02-22-10

There aren’t nearly enough co-op RPGs in this world.

Last Friday night, after a crazy busy week suffering video game withdrawal,  my boyfriend Daniel and I were bored and looking for something fun to play.  Tired of our usual go-to FPS genre with old standbys like L4D, we started searching around online to see what other alternatives we could come up with.  We ended up wasting half the night looking for games that either didn’t exist or games that we didn’t own and/or couldn’t put our hands on immediately.  But we had at least narrowed it down to three criteria.  We wanted to play something that was 1) Co-op.  2) Fantasy-ish.  3) Action/adventure-ish.

Turns out there’s not a whole lot to choose from.

We searched in vain online, Googling things like “fantasy co-op games” and “co-op RPGs” only to turn up a smattering of relevant results, usually in the form of old forum posts where other co-op-starved couples before us had ventured, daring to ask the same futile question and met with the same small, precious handful of games in answer.

Eventually we realized that if we were going to get our co-op RPG on, we’d have to kick it old school.  So I drug out my boxes full of old console games and began rifling through them, and to my delight, discovered a very neglected-looking but otherwise working copy of Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance II for Xbox.  I had had fond memories of the first Dark Alliance game, which, in a former life, I had beaten on co-op with my boyfriend du jour.  But I had never spent much time with the sequel, let alone play through it co-op.  Daniel and I suddenly had plans for our Friday night.

Eerily similar to our WoW alter egos, Dan selected the Dwarf Rogue character while I, comfortable in my usual role of heal bitch, opted for the Human Cleric.  I thought perhaps we’d play through the starting zones, maybe get to level 3 or so before getting bored.  But ever since last Friday night it has been non-stop BG:DA II every chance we get.  I forgot how much FUN these types of games are, especially on co-op.

And now back to my original point–why aren’t there more co-op RPGs out there?  Off the top of my head, the ones I can think of comprise a very short list:

• Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance I & II
• Champions of Norrath 1 & 2
• Diablo
• Gauntlet Legends
• Phantasy Star Online
• Sacred 1 & 2
• Secret of Mana

If you know of any others (any GOOD ones, that is), please comment…I’m listening!

07-22-09

5 Reasons Why the World of Warcraft Movie will Suck

Despite yesterday’s major geekgasm news that Sam Raimi will be taking up reigns as director of the highly-anticipated movie World of Warcraft, I remain pessimistic.

The World of Warcraft movie will suck, and here’s why:

1. First, let’s get the obvious out of the way.  As a general rule, movies based on video games suck.

   Need proof?
   - Super Mario Bros. sucked
   - Resident Evil (all of them) sucked
   - House of the Dead sucked
   - Silent Hill sucked
   - Laura Croft: Tomb Raider 1 & 2 sucked
   - Double Dragon sucked
   - Mortal Kombat 1 & 2 sucked
   - Street Fighter (both of ‘em) sucked

   …I could go on, but this post would get very long very quick.

2. The actual World of Warcraft sucks nowadays.  And things are only going to get worse as Blizzard scrambles to maintain its revolving door player base.  Blizzard may claim to have somewhere in the neighborhood of 11 million subscribers, but for all the new people signing up, there’s a whole lot of veterans and hardcore gamers leaving Azeroth, who are disenchanted with many of Blizzard’s recent “fuck you” decisions that tend to favor its own pockets over those of paying customers.  With the new Star Wars MMO looming on the horizon, Blizzard knows it must milk the WoW cash cow for all its worth–in the form of paid faction transfers and overhyped expansions.
3. I like Sam Raimi, I really do.   But just watch Spider-Man 3, and various other films Raimi has fucked up.  When it comes to directing, he’s kind of a hack who’s fortunate enough to have cult status/geek cred with the Evil Dead franchise.  Sure he makes some damn entertaining popcorn horror movies, but is he capable of pulling off an epic fantasy film?  I hope his work on Legend of the Seeker isn’t an indication…  Check out Raimi’s over-saturated IMDB page, where he’s currently listed to have over 20 projects in production, including Spiderman 4.
4. It will be told from an Alliance perspective.  Snore.  I guess even outside the game the Horde gets no love.  That aside, there are a zillion possible storylines in the World of Warcraft upon which to base a movie.  Why choose lamestream Alliance?  I guess two million Night Elves can’t be wrong.
5. Last year, I included the long-rumored World of Warcraft movie on my list of Top 5 Most Anticipated Fantasy Films of 2009, which up until recently, Blizzard has maintained would be the film’s year of release.  (I hope they didn’t really expect us to believe that! ) So it wasn’t at all suprising to hear that World of Warcraft: The Movie is now slated for release in 2012.  TWENTY TWELVE!  Will WoW still be as popular three years from now as it is today?

Hope I’m wrong!

04-26-09

Totally Emo Movie Heroes

There’s been a disturbing trend in Hollywood over the last couple of years: invasion of the emos.  Aparently we girls like our movie heroes hot, angry, and whiny.  For whatever reason, the hot male lead + pent-up angst formula seems to be working, because emo sells.  All of the specimens listed here can typically be found staring soul-searchingly out from the pages of Tigerbeat, or starring unwillingly in the steamy chapters of Mary Sue fanfics written by obsessed teenage girls.

Edward Cullen

‘Twilight’ 2008

Most emo line:
“I don’t have the strength to stay away from you anymore.”

Favorite emo accessory:
A well-tailored custom peacoat.

Recognizable by his brooding stares, perfectly disheveled hair and stalker tendencies, Edward Cullen is a product of the romantic fantasies of 30-something author Stephanie Meyer, who would like you to believe he’s a dangerous vampire despite not drinking human blood and having no fangs.  Edging out Buffy’s Angel in “the vampire who wants to be good” market, Edward Cullen is a vampy hero who spends the majority of his time obnoxiously torturing himself over his human love interest, the perpetual damsel-in-distress Bella Swan.  Superficially played by Robert Pattinson, who never read the books and never misses an opportunity to make fun of his own sculpted-browed character.

Harry Potter

‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ 2004

Most emo line:
“HE WAS THEIR FRIEND!!!”

Favorite emo accessory:
An invisibility cloak, to hide his spontaneous fits of crying.

There is perhaps no hero more emo than boy-wizard Harry Potter, who, among other things, struggles with school, girls, dead parents, abusive relatives, and an evil dark wizard who constantly tries to murder him.  In a way, his emo-ness is probably the most justified.  Some of Harry’s favorite activities include mouthing off to teachers and Slytherins, alienating his two best friends, staring longingly at pretty Hogwarts girls, and wallowing in the “nobody understands me” variety of self-pity.  Played by Daniel Radcliffe, whose acting (thankfully) seems to be getting better with each movie.

Anakin Skywalker

‘Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith’ 2005

Most emo line:
“Nooooooooooooooooooo!”

Favorite emo accessory:
A lightsaber, for murdering Jedi children.

Better known as Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker is the tragic antihero of the Star Wars universe.  Played by a young and virile Hayden Christensen, Darth Vader’s youth is a far cry away from the crusty old white man unmasked in the orginal Episode VI.  Unfortunately Christensen’s acting kinda sucks, so his verbal transition to the dark side is often ripe with unintentional humor.  Anakin’s favorite hobbies: disagreeing with the Jedi Council, chillin’ with Darth Sidious, brooding over visions of Padme dying (then later helping the process along by choking her—with his MIND), and whining because he wasn’t bestowed the title of Jedi Master.  Now that I think about it, most evil overlords act pretty emo, don’t they? I urge you to recognize the warning signs.

The Phantom of the Opera

‘The Phantom of the Opera’ 2004

Most emo line:
“The world showed no compassion to me!”

Favorite emo accessory:
A mask that hides half of his hideous face.

Despite being 50% brutally hot and having a tremendous singing voice, the Phantom, an eternal pessimist, refuses to recognize his inner beauty and instead uses his deformity as his justification for murdering, stealing, and of course, stalking the beautiful Christine Daae.  But it’s not actor Gerard Butler’s fault.  Gaston Leroux’s iconic Phantom of the Opera, once a ruthless and fearsome character, has been emasculated into the whining, crying, opera-singing emo kid most people are familiar with today, thanks to Broadway legend Andrew Lloyd Weber.  

Spider-Man

‘Spider-Man 3′ 2007

Most emo line:
“I don’t need your help!”

Favorite emo accessory:
His emo flip haircut. 

As if Peter Parker wasn’t emo enough—you know, crying about his dead Uncle Ben and pining over Mary Jane—in Spider-Man 3, Toby Macguire gets what can only best be described as an extreme emo makeover, ruining an otherwise decent third installment of the blockbuster Marvel franchise.

Futhermore, WTF is this?

 

02-13-09

Worst Valentine’s Day Gifts for Gamers

Valentine’s Day is just 1 day away.  So what have you gotten for your sweetheart who loves video games?

Stuck for ideas? There’s a ton of good blog posts out there recommending awesome V-day gifts for the special gamer in your life.  Great stuff like  this, any of these, and (my personal favorite) this.

But for all the great Valentine’s Day gifts for gamers, there’s a whole lot of bad ones.  And bad Valentine’s Day gifts can lead to crying, shame, and the withholding of sex.  Lucky for you, I’m here to help you avoid such pitfalls by reviewing some of the worst gifts possible.  This is especially helpful for you non-gamers who know you want to get your Valentine something gamer-related, but have no idea what NOT to buy.   And if you’re a gamer yourself, you should know better.

Warning: Giving your significant other any of the following items for Valentine’s Day may result in a swift and immediate breakup.

Wii Fit

There’s nothing like giving your partner a Valentine’s Day gift that not so subtly suggests they should lose some weight.  While I don’t think it’s quite as bad for a girl to give this to her man, I do pity the guy who makes the mistake of buying this for his girlfriend, especially if she didn’t ask for it. Getting a Wii Fit is analogous to receiving a bathroom scale, which, FYI, usually tops the lists of worst Valentine’s Day gifts.  Even if your intentions are completely innocent, stay on the safe side and just assume that on some level, whether subconsciously or not, she will get offended.

Generic Game Systems

For gamers, there’s nothing quite as disappointing as receiving a generic game system as a gift, especially if you had your heart set on a real one.  You know the ones I’m talking about–they’re the no-name “all in one” consoles with built-in games that QVC tries to pawn off on clueless moms around the holidays, or the Brand X game systems that resemble controllers collecting dust in some bargain bin at Toys ‘R Us. They’re easy to identify because A) they’re cheaply priced; B) they usually say things on the box like “you’ll never need to buy another game again!”; and most recognizably C) THEY DON’T FUCKING SAY “NINTENDO”, “XBOX”, or “PS3″ ANYWHERE!  Nobody, I repeat NOBODY wants one of these worthless pieces of shit as a gift on any holiday, let alone Valentine’s Day.  Avoid!

Stupid Gamer T-Shirts

There’s a lot of cool gamer t-shirts out there, but also plenty of uncool ones.  If you plan on getting some geeky gear for your favorite gamer, make sure you at least buy one that doesn’t make them look like a complete douchebag.  As a general rule of thumb, you should avoid anything that says “1337.”  Also terrible are shirts based on shitty games, shirts boldly proclaiming how much you “pwn” (unless of course you really don’t, and you’re just trying to be ironic), unfunny custom design jobs that nobody understands but you, or perhaps this shirt.

Rock Revolution

Also known as the game that ISN’T Rock Band or Guitar Hero.  So if your BF/GF had their heart set on either of these games for Valentine’s Day and you get them Rock Revolution instead, congrats, you fail.  It’s almost like the developers deliberately made this game to trick naive people into buying it thinking it’s one of the other two.  The tracklist is surprisingly not horrible, but hardly any of the songs are performed by original artists.  The game has also received terrible reviews from most critics and game sites.  Compared to Rock Band and Guitar Hero, Rock Revolution is undoubtedly the red-headed stepchild.

Plug ‘n’ Play TV Games

These little one-trick ponies are a close cousin to the aforementioned Generic Game Systems, and they come in a wide variety of games ranging from crappy to crappier.  These are the kinds of video game products you buy for someone that only likes or has ever played one video game in their entire life (usually Tetris), your grandmother who only knows how to play card games, or young children who you don’t yet trust enough not to fuck up a real console.  These plug ‘n’ play devices are typically very gimmicky, with product designs that go out of their way to let you know what game you’re playing, and uncomfortable controllers. While there are SOME decent retro plug ‘n’ play devices that mimic classic game consoles, they usually have exceptionally shitty controllers and/or a limited library of built-in games. The only time it’s acceptable to buy one of these toys is if you’re unable to acquire a real Atari or Commodore 64 and are desperate to play your old favorites.  Buy your Valentine the real thing instead!

Hope I saved you from a sex-less Valentine’s Day!

12-06-08

10 Gifts for Geeks for $10 or Less

With Christmas right around the corner, I thought it would be fun (and hopefully helpful) to put together a list of inexpensive gift ideas for geeks, all for under $10. (And I’m not going to cheat and mention $10 gift cards, either!)

Pocket LED Flashlight

Every geek needs a good flashlight, and even better if it fits in our pocket!  Great for wrangling with hard-to-see computer connections or venturing behind our A/V systems to connect new gear, a bright LED flashlight is a must-have.  X-treme Geek sells a nice mini LED flashlight for just $9.99.

Batteries

If there is one universal truth, it’s that geeks can ALWAYS use more batteries.  Between our wireless keyboards, wireless mouses, digital cameras, wireless game controllers, A/V remotes, Nintendo DSs, PSPs, laser pointers, gizmos, gadgets–wait, what was I saying?  Oh right: MOAR BATTERIES!  You can’t go wrong giving geeks a nice big pack of AA or AAA batteries.  A tad impersonal, but extremely practical and definitely appreciated–particularly during those moments we realize our battery supply is critically low and we dread thought of actually getting up to change the channel.

Sharpies

We love our Sharpies.  They’re great for everything from labeling the latest disc of pirated legally downloadable software you burned to Sharpie-ing perverse things all over your friend’s face when he falls asleep drunk on your couch. (Don’t ask.)  From Ultra Fine Points to Sharpie Minis to good ‘ol Original, there’s a Sharpie product in a wide range of colors for every geek’s Sharpie fetish.

Blizzard Authenticator

Over 11 million people play World of Warcraft.  Odds are you know at least one of them, and have no idea what to get them for Christmas.  The Blizzard Authenticator is a must-have accessory for anyone that plays WoW.  It protects their account from keyloggers, trojans, and other malicious attacks.  It’s a great gift and for just $6.50, it’s also super inexpensive.

Moleskine Pocket Journals

The “legendary notebook used for the past two centuries” (if you believe their marketing bull), Moleskine brand notebooks are a favorite low-tech vice of writers, artists, and geeks to ceremoniously commit our thoughts and sketches to paper.  Though the full-size notebooks are a bit pricey, you can score a pack of 3 cashier pocket Moleskines for about $8, blank or lined.  These pocket-sized journals are perfect for keeping in your pocket (shocker) to make quick lists or register random ideas on the fly.

Dice Set

For the D&D nerds, Magic players, and board game geeks on your list, a set of shiny new dice makes for a very thoughtful and useful gift.  What’s your geek’s favorite color?  Odds are you can find a cool-looking set of dice to match.  Board Game Central has a great selection of 6-sided and d20 dice sets all for under $10.

Caffeine

Whether it’s in the form of coffee, chai tea, energy drinks, or soda, most of us geeks require an endless supply of caffeine to help us through our late night coding projects, marathon gaming sessions, and the abysmal work day that follows.  Though cases of the really good stuff like Bawls and Jolt are on the pricey side, for less than $10 you can still give your geek a smaller-serving caffeinated shot in the arm.  How about gifting a sampler of 20 oz. energy drinks, or a trio of coffees or teas?   Also try Pacific Chai, Monster Energy, and there’s always Red Bull.

Comic Books

Comic books have evolved so much over the years, it’s perhaps more appropriate to think of them as readable works of art than the humble colorful distractions they used to be.  As the quality has gone up, so has the price, but you can still walk into any comic shop and pick up some great new issues with that glorious new comic smell for less than $10.  And with so many different titles to choose from, you’re sure to find something for everyone.  Who knows, you might even get your geek hooked on an awesome new series.  There’s also manga for the Japanophile on your list.

Thinker Toys

Between writing, brainstorming, troubleshooting, or figuring out why our damn program isn’t working, geeks need some kind of immediate stress reliever/creativity spark by our side.  Give your geek some inexpensive “thinker toys” for his or her desk.  Try some Silly Putty, Play Doh, Koosh balls, or perhaps a “thinky Slinky”?  Or go for the classic Rubik’s Cube (though it may cause more stress than it alleviates).  Anything goes, as long as it’s small, mildly entertaining, and keeps our hands and minds momentarily busy.

Computer Cleaning Products

Geeks love their computers and gadgets but it can be a neverending battle to keep them clean.  Crumbs in the keyboard, fingerprints on the laptop screen; these are our perpetual annoyances.  Which is why any geek can appreciate a little help to keep our LCD monitors and iPhone touchscreens sparkly clean.  Staples sells a nice little keyboard brush for less than $5 and a mini screen cleaner for under $10.

Hope I’ve given you some good ideas for the geeks on your Christmas shopping list!

11-26-08

Top 5 Most Anticipated Fantasy Flicks for 2009

#5 -The Elfstones of Shannara

The Elfstones of Shannara is the story of two intertwined destinies–that of Wil Ohmsford, grandson of legendary Shea Ohmsford, and Amberle Elessedil, who must go on a quest together to save the Ellcrys, the dying Elvish tree.  Ellcrys remains the last stronghold of magic protecting The Four Lands from the onslaught of the Demon World, and only Amberle, last disciple of the Druid Allanon, has the power to save it.

Director Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) will bring The Elfstones of Shannara, the second book of The Original Shanarra Trilogy by Terry Brooks, to the big screen in 2009, release date to be announced.

#4 - The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel is a contemporary fantasy that mixes ancient philosophy and renaissance history with a modern-day setting. Twin teens Josh and Sophie Newman work at a San Francisco bookstore/café for a bookkeeper whom they soon discover is actually Nicholas Flemel, the legendary ancient alchemist and keeper of The Codex. Nicholas and his wife Perenelle have been living eternally by drinking the Elixir of Life. When necromancer Dr. John Dee steals The Codex, Josh and Sophie are unexpectedly drawn into a world of magic and mystery to help Nicholas recover The Codex or face the world’s destruction at Dee’s hand.

The first book of the six-part The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series by Irish author Michael Scott, The Alchemyst will be a major motion picture by New Line Cinema in 2009. The film is currently in pre-production, with no official release date yet.

#3 - Inkheart

Inkheart is the story of a bookish young girl named Meggie and her father Mo, who has an extraordinary ability: when he reads books aloud, he brings them to life. The first book of the widely successful Inkworld trilogy, Inkheart is a charming tale by beloved children’s author Cornelia Funke. Similar to 2008’s The Spiderwick Chronicles, Inkheart is geared toward a younger audience set, and a definite family film.

Although not one of my favorite books (surprising, considering how much I adored The Thief Lord also by Cornelia Funke), the film’s trailer looks promising enough, and full of action, which is something I felt the book sorely lacked. Inkheart stars Brendan Frasier as Mo and child star Eliza Bennett as Meggie, and is set for a January 2009 release.

#2 - Warcraft

What we know: Warcraft will be a live-action movie by Legendary Pictures based on Blizzard’s hugely popular Warcraft series of PC games and World of Warcraft, the massively successful MMO. The PG-13 rated movie will be told from an Alliance perspective, and its storyline will be set one year before the events that unfold in World of Warcraft.

What we don’t know: Anything else. There’s still no images, no trailers. Not even an official web site. Yet Blizzard has confirmed, through a series of cryptic winks and nudges, that this movie is still very much in production. It’s hard to believe this movie will be a reality in 2009, considering how shrouded in mystery it seems to be. Not a word was breathed about the film at BlizzCon 2008, a huge disappointment for thousands of fans anxious for any kind of update they can get.

Update 1/23/2009: Quote from Blizzard:

“We are in fact working on a movie with Legendary Pictures, but we don’t have any new information to share with everyone just yet. At the 2007 BlizzCon, we even had a special panel with a little bit about the plans for the film. I’m sure you can find video on it or reports on it.

Just as an additional informational bit, it will be Live Action.

I’m quite sure there will be plenty of action, but there’s a story to be told too. I couldn’t tell you more though.”

Update 7/22/2009:  Sam Raimi confirmed as director!!

#1 - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Imagine looking forward to a movie you’re really excited about. Not just any movie, but the sixth and most crucial film adaptation of the bestselling book series of all time. The release date draws near. You start seeing posters, promotions, production stills. Your excitement builds. You watch the trailer, and it looks amazing. You cannot wait to pre-order your tickets. And then you find out it’s getting delayed. By eight months.

That’s exactly what Warner Bros. did to millions of excited Potter fans eagerly awaiting the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Just two months before the film’s originally-scheduled November 2008 release date, Warner Bros. announced it would be moving the release date to July 2009. The backlash was immediate. There were petitions, boycotts, and a flood of strongly-worded emails to Warner Bros. studio execs. Their reasoning—some vague excuse about the writers’ strike impacting their bottom line—was hard to swallow, especially after watching them rake in hundreds of millions from last summer’s box office megahit The Dark Knight. Yet despite our outrage, we all know that come next July we’ll still be pre-ordering our tickets and lining up in droves at the eventual midnight release.

(I’m still bitter, can’t you tell?)

11-25-08

6 Geeky Things I’m Thankful For

Thanksgiving is just two days away. Come Thursday I hope to be in a full-fledged turkey and wine-induced coma, surrounded by family and friends, kicking off a blissful four days of gaming, couching, Netflixing, and leftovers. Gearing up for the long weekend has got me thinking about all the geeky things I’m thankful for.

Here’s a look back at 2008 from a grateful geek girl:

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

I’m thankful for The Tales of Beedle the Bard, the new children’s fairy tale book and Harry Potter companion piece from one of my favorite authors, J. K. Rowling. Since 1997, I along with most of the world have adventured alongside Harry in his seven-year battle against You-Know-Who, and like so many other fans, was depressed when the series came to its heart-wrenching conclusion last summer. Looking forward to the book’s release this December 4th, when I and legions of Potter fans can delve once again into a small piece of the wizarding world.

The Dark Knight

I’m thankful that The Dark Knight was a pivotal box office phenomenon, and arguably one of the best super hero movies ever made. I’m thankful that Heath Ledger will be remembered for one of the most riveting and brilliant performances ever known to big screen villainy. I’m thankful that this movie has defined the new standard against which all future super hero movies should be judged, and I’m optimistic that Hollywood will start paying attention.

The New Xbox Experience

I’m thankful for the New Xbox Experience, and Microsoft’s partnership with Netflix to bring the “Watch It Now” movie service to the Xbox 360 console free of charge. Netflix subscribers that own an Xbox 360 no longer have to face the inevitable decision to shell out $100 for a Roku Netflix player, yet another peripheral that would clutter up our home entertainment systems. I’ve found the high-quality streaming service to work absolutely perfectly. It’s just too bad about Sony’s sour grapes.

Wii Fit

I’m thankful for Nintendo and their seemingly endless innovation when it comes to producing fun and easy to learn yet challenging games for the Wii, most notably 2008’s simple but surprisingly effective title Wii Fit. While Wii Fit certainly doesn’t score any points for breathtaking graphics or intense gameplay, there is something to be said for any game (or non-game) that motivates us lazy gamers to get off the couch and get physical—and have fun doing it.

The Twilight Saga

I’m thankful for Stephenie Meyer’s ridiculously cheesy Twilight Saga, whose sophomoric books managed to completely suck me in for a good two weeks of unadulterated guilty pleasure reading, the perfect antidote to a stressful month . I’m also thankful that the equally cheesy and unintentionally hilarious Twilight movie—which grossed $70 million on its opening weekend, thanks to dreamy Rob Pattinson—made for one of the most entertaining and memorable girls’ night outs I’ve had in a long time.

Wrath of the Lich King

I’m thankful for Wrath of the Lich King, the latest and greatest expansion to the second life I know as World of Warcraft, which gave me the excuse to get back in touch with old guildies and good friends (some virtual, some real) and fall in love all over again with the sheer awesomeness of this game. Blizzard has really outdone themselves with this release. The stunning visuals and beautiful music score alone were worth the wait. Indeed, things were getting pretty boring around Azeroth until you showed up, Arthas.

Looking forward to all the geeky things 2009 will bring!