EA Games Via A Cable Box?

I've been sitting on this story for a couple of days because I've been waiting for it to develop more, but since it hasn't I'm going to give my opinion about it.  According to a report on Ars Technica, Comcast is currently in discussions with Electronic Arts to allow some of EA's games to be played on Comcast's set top boxes via live streaming.  The article states that this may allow some of EA's most high profile titles, including, according to the article, "FIFA, Madden, and Plants vs. Zombies" to be played on a normal cable box.  While I think that such a service would be a good addition to Comcast's current service, I do not think that most people will be playing Madden on their cable box anytime soon.  What will they be doing?

Electronic Arts owns PopCap Games, who are responsible for such games as Bejeweled, Peggle, and Zuma's Revenge.  Games like this are ones you can easily jump into, get enjoyment from, and not require the user to manipulate a multi-button controller or keyboard.  In fact, it can be reasonably said that you can control most of PopCap games with just a simple remote control, and that is how most people will be using this service.  While some people may try to play Madden or FIFA with their cable remote, or possibly with their table computers via a Comcast specific app, most of the players of these games will find the experience too limiting due to the constraints of their chosen controller.  However players of more casual games will not have a problem with the limit of their chosen controller, and may find being able to play these games from their couch, as opposed to sitting in front of their computer screen, to be a better experience.  Madden via a cable box may never truly take off, but Peggle via a cable box has the possibility to be very successful.

Project Buy An Big Ass DVR

As a part of Project Buy A House, I've been looking at how different things will impact my budget.  This includes increased gas consumption, the cost of living in the places I'm looking at, how much it costs for an escort to visit your home, and the price of cable television.  It's not that I'm displeased with my current television service, it's jut that I'm displeased with my current internet service and many of the services in my area bundle TV and internet together for the purpose of making it more of a pain in the ass to switch.

I don't have Google Fiber in my area, yet, and the biggest provider of high speed internet in my area is Comcast.  Sure I could look into UTOPIA service, but I'd like to not limit where I want to buy a house to the extremely limited are where UTOPIA is available.  I could go with CenturyLink, but that's what I have now and I've already annoyed the people who follow me on Twitter bitching about it.  So, Comcast it is, but, as the responsible adult that I would like people to think I am, I don't want to know the introductory rate that is shown on the Comcast website for bundled cable TV and internet service.  What I want is the rate that I will be paying after the year long introductory rate.  Thankfully there's a service for that.

One of the things that popped up on my screen was a live customer service popup talk thing.  The person on the other side of the live customer service popup talk thing seemed to be very cheery and helpful as most people who are paid to be cheery and helpful are paid to be.  I asked the customer service person on the other side of the live customer service popup talk thing what the price of the particular service offered by Comcast would be after the initial introductory rate.  The response from the customer service person on the other side of the live customer service popup talk thing was what was my current address.  I replied that I was looking for to get into a new home, that I didn't know where that new home was going to be, so I didn't have an exact address, but I did know the general area of where I wanted to live.  Apparently that was a problem.

Why do I need to know where I am going to live in order to know what the price of Comcast's bundled internet and cable television service is going to be after the introductory rate?  Why isn't that information available on their website?  And why couldn't the customer service guy on the other side of the live customer service popup talk thing just give me that price?  I am trying to live within a budget, and the price of cable TV and high speed internet will factor into that budget and affect the monthly mortgage that I am comfortable with paying.  Why should I have to be already committed to knowing what house I am going to buy before know the price of Comcast's bundled service?  Man, I really wish I had another alternative that I was comfortable with other than Comcast that I can contrast this with.

Verizon's Quantum TV DVR Records up to 12 Channels at Once

Unfortunately, I can't have nice things, like Verizon's ultra-fast internet and TV with a motherfucking big ass DVR that can record all of the things at once.  Sigh.

****- Captain Jeff And The Incredible Burning Fraiser

In the port known as Network, controlled by the high and mighty Fascist Control Corporation, there are four big ships. Sure there are little ships that dart in and out of the port known as Network, but those ships rarely matter. These four ships are The Tiffany, The Mickey, The Bart, and The Fraiser. What follows is the story of The Fraiser and its captain, known only as Captain Jeff.
Our story begins in the office of Captain Jeff on board The Fraiser. Captain Jeff is contemplating some hard decisions when his assistant, Liz, enters his office.

Liz- Captain Jeff, the owner of The Fraiser is here to see you.
Captain Jeff- Good, let him in.
The owner of The Fraiser, Gary Edwards, enters Captain Jeff’s office.
Gary Edwards- Captain Jeff.
CJ- Mr. Edwards, a pleasure to see you sir.
GE- Well, this isn’t a pleasure visit Jeffery.
CJ- Okay, what is this about?
GE- I’ve sold The Fraiser.
There is a short pause.
CJ- You’ve sold The Fraiser?
GE- Yes.
CJ- May I ask to whom?
GE- Commandant Castman.
CJ- Oh. I hear he’s good.
GE- He is.
CJ- And he knows how to pilot his own ship.
GE- He does. Well, I’m getting out of here. Good luck.
Gary Edwards sprints out of Captain Jeff’s office and off The Fraiser. Liz reenters Captain Jeff’s office and says-
Liz- Sir, is there anything I can do for you?
Captain Jeff is visibly shaken at the news that The Fraiser has been sold. He collects himself and says-
CJ- Can you get Nick and Jay to come to my office?
Liz- Yes sir.
Liz leaves Captain Jeff’s office, leaving him alone. Then another person enters.
Nick- Captain Jeff, you called for me sir?
CJ- Nick, you’re in charge of one of the sections of the ship’s prime sections, right. The sections where everybody hangs out?
N- Yes I am sir.
CJ- And you will do anything I ask?
N- Yes sir.
Captain Jeff starts fishing around under his desk. Captain Jeff pulls out a red metal container with the word “GAS” painted on it. Captain Jeff throws the container to Nick and says-
CJ- Here’s a can of gasoline. Open it up and start pouring it out on the prime sections of the ship.
N- But isn’t spreading gasoline around a ship a bad idea?
Captain Jeff reaches into his desk drawer, pulls out a pistol, and points it at Nick.
CJ- Yes, but not doing what I say is also a bad idea. At least, for you it is.
Nick leaves Captain Jeff’s office, gas can in hand. Liz enters Captain Jeff’s office and says-
Liz- Jay is here to see you.
Jay enters Captain Jeff’s office. Liz remains in Captain Jeff’s office.
Jay- Yes sir, you wanted to see me sir.
Captain Jeff fishes under his desk, pulls out another gas can, throws it to Jay, and says-
CJ- Take this and start pouring out the contents onto our late night crewman party stage.
J- Yes sir, Captain Jeff sir.
Jay goes to leave but Liz stops him.
Liz- Wait a minute. Sir, I think that’s a bad idea. The crewmen really enjoy the late night crewman party stage. It’s been a tradition nearly as long as The Fraiser has been commissioned and it would be a real tragedy to lose it.
CJ- And?
Liz- And that red headed kid, The Barbarian, is currently performing on that stage.
A smile comes across Captain Jeff’s face.
CJ- Hey Jay.
J- Yes sir, boss sir.
Captain Jeff fishes under his desk, pulls out another gas can, and throws it to Jay.
CJ- Pour that one exclusively on that unworthy ginger fuck, will ya.
J- Will do sir.
Jay darts off to do what Captain Jeff directed him to. Captain Jeff starts digging around in one of the boxes on his desk. He pulls out of this box a cigar and a lighter. As Captain Jeff walks out of his office, Liz says to him-
Liz- Captain Jeff, are you sure you know what you’re doing?
CJ- Liz, I know exactly what I’m doing.
Captain Jeff walks out of to the deck of The Fraiser, approaches the side facing the port, and just stares out into space. Nick is seen pouring the gasoline on the prime parts of the ship and Jay is seen joyfully pouring the gasoline over the head of The Barbarian. As Captain Jeff continues to stare out into space, a guy is seen in the port running toward The Fraiser. They guy stays off ship and begins to yell at Captain Jeff.
Guy- Hey! What are you doing?
CJ- Who are you?
Guy- Commandant Castman.
CJ- Oh. Well, Mister Castman, I’m burning down your ship.
Commandant Castman- Why?
CJ- I’m out of a job one you take over, so fuck it.
Captain Jeff sparks his lighter, lights his cigar, and holds out the still light lighter for Commandant Castman to see.
CC- No, you can’t burn down my ship.
CJ- Watch me.
Captain Jeff drops the lighter on The Fraiser and the ship erupts in flames. All of the sailors on The Fraiser, except for Jay, begins to evacuate The Fraiser, fearing for their very existence. The last image seen is Captain Jeff smoking his cigar as the ship he is tasked to take care of slowly sinks into the sea. The last thing Captain Jeff says is-
CJ- I think I did a really good job being captain of The Fraiser.