Halo: Reach

Look, I understand that in describing and evaluating this game there may be many references and characters that a great majority of people wont be familiar with. I will try and do my best to throw in explanations when I feel they are absolutely needed, but some of you may just need to be content with not knowing fully what I am talking about.

I chose to review the video game Halo: Reach because of my particular affinity for the Halo series. It was the first game I bought for my Xbox back in 2003, and I immediately fell in love with the game. I proceeded to buy every title in the series (except Halo 3: ODST) and now I have bought the final Halo title that Bungie Studios will be releasing. The series will be continued by another studio called 343 Industries. Rumor has it that 343 is a startup company comprised of past Bungie employees, but even still it has been a good and long run with Bungie, and knowing this will be their last Halo title is bitter sweet- more sweet than bitter. With hundreds of hours of play time invested in this series it only seems right that I give homage to such a masterful franchise.

Since its release in 2001 Halo has been the defining game for Microsoft's Xbox consoles. Halo and the Master Chief have become something of pop-culture icons. With books, toys and clothing lines all coming from this blockbuster title, Halo is truly an example of synergy at work. So can this fifth and final Bungie title live up to its names' greatness, or has this decade-long saga outlived its shine? Find out next!

Halo: Reach is the fifth game in the best-selling series for the Microsoft Xbox 360 developed by Bungie Studios. Following Halo 3, which was effectively supposed to "Finish the fight" against the Covenant horde, comes the next installment of the saga (excluding Halo 3: ODST, which was a side story to Halo 3) Instead of continuing where the Master Chief (the leading character in the halo series) left off at the end of Halo 3, Halo: Reach takes a new approach as a prequel to the first Halo game- Halo Combat Evolved.

A brief history of Halo: Humanity has expanded outward into the galaxy colonizing many planets. A civil war has broken out among different colonies. The UNSC (United Nations Space Command) develops what is called the Spartan project (a training program for genetically enhanced super-soldiers) on the planet Reach. While the UNSC is fighting the rebellion they come in contact with an Alien race called the Covenant on the planet Harvest. The Covenant destroys Harvest and moves on to destroy Reach. The Covenant invaded Reach killing all but one spartan: the Master Chief. Before they could destroy the planet a ship called The Pillar of Autumn with the Master Chief aboard jumped blindly into hyperspace. With the Covenant hot on its trail The Pillar of Autumn emerges from hyperspace infront of a large ring-world: HALO! this is a very brief and not detailed backstory that leads to the beginning of the first Halo game. for a more detailed story click here

Halo: Reach is the story of a squad of spartans called Noble Team. In the game you play as Noble Six; a spartan super-soldier who is the newest member of Noble Team. If you know anything of the Halo story (which i briefly explained above) you would know that the planet Reach is ultimately destroyed. The real meat in the Halo: Reach story comes from the character development, and the dire circumstances of the situation.

Over the series' history the games have been focused as much on competitive multiplayer as they have on the actual story mode. Most would agree that as far as story goes Halo: Combat Evolved is probably the most unique. As the games in the series have progressed the story has been eclipsed by the sheer breadth of the multiplayer experience. You could spend hours explaining the lore of the Halo universe, but what truly keeps the players coming back hour after hour is the incredible depth of the competitive multiplayer mode.

As far as multiplayer is concerned Halo: Reach is no slouch. Halo has always been about providing its players with a vast array of customizable options, and Reach goes above and beyond all of its predecessors in this area. There are literally hundreds of modifications a player can make to the gaming experience. Perhaps the greatest leap forward in Halo: Reach is the introduction of Forge World. Halo 3 introduced Forge; a feature for creating map variants out the existing Halo 3 maps. Forge World is essentially a massive scale map with a huge variety of terrains that are designed to allow the player to create his or her own custom maps. Players are given hundreds of different building blocks that they can use to build almost anything. Pretty much if you can think it you can build it.

With each game is expected new and unique game features in order to keep the game feeling fresh. Halo 2 introduced dual wielding weapons, Halo 3 introduced deployable equipment, and now Halo: Reach's defining feature is the introduction of armor abilities. Armor abilities are unique abilities that each player is allowed to select at the beginning of each multiplayer game. Depending on what ability a player chooses he or she will be albe to sprint, be camouflaged, send out a hologram, use a jet pack, or a number of other various abilities. This new feature is perhaps the greatest leap forward in the Halo series, and adds a great deal of depth to the gameplay.

Other features include graphical improvements, a new and revamped firefight mode, the return of the theater ( a place where you can watch and save game footage), the armory (a place of extensive spartan customization), reticule bloom, and the Arena. Along with a host of others that I am sure I am forgetting. In short, there are few games that come with more features than Halo: Reach. You will truly get your sixty dollars worth out of this game, which is important with such high game prices.

To say whether or not this is the best Halo game is extremely difficult and maybe even impossible. Each game has been groundbreaking for its time, and has supplied me with a new challenge and hours of fun. Perhaps Halo: Reach is the game with the most features, but I wouldn't say it is better than any of the others. They are all incredible games; standing out on their own merits.

Personally I love the game. Halo has a relatively steep learning curve, and takes a large amount of precision to be successful, but there are few games that will offer you the same level of competition as Halo: Reach does. After nearly ten years of playing Halo it is sad to see this being the last Halo game by Bungie. But what a hell of a series! With each game selling more than its predecessor, and with each game debuting as the most played game on Xbox Live upon release it is easy to see that there is something about Halo that keeps people coming back.

here is a Halo: Reach multiplayer montage just for fun:

Men's Health: Magazine vs. Website

Usually Men's Health puts a guy with muscles on the cover, but I guess the President plays Ball!


Men's Health is a magazine that focuses mostly on how men can live a healthy life. Most of the stories tend to have random facts about exercise, nutrition, sleep, emotions, money and of course sex. There is always some sort of cover story on the celebrity who sits on the cover, inside the story you learn tactics that they use for healthy living. Occasionally some health horror stories will be thrown in, so you learn what not to do. It's organized in such a way that you don't keep running into the same topics back to back. You might read about the benefits of raw veggies on one page and then the very next page is about bacterias. In no way does the magazine have sections with a single topic strictly being discussed. Most of the articles tend to be short in length, but there is always at least a couple long articles in the magazine. Men's Health has tons of variety in the way everything is laid out. Each page has a different look to it, with different kinds of fonts, colors, pictures, and bullet points. Ads in Men's Health tend to be believe or not, men/health related! Ads include rogaine, beer, cologne, books, shampoo, protein shakes, and of course cars. From that list you can see there is definitely a lot of ads.

If you go to the Men's Health website you find that it is different than the magazine's layout. The homepage is most like the magazine, in that it is very diverse in it's features; but the website has specific web pages that cover specific topics. If you click on fitness, you are immediately taken to a section that strictly has articles and information on fitness. On the site you can also find videos and tutorials that can teach you about the given topic. There is even a section of the website where people can consult with a personal trainer, of course they charge after 30 days! The online version of Men's Health definitely allows the site visitor to interact with the site; you can post comments, participate in polls, and send in your fitness results. Also, the online version is constantly updated with different information, allowing the consumer to find new information constantly.

Men's Health is different than other magazines by how they combine different niches, to make one big awesome niche! They aren't just focused on exercise, or nutrition, or money. They connect different niches that allows the reader to stay interested and connected in the content they are offering. I would say the most dominated topic is: facts. Reading through Men's Health you find a never ending flow of useful facts that the reader can really take in to make a healthier life for themselves. For example one random fact in the newest issue says you should always drink after dinner, because the more you drink the more you eat. People who drink before a meal ate 15% more than people who drank after.
 The print version has stuff you can put up on your fridge, charts that allow you to know what veggies are best for you and how to cook them. That's one of the coolest things about the print version, is your able to take these charts and put them to use. What makes the actual magazine optimal is the fact you can take it with you and read it. It's in your hands and can go wherever you do. It's impossible to take your computer everywhere you go, or get online everywhere you go. We just don't always have access to the web, I'd say the site comes up short because you can't take the site with you everywhere; in your car, to work, or to an appointment. Once I've read the magazine it goes right into the trash, its not something that you want to read twice. Magazines have short shelf lives, this is their biggest shortcoming and where they fall short of the websites. The Men's Health site is constantly updated, allowing you to get that constant flow of the information you love to suck up. When your reading the Men's Health magazine, its a one sided direction of information, you read and can't give any feedback. Where the magazine is lacking, the site makes up for it by allowing you to actively communicate with people on the site. These people include other consumers, trainers, or nutritionists. You can also watch the videos on the site that show you how to do certain exercises. If you were someone new to working out, the Men's Health site would be very helpful to learn how to exercise properly, with all of the workout tutorials they have online. If you click here you can see a bunch of the workout tutorials that Men's Health has for you.

Men's Health targets the young professional who has an interest in being physically fit and healthy. Not only that, but the target audience is the man who cares about his image, whether it's his style or being physically fit. Ads on the site and in the magazine are definitely geared toward this target audience. For example there is a couple different health shakes being marketed and then there is the cologne type of ads. None of the ads appeared to be offensive, or as making fun of a certain stereotype. Their target audience is way too cool for them to risk putting stupid ads up (I know, I'm part of that audience) ha ha.

 For myself, I prefer the print version. It's more exciting to me to be reading the magazine, than it is to read the website. I guess it's because I'm always on my computer for everything else, it's nice to get a break away from the computer every now and then. Only when I want to know how to do certain exercises do I lurk over to the website. Overall, the audience is probably best served to visit the site. The website just has so many different resources and really allows you to dive into the topics that specifically interest you.

Men's Health really has taught me how to live a healthier life. I've always exercised, but it motivates me to exercise more and to exercise better. I've learned tons of valuable nutrition information that has helped me understand what a fit person should and should not eat. Reading Men's Health isn't just a time killer for me, it's an opportunity to learn the most up to date healthy habits. I'm not a fan of them on facebook or anything, but do consider myself a huge fan.

Doing this assignment made me realize how valuable and useful the website really was. I also learned that I'm stubborn in that I refuse to favor the site over the actual magazine. It's so cliche, but there is something about having the new issue of the magazine in my hand. I do see the amazing value in the website and can see myself visiting it more than I have in the past.

Community

Community airs every Thursday at 8 pm on NBC. We watched the show on 2-1-11.

Community is a sitcom based on the experiences of the characters at the community college they attend. In this episode the characters are in charge of developing a small skit or play, to raise awareness of the dangers of drugs. They are making the play to be shown to at-risk teens. Throughout this episode we see the characters preparing and eventually performing this skit in front of the teens.
Click here for the episode we watched.
Joel Mchale plays the lead character "Jeff Winger". Jeff is a student at the college who is forced to attend community college, after his law career didn't work out because he had lied about all of his education and qualifications as a lawyer. Chevy Chase plays "Pierce Hawthorne", an old man attending community college. Ken Jong plays "Ben Chang" the former Spanish teacher at the college, who also becomes a student at the community college. Gillian Jacobs plays "Britta", who is a stubborn younger woman also attending the college.
We watched this episode (the newest one) on Hulu. We had five separate ads throughout the program. A couple of the ads were for the video game "Call of Duty Black Ops." Verizon and Applebee's had ads in the program, as well as one commercial advertising for the movie "Cedar Rapids."
Since the setting of the show is a community college the show takes up certain stereotypes and gives a comedic slant as to how those interactions would play out. Since the characters of the show are all so different and of such different backgrounds it allows for an unlimited variety of funny scenarios for the sitcom. The show has a satirical style that plays off the stereotypes of people at community colleges. The United States population of community college students is HUGE! Meaning there is a huge audience that can potentially relate and be drawn to watch this show. Community is similar to shows such as "Parks and Rech" and "the Office". These shows all have real life settings that feature over exaggerated views of stereotypes.

 Community is a show that is riddled with stereotypes. In everything from the plot of the show to the cast of characters portrayed. The whole show is based around the stereotypes of the community college life. As a student at LBCC some of the stereotypes are shockingly true to my life as a student. Although they may be exaggerated a fair amount they are still surprisingly accurate. The show features an interesting cast of characters and it manages to stereotype just about every one of them in some way or another. The typical "weird old dude", the middle aged single woman, and the exaggerated Asian crazy person are all present. Its not even that each character has to work overly hard to meet their stereotype, and that is what makes it so disturbing; it reminds you of real life. . .

The advertisements are definitely geared to a young adult crowed. They basically paint the picture of the life of a young twenty-something: play some Call of Duty, watch a movie, talk on your Verizon phone, and then go and get some food at applebees. Its probably a smart move for Hulu to cater to this audience because of the large amounts of young people who use the internet, as well as the demographic that watches comedies on Hulu. It is possible that the ads could be geared more strongly towards men than woman, but that is only because of the Call of Duty advertisement.

 Community is clearly exaggerated in its portrayal of the community college lifestyle, but that is the way that sitcoms connect to their audience. They take a common situation and exaggerate it in order to make it funny. Community does this well, and often leaves you saying "that's so true", or "I’ve totally been there". I like the way that I can relate to the situations in the show. However, the show doesn't always "hit" on its potential ideas. Like any sitcom, some episodes just don't come across as funny to me. It is obviously not my favorite show, but I find more often than not it is quite entertaining.

According to this website checkit! reviews can be mixed. Some people have complaints about the show being overly stereotyped, and their claims probably have a fair amount of merit. But I think that is why the show is so great! They are exaggerated, but so is community college! Where else can you go and see a grown man wearing a pink pig hat, or a woman wearing no underwear, or even a man who wears short pink mini skirts every single day? Community college is full of all of these crazy things , and in my opinion real life community college might even be more outrageous than the show Community. Here is a link to the Community website in case you want to CHECKIT!
 I watch community whenever I have the immediate opportunity. Not owning a tv has caused me to watch most shows online. For the most part I don't have much time to be watching tv, so I rarely do tune in to this show. We have some friends who do watch the show on a regular basis; the fact they all attend or have attended a community college could definitely play a roll in why they are tuning in.
 After watching this show, you realize how easy it is to be relatable to the show. Since we are community college students, we are the target audience for the makers of this show. Producers of the show do an effective job of making the large target audience feel connected, since many of us have seen versions of the stereotypes in real life. There is real incentive for people to continue to tune in, you never know what theme of the show you will relate to next. Having shows that people can relate to is huge when looking for a core audience. "The Office" is another show people could just relate to, with so many people working in office settings. We can assume that this theme of relatable sitcoms will be around for a long time.

Miller lite MANUP 2010 ad campaign

The Miller Lite MANUP 2010/2011 is a television ad campaign. The commercial takes place at a beach bar in an unknown tropical location. A man approaches a bar and has a conversation with the female bar tender regarding his choice of beer and clothing. The commercials in this campaign tend to run around 30 seconds long.

Hidden-fear appeal is clearly the persuasive technique that is being implemented by Miller Lite in this ad campaign, but there is also a hint of snob appeal mixed in. The ad uses association principle by connecting the drinking of Miller Lite with being a real American man. By using video as a medium the message is clearly conveyed to its audience, and it is able to reach a large number of people.

There are several messages being expressed in this advertisement. Perhaps the most evident of all is the message that real American men drink Miller Lite. The ad also touches on the subject of American men being superior to European men. Companies have used the "manly man" approach to selling products for decades, and there is nothing new in the Miller Lite ads. Men between the ages of mid 20's to 30's are clearly the target audience. Makers of this commercial attempt to stereotype women as giving a crap about what kind of beer a man drinks. In addition Europeans are clearly linked to being feminine and embarrassingly stupid. European men would find this add extremely offensive in the way they are portrayed as such idiots.

After watching this commercial and the commercial add campaign that Miller lite is trying to convince viewers that "real American men" drink Miller lite, in no way are we convinced! In fact we found the commercials to be stereotypical, narrow-minded, and ineffective. You have to wonder why they would have such a small target audience. First they go for men, then in each commercial of this campaign they seclude a different type of man as not being "manly" enough to drink Miller lite. For example in one ad a man in skinny jeans is degraded be the female bartender for wearing the skinnies, a popular fashion fad in our country at this very moment. How is that effective marketing to degrade certain types of men, and also to only be marketing to men? By alienating so many individuals in their ads, we believe that Miller lite is doing more harm than good in the marketing of this beer. It would be so much smarter for them to market to all men, not just the ones that believe their stereotypes are true. Reaching a wider variety of men would seem to be in their best interest.
First off, Miller lite is just like any other lite beer and has very little taste. If you really care about taste, your going to get some sort of darker beer. After watching these stupid ads we are more than ever motivated NOT to drink Miller lite. Their campaign sucks and we would encourage people to not support these tasteless ads, or their tasteless beer!

For more from the MANUP ad campaign check out these links!

Momma's Boy

Skinny Jeans

Carry-all

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