Mata and Januzaj can't create anything. Some of the build-up play is fucking bizarre to watch. It just doesn't work. We've progressively got worse as the season has gone on. Can't believe it.

Check your PMs now. Oh my god, we are terrible. 2-0. Rafael should be off. We can't supply the ball to the strikers and we can't create.

I was talking to two Spurs fans about the signings that were made with the Bale money. Looking on it now, Eriksen seems to be the only one who's doing the business. I forgot about Lamela until I heard his name mentioned in midweek. "Oh yeah, shit...forgot they signed him." It was always obvious that Sherwood was an interim manager, no matter what he says. He hasn't got the credentials, the ability, the experience or the dexterity to be the manager at a top level club full-time. He's punching well above his weight at the moment, but now the results are starting to go against him and I don't think he has the ability to pull himself out of the hole like a great manager can. It's not easy, so it's no disrespect intended towards him. To be a manager at a big club, you need to be a special kind of person. I always thought he'd be out of the club by the following Christmas. I still think that. Regarding Moyes, he irritates the shit out of me, but a large part of me hopes that it'll eventually click and fall into place. He's made mistakes, but signing Mata was a good step towards redeeming himself. I watched our game last week and thought Fellaini looked great in midfield. A fit Fellaini can offer a lot to United. We're still short, and now it looks like the defence is where we need to sort it all out. Basically, keep the team that played last weekend (maybe even start Welbeck up top) and keep that 11 for the remainder of the season.

What's the deal with Lamela? Can't remember the last time he played. I take it he's injured. In fairness to Spurs, Benfica were pretty awesome tonight. Garay and Luisao were solid at the back...we should have nabbed Garay in the summer.

I pick up on Nintendo for it as they are the ones I still go to for my gaming fix. If I was a Sony fan, I'd slate them for it, too. I don't pay enough attention to the PS3/4 360/One to say for certain if the others are guilty or not. Nintendoland does look good, but the art style is also very, very similar to what you would have seen on the Wii. Yeah, it's prettier, but it almost seems like the same but nicer looking, without being all that unique. I like Nintendoland, but I don't love it as I did Wii Sports, Luigi's Mansion or Super Mario 64. To me, it feels like it had potential to be a killer title, whereas in reality it isn't. I disagree, I think quite a lot of what was achieved on Nintendoland could have been achieved online. Perhaps it would have been trickier for one or two games, but I do believe it's doable. Even then, surely there would have been a better way to showcase the GamePad's features AND show off the online capabilities of the Wii U in one swoop. Why not a racer, for example? No apologies needed as I didn't take offence. It seemed like a good discussion, to me. The problem with this view is that it alludes to the fact that Nintendo regard online as an extra feature, rather than something which is standard to the majority of their games. This is a huge issue that I have with them and one that many have had for years now. I do understand that it'll cost money and resources, but they've also been receiving negative press about this for years. Maybe they should give the gamers what they want, instead of what they think that they want?

But what about the idea of having...both local and online multiplayer? You shouldn't be restricted to just one. Either way, to just focus on local multiplayer is a bad strategy and they are paying the price for it. If the games were flying off the shelves and they were getting some great press for their strategy, then we wouldn't have any problems. But, the fact is that for...pretty much 2 generations (this one - half a generation, the Wii, and the Gamecube) they've been getting bad press for their lack of online infrastructure. It hasn't improved enough. The gap between Nintendo and the competition is growing too large and they are losing a huge section of their fans who are now shifting over to the other systems because they're wanting new things. Not adapting to the changing world is a bad strategy in any business. The world has changed and Nintendo are still trying to offer us things that might have worked at the start of last generation.

To an extent, yes. But, we're not talking about the other consoles, we're talking about Nintendo. When you compare their previous consoles and launch games with each other, they're all different and symbolic in some ways. The N64 had Super Mario 64, showcasing Mario in a never-before-seen way, full 3D visuals, full movement, etc. Luigi's Mansion showed the graphical prowess of the GameCube, the lighting, the awesome use of the controller's shoulder buttons, the fact that Luigi was getting some limelight. It was different, even the tone of the game was slightly quirkier that we're used to. Wii had Wii Sports which was...pretty mind-blowing in terms of idea and execution at the time. Nintendoland almost feels to me like it belongs on the previous system. It's more of a half-step. I just don't buy into the idea that it shouldn't be online. For me, it's an excuse. The world is changing and Nintendo has to change with it in order to keep up. If they were truly serious about online gaming, they would have made this work and they would have found a way. By not including online gaming, you're automatically excluding a huge chunk of your potential audience. Even then, if Nintendoland can't be done online, why use that as the star attraction and the Wii U's focal point? Why not create something that does symbolise what the Wii U's all about and make it online? It's such a massive part of gaming now and to not pay attention to it is silly, in my opinion.

Pretty much it. Basically, all of their past failures are coming back around all at once. I'm seriously doubting Iwata's ability to keep up and I'm not sure he's got enough balls to drag Nintendo into the 21st Century. The Wii had some reasoning behind it, at least. It was aiming to be different. It was a gamble and it paid off big-time. But, it also had flaws that Nintendo should have addressed. The online infrastructure was poor, standard online features weren't consistent across the console (never mind game to game) and there's also the issue over it being underpowered compared to its rivals. But, it also did so many things right, and the games were there at least, even towards the end with the likes of Xenoblade, The Last Story and Pandora's Tower. The Wii U was a chance for Nintendo to show off what it could do online. As much as I like Nintendoland, it perfectly sums up the Wii U in so many ways. It's charming, yes. It's quirky, of course. But, it wouldn't have been out of place on the previous console. It contains an idea that some say is slowly dying...the idea of gamers just meeting up face-to-face (5 of you) and playing together this way. No online. All they had to do was implement some sort of online system in that (should have been console-wide, bleeh) and I'm sure it would have set them off on the right foot. The Wii U is almost an extension of some of the ideas from the Wii, rather than being its successor. It almost does feel like an add-on.

Braaaahs, I've built all the shit in Colony 6. I spent houuuurs on there on Sunday because I pulled a back muscle and couldn't exercise. Don't think I moved all day. It was glorious. I've also reached:

The fact that we don't even know if Mario Kart will contain a basic online feature that is available in so many other games is disgraceful. It's got nothing to do with safety or protecting the children, it's just a slow attitude to move forward with the times.

There are some top quality Nintendo games, but there's also top quality third party games that are passing the system by. South Park has been released and the Wii U didn't even get a look-in with that. Although Colonial Marines didn't live up to the hype, I was really looking forward to playing it. Arkham Knight won't be coming to the Wii U. No Dark Souls II, it hasn't got The Walking Dead game, no Tomb Raider and it won't be getting Alien: Isolation. These are all games that I'd like to play on a Nintendo system. However, it's bullshit that these won't be coming or haven't come already. I was really looking forward to playing an Aliens title with the GamePad and we didn't get a chance. What's the point in having a great interface if there's nobody taking advantage of it. If I could go back in time, I doubt I'd have picked it up. Yes, some of the games that I've played have been great. Notably ZombiU, Pikmin and Wonderful 101. But, I could just as easily have got some of my other games for cheaper on another system and the back catalogue would already be there. In the long term, it probably won't be a great investment for me. Considering I absolutely loved the Wii, played it to death and own at least 65+ games for it, the Wii U isn't living up to it. We haven't got dates for X, Bayonetta, Zelda or Smash Bros. It's far too up in the air. Even then, the point is why can't you have BOTH the Nintendo titles and the third party games? This was something that was promised (ish) before the Wii U's launch and it feels like a con. Why must we choose between playing Nintendo games OR third party titles? Even then, the likes of Sony are building a decent first party line-up/exclusives. So, they're proving that you can have both. I only own one console and I only really have time and money for one system. At the time of Watch Dog's reveal and announcement of it being on the Wii U, it excited me and I was looking forward to giving it a blast. Even if the game does come, we have no idea if it'll even use the main features of the GamePad, or we don't even know how "complete" this version will be in comparison to the others. That's before we even know if the game itself is any good or not. It's a piss take.

Robben is such a prick. Tremendous talent, but I don't see why he has to dive all the time. Also, that penalty save was weird. It seemed like some sort of FIFA glitch, the way it didn't go over the line. Arsenal were unlucky, but you felt that Bayern could turn it on if they really needed to. Saying that, I really, really don't like the way that they play under Guardiola. They were better beforehand, much more ruthless. This team keep the ball well, but for me they're less exciting to watch.

To be honest, this situation stinks. It hurts knowing that you've spent money on a (relatively new) gaming machine that will either feature gimped versions of third party games, or it won't receive the game at all. It fucking sucks that we don't even know if the game will be coming out on the Wii U (I reckon it won't be). I'm tired of this bullshit. It's a con. Why should we have to feel "grateful" for a game appearing on a platform much later than it does on other systems or "happy" that it appears on there at all? It's a load of crap. It's like when games get announced for a Nintendo system and you hear that it has "some WiFi features" or some bollocks. Great...but this is the 21st Century, stuff like this should be a given by now. 200 fucking quid down the drain.

Unfortunately, DRAGOOOOO will be disbanding at the end of the season. This is our last hurrah. I've not really played any youth this season or paid attention to DV. I've lost that loving feeling, brahs. Good luck to the rest of you. It's been a hell of a ride.

Roland, is dat you?!

One of my best friends told me a story at uni about an encounter with her ex-boyfriend. They were watching a film or something and she just reached over with her hand and placed it on his knee. The next thing she knows, he is apologising profusely after having ejaculated inside of his underwear/trousers. The dude was called Roland. It made us both chuckle because we were massive Interpol fans at the time. Didn't even know shit like that could happen. Mind blown. They didn't last very long. Or rather, he didn't. Har har.

Take her on a picnic under the stars in London to seal the deal.

Not gonna lie, I'm close to crying, brah. Devastated by this news. Fuck this. Slowly, all of my childhood heroes are fluffing it. Uncle Phil, now Egon.

I tried the under the stars idea once and it was hands down the worst fucking idea that anyone has ever had. - Driving around Newport (an old Industrial town/soon to be city) expecting to find enough clear sky for stars. - Nowhere to park. - The places where you could park were busy residential locations. - Even if you could park somewhere, there was no chance of seeing a single star due to the cloud/pollution, etc. - Entire evening spent driving from one location to another hoping to find somewhere decent. - Getting pissed off, mood ruined. - Even if you could find somewhere, it's cold as it's Wales and the UK has shit weather for about 95% of the year. - You'll probably get mugged, stabbed and then mugged again as it's Newport.

Shit hot, right? Riiiight?

Oh Wii, you've cheered me up. I was feeling pretty miserable until I read your posts. You can always count on a sad act to brighten your day. We've played like this all season, but the performances have been getting worse and worse. That's regression, not progression! The passing and pressing is so terrible...seriously, what the fuck are the coaching staff doing? When you've got players like Carrick fucking up simple passes, you've got a problem. How awful was Ferdinand tonight, by the way? It's inexcusable. A team doesn't suddenly become bad overnight. Moyes has gradually fucked things up and he's got us playing a bizarre style of football. We finished tonight with Welbeck on the wing, Rooney in midfield and Smalling at right back, with Ashley Young on the other wing. When did things ever get this bad? The players aren't playing for their manager and they're not playing for themselves or their futures. Far too many people at the club think that their places are safe and are not playing with any balls. Shit football, shit formations, shit style of play. It's been like this ALL season. Edit: Also, if we insist on going around teams and bombarding them with crosses, can we at least try and make the crosses somewhat decent and overload the box with players? It's a stupid tactic. All teams have done all season is block off our wingers/flanks and we haven't been able to create, as we can't go through the middle. No plan B either.

Fourth copy? You should be ashamed, brah. DEATH TO ALL RESI 4 HATERS. I PUT A JIHAD ON ALL OF YOU. DUKKHA DUKKHA.

That sounds like my worst/nightmare combination. Loathe Superbad and hated The Social Network. I saw 12 Years A Slave (no separate thread for it?) and thought it was great. It's Oscar bait, but it's very good at what it intends to do. Michael Fassbender is one hell of an actor.

In fairness, I bought the game expecting a survival horror as every game before it in the series is a survival horror. It wasn't the game I necessarily wanted and for that reason we never got off on the right foot. I found it quite repetitive, there did seem to be occasions where there were far too many enemies on a screen at a one time (during some of the set-pieces, I guess you could call them that). I can see the appeal for those who like and wanted it, but it's not what I expected or particularly wanted. I tried to like it for what it is, but didn't. The skillshots, upgrades and all are cool and I probably would have seen the game in a somewhat better light had it been given its own licence and not "tacked on" to the Resident Evil series. There were moments where I thought there were some cool ideas, but large portions of it just seem out of place to me. It doesn't fit. I saw a suggestion from years back saying that Code Veronica should have been named RE4 and RE4 should have been renamed something else, that might have helped, as the game is vastly different to its predecessors. I think a large part of it is that I'm not particularly fond of this sort of game, and whilst I can admit that there are some cool ideas, it just doesn't work for me. Therefore, I struggled to get through it. I thought I explained it earlier? Apologies if I didn't. It's fun in the sense of the Wiimote controls were pretty fucking cool, you had amazing precision to shoot wherever the fuck you wanted. In that sense, it was fun. The game itself, for me, wasn't fun. Same thing with Skyward Sword. Controls were awesome and in that sense it was the most fun I've ever had playing Zelda. In another sense, the game itself fucking blew. Like that. I might give it a second go in the near future and see how I fare with it. I didn't have much motivation to play through it at the time and I was playing other games (Mario Galaxy) that were grabbing my attention. It could be a case of simply wrong game, wrong time, wrong expectations. We'll see. I'll let you know if I like it more second time around. This argument doesn't really make a lot of sense. We can't on the one hand criticise the old games for being sluggish and unfair to the input method, and then complain when those faults are completely addressed and fixed. The Wiimote doesn't really make it too easy at all (unless there's autoaim, which I don't think there is..maybe you can turn that off?) You can still be a shit shot, for starters. The controls make it fair in the sense that the input method doesn't get in the way, it doesn't exactly what you want it to. (plus, dual analogue blows for shooters. Once you've gone down the Wiimote/PC controls, you can never look back) I finished it, stuck with it all the way through. To be honest, in some ways, I probably did go into it with the wrong expectations. However, it was marketed as a Resident Evil game, it says that on the box, it was marketed and touted as being a survival horror (which for me, it isn't). It's in the same sorta realm as Starfox Adventures for me, it blatantly just got attached to the licence for the marketing, rather than being its own thing. Even then, discounting all of that, I found certain things annoying that I couldn't look past. The plot was pretty shit (it was a very poor continuation of the series story and it was weak in its own right, so it failed on both counts), I didn't really connect or feel for any of the characters, Ashley was annoying as fuck, Leon was a plank. The gameplay just didn't grip me and I was relieved to finish it because it meant I could put it away and start something else. I realise I'll be in the minority for this one, and I'll give it another go in the future to see how I feel about it after some time away. But, for me, it's not a game that I remember fondly of. Along with Skyward Sword, I found both games very boring to play. Edit: Long post is long. I've been travelling all day since 12 and have only just sat down (and am watching Match of the Day) so apologies if I didn't really answer an awful lot. Basically, I'll try it again and see.