Assassin's Creed III

To contact us Click HERE


All Assassins Creed fans: 
 

If you have not noticed jet. Ubisoft revelled cover for just announced AC3 which comes out in October 30^th. From the cover, we can see that it will be placed in America at time of American Revolution which took place in 1775 to 1781. IGN.com suspects that it will happened between 1777 to 1778. There are several clues that suggest that. Like flag in the back and uniforms of the solders. 












I must say, I am very excited for this new chapter of AC. I just love the way this new character looks. There are some strong Native American signs. However, I don’t know how will the gameplay be satisfying. In previous ACs we had lots of building to climb, high towers and so on.  But at this point in the history American colonies were not so populated. There were some cities, however none of them were anything like Venice, Rome or Constantinople.  But we’ll see. I thrust Ubisoft not to disappoint us. 


Today there were also some screen shoots leaked. They do reveal quite some more stuff, but this are still just some speculations. It seems that we will be able to climb threes and hunt. So for that surrounding areas will get stronger position. 
But most importantly, we know now that our targets are British soldiers and influencing figures. And our friend will be George Washington.
Also on Monday,5th of March they shall revel trailer with much more clues. 

Nerf N-Strike Elite Strongarm: Nice shootin' Tex!

To contact us Click HERE

The N-Strike Maverick REV-6 was the poster child for Nerf for ages; it was the blaster that got many of us into the world of multi shot foam dart goodness as it was the ultimate 'bridge' blaster from a basic single shot to taking things just a little bit more seriously. With the new Elite series, it made sense that there needed to be a successor to it, and rather than just a repaint/reshell (and gawd knows we didn't need ANOTHER Maverick repaint) dem good fellas at Nerf have released the Elite Strongarm; sort of the love child of the Maverick and Spectre, with influences from Uncle Raider thrown in:D 
8-1-13: Apologies for the minimal info on the Strongarm, I don't actually own one yet nor have I seen them released here for now. Neil of the Canberra and Southern NSW Dart Tag crew offered me his Strongarm to quickly write up so these are my initial thoughts but I generally don't get too stuck into a blaster for testing if it's not mine. (I'm mindful of wear and tear and if I bust it, I can't easily replace it) As with most of my posts, they often evolve and are updated as I have more time with the gear.(especially once I get one for myself)


'Refined' is a word that I seem to associate a lot when making mention of the new Elite designs and the Strongarm is no different. The build quality and lines of the Strongarm are a lot sleeker and more futuristic looking; much more like the Spectre's design but with the 6 round barrel. Obviously it features the new Elite series colour scheme. From initial appearances, it's a little boring and doesn't bring a WHOLE lot of new stuff to the table but after a bit of time with it..

The grip is shorter than the Maverick, which kind of makes the rest of the blaster looks less aggressive and somewhat longer and sleeker. Short grips must be all the rage- not sure about WHY this is so, but I haven't heard that many complaints. It doesn't feel bad though, and I found after a while I quite liked it in hand.

The barrel of the Strongarm is smaller, and smoother than the Maverick's- but rounder than the Spectre's. It doesn't jut out as much either, but the general form factor of the Strongarm is quite slim and graceful looking:) It's a new mould and not just a repaint, and that's ALWAYS a good thing.


Similar to the Maverick, there's a button on the left hand side of the blaster that you press to release the barrel.

The barrel comes out further than the Maverick, and also spins, 'russian roulette' style which is pretty nifty. Makes that cool *Btkkktztk* spinning sound:D



Loading darts is pretty simple. I found this is a blaster that really does better with Elite darts only- I personally had jams with anything else though these days all I really have lying around the apartment are Elite darts so it's not a big deal.


The priming slider is more like the Spectre than the Maverick- it doesn't have a tactical rail on it, but still features a look on the back of it for those who still enjoy the dual wielding/akimbo style of tying their pants drawstring to the blaster and pushing it forward to cock:) It's a great smooth mechanism and easy to grip and prime rapidly, which comes very useful below:)

A surprise bonus is the Strongarm DOES have slamfire (hence the influences from Uncle Raider) which does still allow the blaster to keep some sense of crazy wildness about it. Although I'm not sure of the real usefulness of slamfiring only 6 rounds, it takes its cues from Clint Eastwood rapidly firing his Magnum, so it's not a bad thing to have and it's a NEW feature the Maverick/Spectre didn't have. Bonus!

The tactical rail is more in line with the way the Spectre does it; given it's a handgun/pistol I don't see any real need for any sights, but it's again nice to have the option. I actually would have really liked to see a secondary tactical rail on the under carriage of the muzzle- I think a tactical light would look fantastic and there's so much space there for it. Sly Dev here I come..  :P

Performances are great as you'd expect from an Elite series Nerf blaster. Our test model is of course an imported unit, hence the orange trigger and improved performances; it's quite accurate and powerful in a relatively compact housing. It's very much comparable with the Triad on the accuracy/distances and i'm sure if tilted it'd be close to the 75ft claims.

Of all the announcements and leaks of the N-Strike Elite series, this was one I really wasn't THAT interested in, but given some time with it, I actually think it's won me over. It's a good, strong, solid Nerf blaster, which if you use Elite darts is pretty reliable and accurate. For a decent price, I'd suggest it's worth picking up, especially if you are a Maverick/Spectre fan.

We should be getting these sometime in the next month, albeit with a grey trigger and detuned performances:P

UK Nerf: Elite Alpha Trooper - It's Real!

To contact us Click HERE

Well slap me down next time I prematurely am sceptical of a rumour in the Nerf world, because all that talk of an Elite Alpha Trooper a few weeks ago has now been all but confirmed by UK retailer Argos in their catalogue. 
From the pic it looks like they'll be replacing the 18 round drum with a 12 round clip, but otherwise everything else looks pretty much Alpha Trooper goodness.. only with an Elite makeover:)

The catalogue also has a pic of what looks like another single shot with a similar priming mechanism to the Jolt/Triad. What's interesting though is it looks like its provided with a target and the darts stick to it (and given its pictured next to a Sharp Shot) suggests its part of the Dart Tag line. New colours for Dart Tag? Same darts or updated darts do you think?

Cheers Ray for the heads up and UK Nerf for the intel.

UK Nerf: Elite Alpha Trooper - It's Real!:

Rant: Nerf Rebelle.. I'm all in:)

To contact us Click HERE


"Hi Pocket. I'm interested to hear your thoughts on the new Rebelle line. Do you feel girls really need their own line of blasters branded and designed specifically for them?"
"What do you think about the new Rebelle line? I like the blasters but hate the pink. Why do you think they did that?"
"Are you going to buy the new Rebelle series of blasters from Nerf?"
Ahh, Rebelle. Talk about making a splash! The upcoming Rebelle line from Nerf has quite the buzz and maybe it's good to start shaking things up a little from communities other than those in the Nerf world. I generally prefer to stick to the toys themselves rather than the themes behind it, but for this particular one I thought I'd finally deliver a rant piece, so here's my own thoughts- after the jump:)
While I love toy blasters, I’m actually quite the fan of toys in general, and my collection is quite broad. You can laugh, but an example of this is I do have the first generation of Bratz dolls from many years ago. I’m pretty sure I’m NOT the target demographic for these (even with my ‘passion for fashion!’) but it didn’t stop me thinking they were cool and buying them. Closer to home, I’ve actually never been a fan of most Nerf blasters’ colour schemes in the past. The yellow and orange is distinct and identifiable, but for me, it’s pretty ugly, as are most of the reshells and the original putrid green Vortex line. But, funnily enough I still like them regardless and hence buy them in spades, also despite the fact that they too are targeting a demographic that I haven’t been a part of for a very long time.


So when it comes down to the new upcoming Nerf Rebelle line of blasters, from a purely selfish point of view, I’m actually not at all fussed about whether it’s for girls or boys or pink or green or whatever. As with all Nerf gear, if you want to paint it, you can and will regardless of whatever the stock colour is. And if you’re bringing it to games, it’s more important that it performs well, (which from the sounds of it it will, given its stock Elite ranges ) so I don’t think it really matters what it looks like ( and I’ve seen some of your mods out there fellas, and some of you are clearly function over form!) .

What I think really matters here, is Nerf are releasing new cool blasters for 2013; some with some pretty innovative never before seen in Nerf tech like hammer cocking and a bow that shoots elite darts. If we were the types of people who cared what people thought of us then we wouldn’t be into this hobby in the first place. As long a they’re not shaped like stereotypical cliché “girly” things like unicorns, our community can do things with them to make them look awesome. I have no doubt in the hands of props builders like Johnson Arms and Nerfenstein that that “pretty” white and pink scheme is going to look seriously bad ass with a new coat of paint and some imagination. That being said I have to admit though, black, white and pink is actually a pretty cool palette and much nicer than original Vortex or N-Strike ever was. (it's almost Bret Hart of WWE fame inspired. And he was the excellence of execution!:P)

Bret Hart would endorse Rebelle:D

But, I’m dodging the question somewhat. DO I feel girls need their own line of blasters branded and designed specifically for them?

To be honest, no, not really. I’ve always said if I had kids, I would be strongly against dressing them in stereotypical gender specific colours. I’ve also never been one to follow traditional stereotypical male/female activities and roles. I’m a guy who studied fashion design and was a perfume consultant and had a pink bike as a kid because it was that or nothing. And closer to home, I’ve always been critical of the terms “boys toys” and “girls toys”. But that’s me, and while I adopt this belief, it’s not necessarily what others think. It’s definitely not what the masses think because this isn’t actually anything new. Check out the ride on toys section, and you can see exactly the same car or bike painted (and/or licenced) differently depending on whether it’s for a boy or a girl.


A lot of the things identified in the market research as to what a “Rebelle girl” is, could be very easily apply to boys too. Like being social? Who likes Nerfing on their own?:P Active? Creative? I'm pretty sure these are not gender specific traits. Other things that have been discussed like accessorising? Um.. think we’ve all been screaming for more attachments from day dot. And even collectable darts- how many of us went out and bought the camo darts because they looked cool?

So.. while yes, Katniss from the Hunger Games did make using a bow cool again.. well so did Hawkeye from the Avengers. (I’m pretty sure the Hawkeye bow was purple too!)


If it was me, I’d have probably preferred to blur the line more by featuring more girls in the advertising alongside boys. Marketed it more as a “all in” type of game play where the whole gender thing stays out of it and the foam is the focus. But the sad state of things is from a “real world” marketing perspective- this might not sell. The age that these Nerf blasters are targeted at is used to being segregated and playing apart, so combining the marketing strategy in a ‘shot gun’ approach probably wouldn’t work.

I’ve always believed that marketers fail to challenge assumptions and play it safe when they’re actually in the position to facilitate change and break down many stereotypes and barriers, but when big $$ are on the line, the risks taken are few and far and in between. I've actually seen many products with a very similar colour scheme to these new Rebelle blasters- secret diaries and backpacks and so forth. Least you can coordinate, right?:)

My whole life I’ve been surrounded by strong, independent women who to be honest would see right past Nerf’s somewhat blatant attempt at appealing to ‘girls’ (even my 13yo sister would prefer an Elite series blaster) and wouldn't be interested. But this sort of marketing exists for a reason, and has for decades so perhaps it's just the way things are and it works. So will it sell?

In my opinion, it’ll do ok. And it'll people like you and me who couldn’t care less about being the target audience will probably be the ones buying them:)

Nerf N-Strike Elite Strongarm: Nice shootin' Tex!

To contact us Click HERE

The N-Strike Maverick REV-6 was the poster child for Nerf for ages; it was the blaster that got many of us into the world of multi shot foam dart goodness as it was the ultimate 'bridge' blaster from a basic single shot to taking things just a little bit more seriously. With the new Elite series, it made sense that there needed to be a successor to it, and rather than just a repaint/reshell (and gawd knows we didn't need ANOTHER Maverick repaint) dem good fellas at Nerf have released the Elite Strongarm; sort of the love child of the Maverick and Spectre, with influences from Uncle Raider thrown in:D 
8-1-13: Apologies for the minimal info on the Strongarm, I don't actually own one yet nor have I seen them released here for now. Neil of the Canberra and Southern NSW Dart Tag crew offered me his Strongarm to quickly write up so these are my initial thoughts but I generally don't get too stuck into a blaster for testing if it's not mine. (I'm mindful of wear and tear and if I bust it, I can't easily replace it) As with most of my posts, they often evolve and are updated as I have more time with the gear.(especially once I get one for myself)


'Refined' is a word that I seem to associate a lot when making mention of the new Elite designs and the Strongarm is no different. The build quality and lines of the Strongarm are a lot sleeker and more futuristic looking; much more like the Spectre's design but with the 6 round barrel. Obviously it features the new Elite series colour scheme. From initial appearances, it's a little boring and doesn't bring a WHOLE lot of new stuff to the table but after a bit of time with it..

The grip is shorter than the Maverick, which kind of makes the rest of the blaster looks less aggressive and somewhat longer and sleeker. Short grips must be all the rage- not sure about WHY this is so, but I haven't heard that many complaints. It doesn't feel bad though, and I found after a while I quite liked it in hand.

The barrel of the Strongarm is smaller, and smoother than the Maverick's- but rounder than the Spectre's. It doesn't jut out as much either, but the general form factor of the Strongarm is quite slim and graceful looking:) It's a new mould and not just a repaint, and that's ALWAYS a good thing.


Similar to the Maverick, there's a button on the left hand side of the blaster that you press to release the barrel.

The barrel comes out further than the Maverick, and also spins, 'russian roulette' style which is pretty nifty. Makes that cool *Btkkktztk* spinning sound:D



Loading darts is pretty simple. I found this is a blaster that really does better with Elite darts only- I personally had jams with anything else though these days all I really have lying around the apartment are Elite darts so it's not a big deal.


The priming slider is more like the Spectre than the Maverick- it doesn't have a tactical rail on it, but still features a look on the back of it for those who still enjoy the dual wielding/akimbo style of tying their pants drawstring to the blaster and pushing it forward to cock:) It's a great smooth mechanism and easy to grip and prime rapidly, which comes very useful below:)

A surprise bonus is the Strongarm DOES have slamfire (hence the influences from Uncle Raider) which does still allow the blaster to keep some sense of crazy wildness about it. Although I'm not sure of the real usefulness of slamfiring only 6 rounds, it takes its cues from Clint Eastwood rapidly firing his Magnum, so it's not a bad thing to have and it's a NEW feature the Maverick/Spectre didn't have. Bonus!

The tactical rail is more in line with the way the Spectre does it; given it's a handgun/pistol I don't see any real need for any sights, but it's again nice to have the option. I actually would have really liked to see a secondary tactical rail on the under carriage of the muzzle- I think a tactical light would look fantastic and there's so much space there for it. Sly Dev here I come..  :P

Performances are great as you'd expect from an Elite series Nerf blaster. Our test model is of course an imported unit, hence the orange trigger and improved performances; it's quite accurate and powerful in a relatively compact housing. It's very much comparable with the Triad on the accuracy/distances and i'm sure if tilted it'd be close to the 75ft claims.

Of all the announcements and leaks of the N-Strike Elite series, this was one I really wasn't THAT interested in, but given some time with it, I actually think it's won me over. It's a good, strong, solid Nerf blaster, which if you use Elite darts is pretty reliable and accurate. For a decent price, I'd suggest it's worth picking up, especially if you are a Maverick/Spectre fan.

We should be getting these sometime in the next month, albeit with a grey trigger and detuned performances:P

UK Nerf: Elite Alpha Trooper - It's Real!

To contact us Click HERE

Well slap me down next time I prematurely am sceptical of a rumour in the Nerf world, because all that talk of an Elite Alpha Trooper a few weeks ago has now been all but confirmed by UK retailer Argos in their catalogue. 
From the pic it looks like they'll be replacing the 18 round drum with a 12 round clip, but otherwise everything else looks pretty much Alpha Trooper goodness.. only with an Elite makeover:)

The catalogue also has a pic of what looks like another single shot with a similar priming mechanism to the Jolt/Triad. What's interesting though is it looks like its provided with a target and the darts stick to it (and given its pictured next to a Sharp Shot) suggests its part of the Dart Tag line. New colours for Dart Tag? Same darts or updated darts do you think?

Cheers Ray for the heads up and UK Nerf for the intel.

UK Nerf: Elite Alpha Trooper - It's Real!:

Rant: Nerf Rebelle.. I'm all in:)

To contact us Click HERE


"Hi Pocket. I'm interested to hear your thoughts on the new Rebelle line. Do you feel girls really need their own line of blasters branded and designed specifically for them?"
"What do you think about the new Rebelle line? I like the blasters but hate the pink. Why do you think they did that?"
"Are you going to buy the new Rebelle series of blasters from Nerf?"
Ahh, Rebelle. Talk about making a splash! The upcoming Rebelle line from Nerf has quite the buzz and maybe it's good to start shaking things up a little from communities other than those in the Nerf world. I generally prefer to stick to the toys themselves rather than the themes behind it, but for this particular one I thought I'd finally deliver a rant piece, so here's my own thoughts- after the jump:)
While I love toy blasters, I’m actually quite the fan of toys in general, and my collection is quite broad. You can laugh, but an example of this is I do have the first generation of Bratz dolls from many years ago. I’m pretty sure I’m NOT the target demographic for these (even with my ‘passion for fashion!’) but it didn’t stop me thinking they were cool and buying them. Closer to home, I’ve actually never been a fan of most Nerf blasters’ colour schemes in the past. The yellow and orange is distinct and identifiable, but for me, it’s pretty ugly, as are most of the reshells and the original putrid green Vortex line. But, funnily enough I still like them regardless and hence buy them in spades, also despite the fact that they too are targeting a demographic that I haven’t been a part of for a very long time.


So when it comes down to the new upcoming Nerf Rebelle line of blasters, from a purely selfish point of view, I’m actually not at all fussed about whether it’s for girls or boys or pink or green or whatever. As with all Nerf gear, if you want to paint it, you can and will regardless of whatever the stock colour is. And if you’re bringing it to games, it’s more important that it performs well, (which from the sounds of it it will, given its stock Elite ranges ) so I don’t think it really matters what it looks like ( and I’ve seen some of your mods out there fellas, and some of you are clearly function over form!) .

What I think really matters here, is Nerf are releasing new cool blasters for 2013; some with some pretty innovative never before seen in Nerf tech like hammer cocking and a bow that shoots elite darts. If we were the types of people who cared what people thought of us then we wouldn’t be into this hobby in the first place. As long a they’re not shaped like stereotypical cliché “girly” things like unicorns, our community can do things with them to make them look awesome. I have no doubt in the hands of props builders like Johnson Arms and Nerfenstein that that “pretty” white and pink scheme is going to look seriously bad ass with a new coat of paint and some imagination. That being said I have to admit though, black, white and pink is actually a pretty cool palette and much nicer than original Vortex or N-Strike ever was. (it's almost Bret Hart of WWE fame inspired. And he was the excellence of execution!:P)

Bret Hart would endorse Rebelle:D

But, I’m dodging the question somewhat. DO I feel girls need their own line of blasters branded and designed specifically for them?

To be honest, no, not really. I’ve always said if I had kids, I would be strongly against dressing them in stereotypical gender specific colours. I’ve also never been one to follow traditional stereotypical male/female activities and roles. I’m a guy who studied fashion design and was a perfume consultant and had a pink bike as a kid because it was that or nothing. And closer to home, I’ve always been critical of the terms “boys toys” and “girls toys”. But that’s me, and while I adopt this belief, it’s not necessarily what others think. It’s definitely not what the masses think because this isn’t actually anything new. Check out the ride on toys section, and you can see exactly the same car or bike painted (and/or licenced) differently depending on whether it’s for a boy or a girl.


A lot of the things identified in the market research as to what a “Rebelle girl” is, could be very easily apply to boys too. Like being social? Who likes Nerfing on their own?:P Active? Creative? I'm pretty sure these are not gender specific traits. Other things that have been discussed like accessorising? Um.. think we’ve all been screaming for more attachments from day dot. And even collectable darts- how many of us went out and bought the camo darts because they looked cool?

So.. while yes, Katniss from the Hunger Games did make using a bow cool again.. well so did Hawkeye from the Avengers. (I’m pretty sure the Hawkeye bow was purple too!)


If it was me, I’d have probably preferred to blur the line more by featuring more girls in the advertising alongside boys. Marketed it more as a “all in” type of game play where the whole gender thing stays out of it and the foam is the focus. But the sad state of things is from a “real world” marketing perspective- this might not sell. The age that these Nerf blasters are targeted at is used to being segregated and playing apart, so combining the marketing strategy in a ‘shot gun’ approach probably wouldn’t work.

I’ve always believed that marketers fail to challenge assumptions and play it safe when they’re actually in the position to facilitate change and break down many stereotypes and barriers, but when big $$ are on the line, the risks taken are few and far and in between. I've actually seen many products with a very similar colour scheme to these new Rebelle blasters- secret diaries and backpacks and so forth. Least you can coordinate, right?:)

My whole life I’ve been surrounded by strong, independent women who to be honest would see right past Nerf’s somewhat blatant attempt at appealing to ‘girls’ (even my 13yo sister would prefer an Elite series blaster) and wouldn't be interested. But this sort of marketing exists for a reason, and has for decades so perhaps it's just the way things are and it works. So will it sell?

In my opinion, it’ll do ok. And it'll people like you and me who couldn’t care less about being the target audience will probably be the ones buying them:)