SOON enough the phrase ‘talk to the machine cos the face ain’t listening’ will be in wide use.
Believe me.
That was very nearly the response I got this week when I went to check-in to a Travelodge hotel in London’s Covent Garden.
I waited patiently for a few minutes while the receptionist dealt with an upset customer and then I stepped forward handing her my reservation number.
She then looked at me and said: “Sorry we don’t check people in any more, you’ll have to do it on the computer over there.”
I asked if she was joking.
I mean, you check-in at a hotel. Right?
You always speak to a receptionist, you get asked if your bags need carrying, whether you have a credit card to scan, or whatever.
Ultimately you always have that personal greeting or connection.
Wrong.
So off I went to the computer, tapped in the reservation number and confirmed my details – despite the fact I was listed as ‘Miss Nichols’.
The machine – yes the MACHINE – then gave me my key card.
Computer check-in is the future it seems.
Much like at airports, and being your own supermarket till operator when you go shopping, it is the way things are headed. And personally I think it’s wrong.
I know the banking, financial, housing, family, (and world) situation is in disarray but hey, now we’re becoming even more distant from one another and talking to machines?
Does it really have to go that way?
I agree that it’s far easier to book gig tickets, hotel rooms, and even buy Christmas presents online but hey... does everything now have to be so impersonal?Anyway, rant over
.Oh while I’ve got you, have you seen the ‘Siri Argument’ video regarding the iPhone 4s’ new feature on Youtube?
It’s had me in stitches for the past two weeks.
Check it out: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tedPRkMjGFo.
Here are the latest game reviews:
Title: The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Platform: Wii
Genre: Action/Adventure
Price: £39.99
Hit count: 97%
The Legend Of Zelda series will no doubt hold a special place in the hearts of many gamers, some who've grown up with its earliest NES outings to those who first dabbled in the Ocarina Of Time or those with only fond handheld memories to look back on.
Skyward Sword demands that any gamer with a desire for a top five gaming experience ever should buy a Wii, MotionPlus accessory and lock themselves in a room with a telly for a fortnight.
Beautifully realised from every angle - storyline, swordsmanship controls, musical score, graphical detail - this is the ultimate Zelda adventure that will unite those nostalgic memories, place them gently to one side, and allow your mind to lose itself to Skyward Sword.
The perfect balance between motion-sensing innovation and familiar Zelda gameplay, this is likely to go down as the Wii's finest hour, as the clock starts counting down...
Title: Saints Row: The Third
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Action
Price: £44.99
Hit count: 90%
In a turf war with Grand Theft Auto, Saints Row knows deep down that it would be running down a dark alley with its metaphorical tail between its legs.
However, that hasn't stopped the series evolving to this third instalment, which picks up the story years after the Third Street Saints have taken Stilwater for their own.
They have evolved from street gang to household brand name, with Saints sneakers, Saints energy drinks and Johnny Gat bobble head dolls all available at a store near you.
Their celebrity status has not gone unnoticed, engaging you in a criminal stand-off with The Syndicate, a legendary fraternity with pawns in play all over the globe.
Refusing to kneel to them, you get to take the fight to a new city, playing out the most outlandish gameplay scenarios ever seen, which really give Saints Row its unique differentiator from GTA.
It never takes itself too seriously, delivering incredibly over-the-top sandbox scenarios for you to play out as you see fit.
And yes, while frequently lewd and juvenile, it reminds us all that games should, at their heart, always aim to be darn good fun.
Title: WWE 12
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Wrestling
Price: £39.99
Hit count: 87%
The WWE franchise has delivered for console wrestling fans with fantastic consistency over the years, and this 2012 edition continues the trend with the most fluid, dynamic and realistic WWE simulation to date.
The addition of the new Predatory Technology gameplay system provides a major boost, helping to create the highest benchmark yet for authentic combat within the gaming ring.
Other new and improved gaming features such as the Breaking Point submission system, new character attributes, control layout, momentum and stamina further enhance the experience, and all give gamers the confidence that the developers won’t rest on their laurels when it comes to game-engine innovation.
That leaves you free to drool over the impeccable character models of your favourite stars, the new animations and lighting and the improved rendering.
And with more game modes than you can possibly imagine, the replay value in the WWE ring has never been higher.
Title: Super Mario 3D Land
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Genre: Action/Adventure
Price: £34.99
Hit count: 91%
Get ready for a new spin on a familiar tail.
The loveable gaming ingredients that have elevated the Mario franchise to god-like status are reinvented in the third dimension with the first platforming environment in true 3D.
Here, you can revel in the depth, distance and speed while running, jumping and stomping on enemies throughout the levels, plus make the most of the fan's favourite Tanooki suit and tail attack.
New enemies include Goombas with tails, tall stacks of Goombas and a Piranha Plant that spits ink to obscure your view, but none of them will cloud the overall sense of sensational platforming that gives the 3DS a much-needed shot in the arm ahead of Christmas in a similar way to Zelda's new lease of life on Wii.
It's pure, unadulterated classic gameplay, which still feels fresh despite the moustachioed plumber's already burgeoning legacy.
Believe me.
That was very nearly the response I got this week when I went to check-in to a Travelodge hotel in London’s Covent Garden.
I waited patiently for a few minutes while the receptionist dealt with an upset customer and then I stepped forward handing her my reservation number.
She then looked at me and said: “Sorry we don’t check people in any more, you’ll have to do it on the computer over there.”
I asked if she was joking.
I mean, you check-in at a hotel. Right?
You always speak to a receptionist, you get asked if your bags need carrying, whether you have a credit card to scan, or whatever.
Ultimately you always have that personal greeting or connection.
Wrong.
So off I went to the computer, tapped in the reservation number and confirmed my details – despite the fact I was listed as ‘Miss Nichols’.
The machine – yes the MACHINE – then gave me my key card.
Computer check-in is the future it seems.
Much like at airports, and being your own supermarket till operator when you go shopping, it is the way things are headed. And personally I think it’s wrong.
I know the banking, financial, housing, family, (and world) situation is in disarray but hey, now we’re becoming even more distant from one another and talking to machines?
Does it really have to go that way?
I agree that it’s far easier to book gig tickets, hotel rooms, and even buy Christmas presents online but hey... does everything now have to be so impersonal?Anyway, rant over
.Oh while I’ve got you, have you seen the ‘Siri Argument’ video regarding the iPhone 4s’ new feature on Youtube?
It’s had me in stitches for the past two weeks.
Check it out: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tedPRkMjGFo.
Here are the latest game reviews:
Title: The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Platform: Wii
Genre: Action/Adventure
Price: £39.99
Hit count: 97%
The Legend Of Zelda series will no doubt hold a special place in the hearts of many gamers, some who've grown up with its earliest NES outings to those who first dabbled in the Ocarina Of Time or those with only fond handheld memories to look back on.
Skyward Sword demands that any gamer with a desire for a top five gaming experience ever should buy a Wii, MotionPlus accessory and lock themselves in a room with a telly for a fortnight.
Beautifully realised from every angle - storyline, swordsmanship controls, musical score, graphical detail - this is the ultimate Zelda adventure that will unite those nostalgic memories, place them gently to one side, and allow your mind to lose itself to Skyward Sword.
The perfect balance between motion-sensing innovation and familiar Zelda gameplay, this is likely to go down as the Wii's finest hour, as the clock starts counting down...
Title: Saints Row: The Third
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Action
Price: £44.99
Hit count: 90%
In a turf war with Grand Theft Auto, Saints Row knows deep down that it would be running down a dark alley with its metaphorical tail between its legs.
However, that hasn't stopped the series evolving to this third instalment, which picks up the story years after the Third Street Saints have taken Stilwater for their own.
They have evolved from street gang to household brand name, with Saints sneakers, Saints energy drinks and Johnny Gat bobble head dolls all available at a store near you.
Their celebrity status has not gone unnoticed, engaging you in a criminal stand-off with The Syndicate, a legendary fraternity with pawns in play all over the globe.
Refusing to kneel to them, you get to take the fight to a new city, playing out the most outlandish gameplay scenarios ever seen, which really give Saints Row its unique differentiator from GTA.
It never takes itself too seriously, delivering incredibly over-the-top sandbox scenarios for you to play out as you see fit.
And yes, while frequently lewd and juvenile, it reminds us all that games should, at their heart, always aim to be darn good fun.
Title: WWE 12
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Wrestling
Price: £39.99
Hit count: 87%
The WWE franchise has delivered for console wrestling fans with fantastic consistency over the years, and this 2012 edition continues the trend with the most fluid, dynamic and realistic WWE simulation to date.
The addition of the new Predatory Technology gameplay system provides a major boost, helping to create the highest benchmark yet for authentic combat within the gaming ring.
Other new and improved gaming features such as the Breaking Point submission system, new character attributes, control layout, momentum and stamina further enhance the experience, and all give gamers the confidence that the developers won’t rest on their laurels when it comes to game-engine innovation.
That leaves you free to drool over the impeccable character models of your favourite stars, the new animations and lighting and the improved rendering.
And with more game modes than you can possibly imagine, the replay value in the WWE ring has never been higher.
Title: Super Mario 3D Land
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Genre: Action/Adventure
Price: £34.99
Hit count: 91%
Get ready for a new spin on a familiar tail.
The loveable gaming ingredients that have elevated the Mario franchise to god-like status are reinvented in the third dimension with the first platforming environment in true 3D.
Here, you can revel in the depth, distance and speed while running, jumping and stomping on enemies throughout the levels, plus make the most of the fan's favourite Tanooki suit and tail attack.
New enemies include Goombas with tails, tall stacks of Goombas and a Piranha Plant that spits ink to obscure your view, but none of them will cloud the overall sense of sensational platforming that gives the 3DS a much-needed shot in the arm ahead of Christmas in a similar way to Zelda's new lease of life on Wii.
It's pure, unadulterated classic gameplay, which still feels fresh despite the moustachioed plumber's already burgeoning legacy.
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