Madden 2008 Review

The most notorious sports video game of the year is available. Many critics and even devoted madden fans have been perturbed with madden recently because they have been the same old madden. Some would even go as far as to say that there has not been many innovative features after madden 2005 (which introduced the hit stick). Others believe that Electronic Arts is not striving to make the best nfl game because there is no competition. Since EA bought the exclusive nfl rights, they have been making the same old madden video games. madden 2008 is an exception to that rule because it is brilliant.

After an average three iterations of madden that have disappointed fans, madden 2008 will definitely please fans. The visuals are amazing on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but they are dreadful on the nintendo Wii. Players will notice is that the somewhat vexing Tony Bruno is no longer doing his absurd radio show, and the gratuitous newspaper information is nowhere to be seen. The gameplay is more fluid than previous iterations of madden. Gamers will realize that the players do not arbitrarily run around the field like Bobby Brown addicted to crack cocaine anymore. There have been some minor alterations to the hit stick; moreover, high and low tackles can be executed. The pass rush is more realistic in madden 2008 than in madden 2007.

You cannot expect to pick up the blitz with only five offensive linemen; you ned to alter your protection and blocking schemes. Quarterbacks will be more precocious because high IQ quarterbacks like Peyton Manning will be able to see what play the defense is running. To counter this, defenders with high IQ will be able to view what play the offense is running. Players with low intelligence like Michael Vick (dog killer) will not be able to read defenses. This feature is only available if the defense or offense runs the same three of four plays every time, but it is still a nice touch and prevents any team from running the same plays every time. Offensively, the highlight stick has been revamped; more maneuvers can be performed on your way to scoring a touchdown. This is incredible because it reduces contemplating what to do next on the field. Wide receivers have some brand new things to do as well.

Spectacular catches and possession catches can be utilized in madden 2008. Many expert madden fans will realize that each receiver plays differently. For instance, Hines Ward will attempt a conservative catch because he is a possession receiver. Conversely, Torry Holt will attempt an aggressive catch because he is a spectacular receiver. Another element about receivers is the chess match with defenses. For example, Terrell Owens (the guy who sabotaged the Eagles 2005-2006 year and helped the New York Giants win their division) will be much easier to play bump and run coverage than a swift receiver like Steve Smith.

This is because Terrell Owens is an easier player to press at the line of scrimmage. The same rule applies for Randy Moss. Substitutions are more of a factor in madden 2008 than last season. Teams like the New Orleans Saints will run a two back system, and Reggie Bush will share the load with Deuce Mcallister. Superstar mode has been overhauled in madden 2008.

Players will have more control on the rating of their created Superstar. He will compete in 40 yard dashes, lift weight, and various other drills to bolster his attributes. This is much more proficient than the asinine DNA mode which was random. Subtle icons are shown under each player to accentuate their field of expertise. For example, Brett Favre has a rocket under his name because he has rocket arm. Overall, madden 2008 has given even the most novice nfl fans something to be elated about. It seems that the madden franchise is finally heading in the right direction.

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Software is Now SaaSy

I hate it when a market matures. Sure, the profits are more predictable, but the excitement evaporates. Kinda like getting married.

As a marketable technology concept, SaaS has matured. This is evidenced by several factors, from adoption rates by enterprises, and by seeing companies with the most to loose from SaaS competition joining the fray. The giddy days of SaaS are soon behind us, but reduced profits ahead.

The good news is that enterprise customers have shaken their SaaS jitters and are adopting services at a fair clip. A recent survey of CIOs showed some interesting numbers:

10-15% of IT budgets are spent on SaaS
86% are using SaaS non-experimentally either for department point solutions or corporate wide
An average of six SaaS solutions are in use in an enterprise
73% of the CIOs plan on expanding use of SaaS
This bodes well for software companies who bet the farm on SaaS. Adoption and satisfaction rates are high and growing, which drops the barrier to adoption. SaaS will soon be given equal consideration in all project planning within IT.

And all a pure play SaaS software company has to do is make less money.

The McKinsey Quarterly reported that SaaS software vendors do not make as much as traditional software firms. This may be a side effect of being a relatively new offering, and that SaaS start-ups face significant SG&A costs (49% of revenues compare to 35% for a traditional and established software concern). but the net effect is that today a SaaS software company keeps about 13% of their revenues as profits (EBITDA), and folks that sell bits on CD keep 31%, almost three times as much.

So why would Microsoft be at all interested in SaaS? Microsoft rakes in a lot of money from software, upgrades and technical support services. Given that the average cost of goods sold and SG&A expenses are so much higher for SaaS than Microsoft's existing business model, it would seem suicidal to adopt SaaS.

"The industry will change," is what Allison Watson, the corporate vice president of Microsoft's worldwide partner group, said in a recent interview. Microsoft is old and cagey enough to spot trends, and know when to not fight them. SaaS will dominate in some markets, and CRM is the top achiever ( 36% enterprises that have deployed SaaS deployed SaaS-based CRM applications ). SalesForce.com added 253,000 new seats in 2006, and Microsoft had far fewer with their Dynamic CRM product ( some estimates claim that Microsoft owns a mere 1.4% of the total CRM license sales ). Thus, Microsoft is entering the SaaS market and targeting the low end, with a long-term plan of up-selling SaaS accounts to software licenses.

Microsoft's changing strategies avoid treating software as a zero-sum game. They see when they are being cut out of a market, and drive to adapt -- to claim or recapture market share. Knowing the lifetime value of a customer, they are willing to suffer lower margins in a highly competitive market to gain customers, and begin the insidious processes of creating interdependencies between Microsoft products, and raising customer switching costs.

SaaS is now officially here to stay, so you had best think through SaaS as an offering. It may be on your customer's requirements list.

Guy Smith is the chief consultant for Silicon Strategies marketing. Guy brings a combination of technical, managerial and marketing experience to Silicon Strategies projects. Directly and as a consultant, Guy has worked with a variety of technology-producing organizations. A partial list of these technology firms include ORBiT Group (high-availability backup software), Telamon (wireless middleware), Wink Communications (interactive television), LogMeIn (remote desktop), FundNET (SaaS), Open-Xchange (groupware), VA Software (enterprise software), Virtual Iron (server virtualization), suse (Linux distributions and applications), BrainWave (application prototyping) and Novell.

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Extreme Weather Conditions In KZN South Africa

For anyone living in the Natal Midlands, or to be politically correct, the KwaZulu-Natal area of south africa, the last week of June 2007, will be remembered for many years to come. The extreme weather conditions experienced in the area, led to total devastation, to many of the residents, mostly farmers and their staff.

As if the recent strike action by all government departments, hadn't already caused enough chaos in their lives, with the closure of schools, the disruption of mid-year exams, the evacuation of hospitals, the stoppage of any maintenance work and the desire of the police and prisons department to join the strike action, Mother Nature had the last word.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday were pretty hot, for this time of year and as usual, fire warnings were issued. It was normal in the dry conditions, to have several fires each day and the forestry industry in particular, are always on full alert, at this time, every year.

What was not expected, was the gale force winds, that developed and reached utterly devastating proportions. The winds started on Sunday night, but were not unusually strong. They continued throughout Monday, reaching some the highest speeds, ever recorded in the area, by Monday night. What started as normal fire warnings and alerts, soon became emergencies, as huge fires spread at terrifying speeds. Extra fire crews were brought in, to help control all these fires and just when the tired firefighters thought they had won the battle and could get some well deserved rest, the heavy winds started and transformed quiet, smouldering ashes, into raging infernos, that ran through plantations and grasslands, completely out of control. There were many stories of threatened families, burnt out houses and urgent evacuations. Thousands of Hectares were burnt out and families left destitute, particularly in the Underberg area and in the Karkloof, to Curry's Post area.

Imagine how pleased these people were, when it started raining on Tuesday. Most uncharacteristic for the month of June, those light rains, turned in to steady, harder rain, right through the night. What started as a welcome relief and the end to the fire dangers, now threatened those same people, who had been left homeless. The rainy conditions continued and the highest rainfall ever recorded in June, turned to cold and misty conditions. Farmers were now unable to repair damaged fences and buildings, animal carcasses that were caught in the fires could not be removed and their staff, were unable to find dry and warm conditions, in their fire ravaged homes.

But, Mother Nature was not finished yet. These poor people woke up, the next morning, to snowfalls. The snow continued and some of the heaviest falls in history, were recorded. It even snowed in Johannesburg, for the first time in 26 years! Many people, already left homeless, were now forced to contend with freezing conditions. All of this, in the space of only one week!

The area was declared a natural disaster and the army was called in, to assist with tent towns, feeding schemes and to facilitate the disposal of the dead animals. In one incident, eight horses were trapped by fences and a bulldozer was, through the terrible heat, unable to get close enough to help them escape. They all perished in the fire. Apparently the heat was so severe, that the deep root structure, of trees and plants and grass, was so severely affected, that it will take several years to mend.

There is no doubt, as to who is in charge, in this world and it certainly isn't man! What causes these extreme conditions and why? Well, the people of the Midlands, will be asking this question, for some time to come. From hot Summer weather, to extreme winds, to heavy Winter rainfall, to heavy snowfalls and then to bitterly cold conditions, all in one week, has really taken it's toll on the area, but fortunately no known human deaths, were reported.

Derek Robson is an up and coming, south african internet marketer, with a vision of empowering all fellow South Africans and non U.S folk, to have equal opportunity and success on the internet. He has started a string of sites, resources, courses and articles, as part of Dersalsites

For more articles on South africa, including sport, Springbok rugby and the Super 14 tournament, as well as the Comrades marathon and the Dusi canoe marathon, click here. http://dersalblog.blogspot.com

If you are South african, or if you live outside the U.S and you feel the same pressures as us, in the field of restrictive internet marketing tactics, please read our articles on South african and non U.S internet business. http://www.squidoo.com/southafricanbusiness/

To remain informed of our progress, in trying to find satisfactory alternatives, by newsletter and mail and to get recommended tools and lessons and to start your journey to wealth, sign up here. It's free. Click this link: http://www.dersalsites.com/newsletter/

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