14B - qMichigan Daily - Week~d, etc. Magazine - Thursdayovember 15, 2001

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Michigan Daily - Weeend, etc. Magazin

A weekly guide to who's Thursday, November 16
where, what's hap ening and through
why you need to pe there ... Wednesday, November 21
Films opening

Will 'X' mark the spot for Microsoft and ga

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Whatever, Star Wars is going to kick its
ass in May. At Showcase: 10:00,
10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 12:30,
1:15, 1:45, 2:15, 2:45, 3:30, 4:00,
5:00, 5:30, 6:00, 6:30, 7:00, 7:30,
8:15, 8:45, 9:15, 9:45, 10:15,10:45
(Fri. and Sat.), 11:30 (Fri. and Sat.),

12:00 (Fri. and Sat.).
'The Wash One Snoop movie leaves,
another comes out. That's surprisingly
productive. At Showcase: 10:20,
12:20, 2:25, 4:35, 6:45, 9:05, 11:20
(Fri. and Sat.).

Films holding

By Jeff Dickerson
TVW/New Media Editor
The battle of the video game con-
soles has a new participant, tech-
nology juggernaut and corporate
behemoth Microsoft. With a mar-
keting budget larger than most
countries' Gross National Product
(half a billion to be exact), Bill
Gates and company hope to find a
niche in the highly competitive
industry.
In the past, American companies
have had little or no luck in the
hardware business. Remember the
Atari Jaguar or the 3DO? Chances
are you never played and probably
never even heard of these domestic
failures. The last successful
American console was back in the
early-'80s when Atari. dominated
with its famous 2600 machine.
Lack of competition and over sur-
plus of atrocious games lead to the
crash of the video game industry in
1984. Then came along a little
Japanese company called Nintendo.

Times changed fast and videogames
have been exclusively made in the
Far East. The big question to
Microsoft is how they will be able
to buck the historical odds and
make some cash out of their mon-
strous investment.
The Xbox will set you back $299,
the same price as a PS2, but a
Benjamin more than Nintendo's
GameCube. The machine itself is
somewhat of a beast compared to
other systems, both in size and tech-
nical specs. The black box is quite
heavy and takes up as much room as
that dusty VCR in your dorm room.
Underneath the dark casing lies the
most powerful hardware ever pro-
duced for a console.
Want some technical jargon? The
Xbox runs at a brisk 733 MHz,
almost three times that of the
Playstation 2. Microsoft also domi-
nates in the RAM category, boast-
ing 64 MB versus the 32 MB and 43
MB of Sony and Nintendo respec-
tively. In the polygon count Xbox is
once again far ahead of the pack

13 Ghosts A shiny new donkey for who-
ever brings me the head of Matthew
Lilard. 8:30, 10:30, 12:15 (Fri. and
Sat.).
Domestic Disturbance I heard that half
way through the film, Travolta cuts
Vaughn's face off and wears it around
to find out what really happened. At
Showcase: 11:20, 1:25, 3:35, 5:40,
7:45, 10:00, 11:55 (Fri. and Sat.).
Heist"Thisthas that spark that "The
Score" et al were missing. At
Showcase: 10:05, 11:45, 12:25, 2:20,
2:50, 4:50, 5:20, 7:20, 7:50, 9:50,
10:20,12:05 (Fri. and Sat.), 12:35 (Fri.
and Sat.).
K-PAX I swear to God, Spacey, if "The
Shipping News" is another
"Chocolat"... At Showcase: 11:25,
1:55, 4:25, 6:55, 9:30, 11:45 (Fri. and
Sat.).
Life as a House Kevin Kline is good, but
"At First Sight" just sucked donkey. At
Showcase: 11:05, 1:50, 4:30, 7:15,

9:55, 12:25 (Fri. and Sat.).
Monsters, Inc. Those clever bastards at
Pixar have done it again. At Showcase:
10:15, 10:45, 11:15, 12:10, 12:40,
1:10, 1:40, 2:30, 3:00, 3:40, 4:15,
4:45, 5:15, 5:45, 6:35, 7:05, 7:35,
8:05, 9:10, 9:40, 10:10, 11:10 (Fri.
and Sat.), 11:40 (Fri. and Sat.).
The One Jet Li joins up with Turkish and
Bo Catlett. At Showcase: 11:35, 1:30,
3:25, 5:25, 7:25, 9:25, 11:15 (Fri. and
Sat.).

with its tremendous ability to pro-
duce 125 million raw polygons per
second. Sound is perhaps the finest
technical feature of the system as it
is the first to offer gaming in Dolby
Digital surround sound.
While there is plenty to boast
about the Xbox, one thing surely to
create some mixed emotions is the
controller. Its design is similar to
the Sega Dreamcast, with extra but-
tons on the front. The size is bulky
to say the least, and quite cumber-
some compared to the Playstation
controller so many gamers have
grown accustomed to.
If deciding on which system to
buy the kids for Christmas was as
easy as reading the specs on the side
of the box, Microsoft would win
hands down. The real attraction to a
system lies in the number of great
titles to choose from. Microsoft isn't
exactly a household name when it
comes to games like software giant
Nintendo, but the Seattle juggernaut
has a few potential blockbusters up
its sleeve.
MICRoSOFT's XBOX

The highlight of the launch libra
of more than 20 games is "Halt
brought to you by a little compa
known as Bungie software. If y
were one of those people hopeless
addicted to "Goldeneye" for the 1,
few years, its successor has fina
arrived. The multi-player first p
son shooter features vast levels a
countless options, not to menti
gorgeous graphics that show off t
capabilities of the machin. "It's t
reason I'm buying an Xbox," sa
Jon Van Oss, LS&A senior. "T
game looks incredible and the ea:
buzz has been great," continued t
student. He's right about th
Videogame publications are clai:
ing it is the best title for either Xb
or GameCube, calling it the "mi
own game."
Shooting down people might r
be for you, but chances are ther
something for everyone in the ear
Xbox library. Sports enthusiasts c
choose from "Madden 2002," "NF
Fever 2002" or "NHL Hitz 200:
Fighting game buffs can immer

Serendipity Please just
Showcase: 1:20, 6:10.

die. At

Shallow Hal A SMA LL, seasoned
curlies! At Showcase: 11:10, 11:40,
1:35, 2:05, 4:10, 4:40, 7:10, 7:40,
9:35, 10:05, 11:50 (Fri. and Sat.),
12:20 (Fri. and Sat.).
Training Day That's why you're the
judge and I'm the law ... talking ... guy.
At Showcase: 10:40, 3:20, 8:00,
10:25, 12:40 (Fri. and Sat.).

NINTENDO's GAMECUBE

C~ourtesy ofWarner Bros.

Gene Hackman explains how he would like to knock out anyone who messes with him in "Heist."

Today
BOOKS
Visiting Writer Stuart Dybek Award-win-
ning Western Michigan English prof and
short-story writer will read. Hale
Auditorium in the Business School, 5 p.m.
Free. 647-6471.
Tibetan Monk Reads at Shaman Drum
Allen Ginsburg's former Buddhist guru,
Rimpoche Nawang Galek, will read from
his new book on reincarnation. 8 p.m.
Free. 662-7407.
CAMPUS CINEMA
Together Michigan Theater. 7:15 & 9:30
p.m.
Waking Life You just gotta keep livin'
man. L-1-V-1-N. Michigan Theater. 9:15
p.m.
Grateful Dawg The electric yellow's got
me by the brain banana. State Theater.
7:15 & 9:30 p.m.
Muholland Drive A pilot ... right. State
Theater. 9:20 p.m.
MUSIC
Plaything Stop! If you keep playing with
that thing you'll go blind! Wooden
Nickel, Ypsilanti, 9 p.m. $5 482-6500.
jettison Red Red isn't just a name it is
a feeling. T.C. 'sSpeakeasy, Ypsilanti,
10:30 p.m. $3 483-4470.
Pam Tillis She has had six number one,
country hits, do those even count? The
Ark, 316 S. Main St., 8 p.m. $35 761-
1451.
THEA TER
"The Secret Rapture" University
Productions presents this David Hare

play, which tells the story of two greedy,
selfish sisters who compete with one
another over get-rich schemes in
Margaret Thatcher-era England. 8 p.m.
Mendelssohn Theatre. $15-20, $7 for
students w/id. 764-2538.
"It's All True" Performance Network
presents this play based on Orson
Welles' struggle to present his contro-
versial show, "The Cradle Will Rock,"
against ahbackdrop of political upheaval,
humor and music. Performance
Network, 120 E. Huron. 8 p.m. $20.
663-0681.
A LTERNA TIVES
"A Matter of Degree: Abstraction in
Twentieth Century Art" This exhibit fea-
tures 20th century works from the
UMMA's permanent collection that
focuses on abstraction in landscapes,-
objects and figures. UMMA, 525 S.
State. Free. 764-0395.
"Japanese Fisherman's Coats of Awaji
Island" Exhibit features the Japanese
folk textile tradition of these patterned,
handcrafted coats. UMMA, 525 S.
State. Free. 764-0395.
"Donald Sultan: The Smoke Rings"
Using a variety of materials, American
Donald Sultan portrays the artistic side
of cigarette smoke rings. U-M Museum
of Art, 525 S. State. Free. 764-0395.
Friday
BOOKS
Acclaimed Storyteller Reads Richard
Burgin reads from his collection of short
stories, titled "The Spirit Returns." 8
p.m. Shaman Drum, Free, 662-7407.
CAMPUS CINEMA
Amelie From the brains behind

"Delicatessen" and "City of Lost
Children" Michigan Theater. 7 & 9:30
p.m.
Waking Life See Thursday. Michigan
Theater. Midnight.
The Man Who Wasn't There A Coen
Bros. film sans Buscemi? State Theater.
7 & 9:30 p.m.
Novocaine I thrill when I drill a bicuspid.
It's swell though they tell me I'm mal-
ad-just-ed. State Theater. 7:15 & 9:15
p.m.
MUSIC
The Original Brothers and Sisters of
Love, The Restroom Poets The rest
room poets? I've seen your work in
Angell Hall and yeah Statedoessuck.
The Blind Pig, 208 S. 1st St., 10 p.m.
$5 ($5 under 21) 996-8555.
Annie Capps Annie get your gun and
bust capps.Zou Zou's, Chelsea, 8 p.m.
Free 433-4226.
Superdot Ska drenched in alcohol. T.C.'s
Speakeasy, Ypsilanti 10:30 p.m. $3
483-4470.
THEA TER
"Chicago" MUSKET, a student-run the-
ater group, presents this musical, with
lyrics by Fred Ebbwandmusic by Johm
Kander. 8 p.m. Power Center. $12, $7
students. 764-0450.
"The Secret Rapture" See Thurs.
"It's All True" See Thurs. $25.
A LTERNA TIVES
"A Matter of Degree: Abstraction in
Twentieth Century Art" See Thurs.
"Japanese Fisherman's Coats of Awaji
Island" See Thurs.
"Donald Sultan: The Smoke Rings" See

Think outside of the 'Box'

- buy the 'Cut

By Matt Grandstaff
Weekend, Etc. Editor
With today's release of Microsoft's
Xbox, there are probably many who are
shelling out major cash to further sup-
port Bill Gates' latest scheme to take
over the galaxy. For those videogame
fans reading this article instead ... pat
yourself on the back. Rather than splurg-
ing on a system from a company that has
no experience in the home console busi-
ness, you are smart enough to wait a few
days to go with the system geared for
videogamers ... the Nintendo
GameCube.
GameCube, launching in the United
States on Sunday, is all about the games.
Rather than including multimedia func-
tions like DVD playback as seen on
Xbox and Sony's Playstation 2,
GameCube puts all of its power into dis-
playing some of the most visually stun-
ning games of all-time. If you don't
believe it, take a look at "Star Wars
Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader,"
which is released the same day as the
GameCube system. The game's graphics

will make garners ponder whether they
are playing a game or finally seeing the
original "Star Wars Trilogy" on DVD.
On the subject of games, GameCube
promises to have all the fan favorites.
Games included on this list include
GameCube's flagship title, "Luigi's
Mansion," in which the nearly forgotten
brother of Mario finally gets his due,
"Mario Sunshine", a new "Legend of
Zelda" and the long overdue return of
Samus Aran in "Metroid Prime." For
engineering sophomore Justin
Myslayjek, these first party titles are the
key to GameCube's success. "Just look
at the first-party development of
Nintendo ... it's unbeatable," he said.
As far as third-party software goes,
Nintendo looks to rectify the problems
they ran into with the Nintendo 64.
Being a cartridge-based home console,
the 64 scared away many developers as
they were limited in video and sound
capabilities. Seeing this as a setback,
Nintendo has finally jumped from car-
tridges to mii-DVDs. As a result of
Nintendo's new developer-friendly for-

mat, many companies including
Capeom and Namco, are coming back to
Nintendo with open arms. By getting
these companies back, along with
receiving continued support from EA
Sports, Activision and others, the
GameCube looks to provide something
for all gainers.
This brings up yet another improve-
ment GameCube looks to make over the
Nintendo 64 - the age factor. For older
gainers, many complained that the
Nintendo 64 was too kid-oriented.
Knowing this, Nintendo looks to dirty up
their squeaky clean image with the
GameCube. In fact, just a few months
ago, Nintendo reached an agreement
with Capcom so that the next five.
"Resident Evil" games will appear
exclusively on GameCube. Known to be
one of the goriest franchises in video
game history, Nintendo will no longer
have to worry about its "kiddy" image.
However, with games like "Mario
Sunshine," "Luigi's Mansion" and
upcoming "Pokemon" games, Nintendo
will still have games appropriate for

younger brothers and sisters. This giv
the system an edge over the Xbox
Microsoft is aiming to pull in comput
geeks between the ages of 16 and 25.
And while Microsoft appears to
making games geared more towards c<
lege-aged students, they are putting t
system out of the budget of many st
dents. Costing $300 for the system a
$40 for each W1unky, poorly-design
controller, the system is much more co,
ly than the GameCube, which is or
$200 for the system and $35 for a co
troller that melts in your hand li
chocolate. Breaking this down, a sho
per buying an Xbox, an extra control]
and two games ("Madden 2002" a]
"Tony Hawk 2X") must spend ov
$450. Meanwhile, GameCube shoppe
can buy the system, an extra controlle
"Madden 2002," "Tony Hawk 3," "St
Wairs Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leade
and a memory card for almost $50 les
Seeing this, it just makes sense to bi
GameCube, especially since most thir
party companies will be supporting bo
systems. Regarding GameCube's pric

Phone Numbers: Michigan Theater: 668-8397; Quality 16:827-2837; Showcase: 973.8380;
State: 761-8667.
Showtimes are effective Friday through Thursday. Matinee times at State Theater are
effective for Saturday and Sunday only.

Weekend
Magazine

Weekend, etc. Editors: Matt Grandstaff, Jane Krull
Writers: Jeff Dickerson, Lyle Henretty, Rebecca Ramsey, Luke Smith, Channasa
Wickerham.
Photo Editors: David Katz, Marjorie Marshall
Photographer: Emma Fosdick, Yoni Goldstein, Brett Mountain
Cover: Brendan O'Donnell
Arts Editors: Jennifer Fogel, Managing Editor, Robyn Melamed and Lyle Henrelt
Editor in Chief: Geoffrey Gagnon

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