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Battlefield Bad Company, a second look

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:10:52 GMT

Recently, you got to see a sneak peak of the Beta. Today, you get a glimpse of the game itself. Battlefield: Bad Company by the folks at DICE and Electronic Arts follows in the footsteps of the previous Battlefield games. It follows, but not too closely.

Now that the final version is out, I had a chance to play the single player game. You may have seen some of the humorous videos they put out that lampooned other titles such as Metal Gear Solid 4. If you have, you get the idea that the crew with which you work in single player mode is a batch of misfits. They could have come from central casting from a Dan Akroyd or Bill Murray 80’s movie. What single player really provides is some familiarity to the game controls. It helps a lot. I wish I had it in the beta as I originally found myself being a target. Single player will help you, try it before going online. Really! The team mates are not the best and the AI is not the sharpest, but it does serve the aforementioned familiarizing role well.

The story line is pretty good as mentioned in the beta review. What is nice about this game is that it provides more of an open world environment in which to go after the target. One does not have to drive along the main path or walk the main road, options exist and there are consequences (good and bad) for choices one makes. Differing amounts of weapons, gold and enemies are the result of such choices. The enemies are identified as Russians in the game originally. Later we find out that they are mercenaries paid in gold. (Easy there Mr. Barbaro from New York, just reporting the facts J ). This is where the Bad Company checks into more action and the game gets more interesting.

Multiplayer, however, is where the game shines. In-game achievements appear on the PS3 version (I do not know about the 360 version) and make it convenient to track progress toward goals. These are not the much ballyhooed trophies coming with system update 2.4 for the PS3, but a separate in game progression of trophies. As the previous blog indicated, players can spawn with different kits and in different locations. It does vary from the previous Battlefield games in that the system is a bit different. There is only one game type, goldrush, from which to choose. The old ticket system is not here.

Overall, a fun 3^rd person shooter that really shines on-line. Battlefield fans should enjoy this console installment of a long time favorite. Anyone else playing with the crew of B-company?

Localvores at Walmart?

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:08:10 GMT

For some reason, I really like to talk about food in this blog. Maybe its b/c I usually write this late at night when I’m getting the munchies. Anyway, this time, I want to talk about produce. Walmart’s produce area still has a lot of improving to do, but there is one recent change that is making me pretty excited…the focus on local. Over the last two years, under the leadership of a great merchant named Ron, our produce area has made a concerted effort to increase its purchasing of, and ability to purchase locally grown fresh produce. In fact, Ron’s team has committed to sourcing locally whenever possible.

To give you an idea how much they’ve focused on this, over the past two years, Walmart’s partnerships with local farmers have grown by 50 percent, and fruits and vegetables grown in any given store’s state now make up over a fifth of what’s available during summer months. Now, statistics like this are nice, but its particularly cool when you see the results…a few examples:

Until recently, all of the fresh cilantro sold in Walmart stores was sourced from California. Then, Ron’s merchants found a grower named Duda Farms, and soon we started sourcing cilantro from Belle Glade, Florida for distribution in the eastern US. Introducing Florida-grown cilantro resulted in an estimated savings of 250,000 food miles in a single season.

Additionally, Walmart has worked to optimize its sourcing of peaches. We source 12 million pounds of peaches from 18 different states; not just well-known growing areas like Georgia and South Carolina. By sourcing from so many different states and selling the product locally, Wal-Mart saved 672,000 food miles and 112,000 gallons of diesel fuel. Indeed, buying local can be a great thing for the planet.

There is one more reason this is a really cool thing. It’s great for the customer and the business. First, customers love the connection you feel and freshness you get from knowing that the tomato you are buying comes from a farmer in your state. Second, all those food mile savings add up to lower transportation costs that we can pass on to the customer and lower the price. For example, the total freight and gasoline savings from the peach example equal more than $1.4 million.

More to come…

Metal Gear Solid 4

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 13:44:55 GMT

So, as one who has never played a game in the Metal Gear Solid (MGS) series, this may be an odd perspective, but one that you may enjoy nonetheless. A co-worker likened this to watching the Godfather Trilogy and starting at number three. While I agree that number three in the Godfather series was a complete disaster, one was clearly the best, MGS4 stands up on its own very nicely, thank you. By now you have probably read the reviews that hail this masterpiece for what it is, so I cannot add much. I will tell you that the hype is well deserved and the game is incredible. After returning home from a vacation with the family, I picked up where I left off and finished at 3:00 AM Saturday. Add it all up and this game took me about twenty hours to complete from start to finish.

My co-worker is correct that the plot lines did not always make sense. I did not comprehend all of the subtlety that Hideo Kojima and his team baked in here. With powerful plot twists, a great physics engine, stunning graphics and just the right mix of background music and hidden treasures, they had all of the ingredients to make a multi course meal that would take any gamer hours to digest. The game is a banquet from which one can certainly get their fill.

The cinematic cut scenes by themselves are a visual treat. At times it is more of a movie than a game. Some are longer than others, especially at the end, but are helpful in understanding the plot. As a novice to the series, Wiki was close at hand to assist. No spoiler here, but the flashbacks were not much help. They do illustrate just how far the series has evolved from its earliest roots. When Snake has one particular flashback, you actually get to play an older version of the game for a brief moment. I found this part particularly difficult, as I had not played the earlier versions. Fans of the series will probably enjoy it more than I.

For those of us not familiar with the game, you play as Snake. He is an older version here than in previous chapters of MGS as he was impacted earlier. Snake is referred to as “Old Snake” in the game (how very creative). Snake is part chameleon and part SWAT team. This is not a typical third person shooter as stealth, silence and strategy are the watchwords. Sure, there is the opportunity for some running and gunning in the game, but these are the exceptions to the rule.

My favorite parts of the game were the “boss” battles. Of particular note were the “Wolf” and “Vamp” conflicts. The battle with “Liquid” after the climax and before the resolution, the denouement for all of you literature buffs, was a bit of a let down. (I sure hope my high school English teacher, Mr. Kail, is reading this.) It felt like a throwback to earlier games, and research confirmed this, but was not worth the build up generated in the game. Despite that, the single player version is exceptional and worthy of praise.

One nit to pick is how Sony and Konami handle the multi-player version in Metal Gear Online. Oh, it is a fun version, but getting there is a hassle and makes one appreciate Microsoft’s efforts in developing Xbox Live. One has to log into Konami’s site and create TWO separate identifications. Each has its own password. It is a mess. It is not a seamless experience. It should be for one of the tent pole titles for the PlayStation 3 system. Once one navigates the passwords, it is a fun experience. None of this should have been there from the beginning. Sony should have created dedicated servers to handle this game. Now, I do not know how their agreement with Konami works, but this should have happened and the experience should have been that much better. Do not let that detract you from an otherwise exceptional example of modern gaming on a console. This title, as it exists, is only possible on the PlayStation 3 system. The game even makes fun of the need to swap out a disk at about the mid point. Disc swapping is not necessary as this comes in on a BD 50 disc. The disc can hold 50 Gigs of data! Going forward, programmers will learn how to exploit the power of the cell processor even more and this depth of gaming is what we, as consumers, should expect. Great game available exclusively for the PlayStation 3 and already at a Sam’s Club near you!

Anyone else out there finish this game? What did you think of it?

Customer Service

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:32:05 GMT

Just a little personal perspective here. Over the past year, I had the opportunity to use all three console manufacturer's customer service programs. Wanted to let you all know how they faired. As far as I know, none of them knew I was a buyer at Sam's Club. Here are my perceptions. These may not be representative of anything, but they are interesting.

Let's start with Microsoft. Like many of you, I bought Halo 3 when it released. Like many folks that bought the upgraded edition, my disc was scratched. I printed the form on line and mailed the disc. No real need to do so as it worked fine, I just wanted to see what my Members would experience if they had the same issue. It was a positive experience. The new disc arrived quickly and came with a Microsoft service card. They exceeded my expectations. Nicely done.

Next up was Nintendo. I called their service number to order the silicone sleeves and upgraded Wii-mote straps. Nintendo's Customer Service folks are very efficient and polite! Once on the phone, they took my name and e-mail. They never asked for a serial number, proof of purchase only how many I needed. They e-mailed my tracking number and very quickly thereafter, I got both. Nintendo was extremely professional. Here too, my expectations were exceeded. The sleeves and straps are nice too.

Finally, Sony had their shot. My PS3 wet dead after game 6 of the Stanley Cup. Once the Penguins lost, I fired up the PS3 to play a little GTA IV. The PS3 flashed a red light and went dead. I called the 800 number and they were very professional. I explained that the disc was stuck in the machine and would not eject. I also explained that I did not want to break open the unit and copy the hard drive. "No worries" I was told. I recieved the "coffin box" very quickly. I sent the machine in and about $150.00 later (it was out of warranty) a NEW PS3 60G arrived along with my GTA IV disc. The $150 seems fair for all of the shipping and a new unit being dispatched. Sony turned this around VERY fast. I fired up the machine and my hard drive was NEW. All of my info was gone. I inputted my information and logged onto the PlayStation Network. To my plesant surprise, all of my friends came back. All of my free and paid downloads were available for me to re-download at no additional charge. My only issue is that my saved game progress (I WAS so very close to finishing GTA IV...) is gone. My expectations were not quite met, but overall a fast experience. To be fair, the printed note they sent with the coffin box indicated that hard drive contents would not be transferred. That caveat was not a part of the telephone conversation though and I did specifically request this in writing when I sent it back. Oh well, I am now hip deep in Metal Gear Solid 4 and enjoying this game.

Overall, the three did a nice job. In this day and age where we have many choices, they all have to perform at a high level. I think that they all stepped up nicely. Each had a different situation to resolve and overall, they did a fine job.

Anyone else out there have a customer service experience with the three console manufacturers that you want to share?

Here Comes the Sun

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:24:58 GMT

Now that warm weather has hit most of the country, it's time to get off of the couches and outdoors. With gas prices the way the are though, many people won't be wandering too far from their couches. A marketing genius has coined the term "staycation" to describe the growing trend of families spending vacations in their own backyards. But even if you're not going any further than the backyard, you still need entertainment!

My favorite outdoor activity as a kid was the temporary swimming pool. The swimming part was fun, but the best part for me was when we first took it out of the box and prepped it for the summer season. We would lay the lining out on the lawn, down a huge hill in the backyard and then hose it down and soap it up. You can see where this is going. We had the biggest slip-n-slide EVER! Well, it seemed pretty big to a 5 year old. The swimming part was okay too.

Bike riding was my second favorite summer activity. The saying "It's like riding a bike" is true....you never forget, but it sure does get a lot tougher when you're older and haven't done it in years. We have a lot of great bikes to get you from A to B: cruisers, road bikes, kids' bikes, tandems, mountain bikes, bikes you don't even have to pedal...the list goes on and on. Don't forget your helmet!

The final favorite was the swingset. Mine was old and metal with one leg that would lift up a few inches every time I swung a little too high. The accompanying sandbox was handmade and better served as a home for hundreds of tiny frogs than a place to build my future (sand) castle. Oh, how things have changed. Driving around town today, I can see the tops of wooden swingset structures, whose roofs tower over the roof of the house that it is nestled behind. Swingsets that take loving dads many weekends, multiple drillbits and a lot of aspirin to construct.

Own Some Gaming History

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:39:06 GMT

Okay folks, I promised you all another announcement and here it is. This is really cool. As far as I know, this is the only one that will be on sale in the USA. Sam's Club presents

SNAKE STATUE!

Here is an opportunity for someone to own a Snake Statue. You know Snake from the Metal Gear Solid series. Snake was last seen sneaking around a non-descript warehouse (the date on the picture is not accurate, but we can verify that he was there). You can see he was on the pedestal for a while. His octo-camo suit has already changed!! That is how realistic the statue looks, you would swear it really is Snake.

Sam's Club was able to work with the good folks at Konami and Phillips Sales Inc to bring something very special to market for our Members. You can click here for a preview. Once the auction goes live next week, you can go to the auctions page and search for "metal gear solid" to find this unique item. Once the bidding starts, we will be watching it closely. One Member will win this auction and own a portion of gaming history.

This is yet another reason why a Membership at Sam's Club is so very special. If you have not played the latest in the series, be sure to check it out. The game is massive. It is the first BD50 game ever made. The content is so great, it would not fit on a single DVD or even a standard Blu-Ray disc. This game is exclusive to the Sony Play Station 3 system. It is already available at a Sam's Club near you. Have a great weekend. What do you think of this item?

Cheer, Cheer for old ...well whomever you like

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:40:04 GMT

Folks, been caught up in a lot lately, but have not forgotten about you all. Now that the National Hockey League season is officially over, I can shave off the playoff beard and get back to busines. In the brief time I was away, I had the opportunity to attend game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals in Mellon Arena in my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA with a fraternity brother of mine. Unfortunately, the beloved Penguins lost that game and the series. Congratulations to Hockeytown and their Red Wings. The Pens have a lot of young talent and I beleive that this will not be their last run at hoisting the Cup. So, that explains my absence and while not as compelling as Tiff's, it was nonetheless enjoyable. But that is not what we are here to discuss today.

Today's topic is football. Not just any type of football, but Electronic Arts' NCAA College Football 2009 on your consoles and portables. That is right, time to hit the gridiron. The game will be great, no doubt. EA always steps up on this long running series and this year will be no exception.

What we have in club this year though, is nothing short of spectacular. Sam's Club will be the ONLY retailer to offer OFFICIAL EA alternative cover images. What does this mean to you? Well, if you are like me and NOT a Razorback fan (almost illegal here in Arkansas, I still will not to that "wooooo pig" thing), you can put an image from a selection of images on YOUR box front at no additional charge. For my family, that means ours will look like THIS:

It, just does not get any better than this! We can "Cheer, Cheer for old Notre Dame" right on the box! Other options will exist for customization. LSU, Ohio State and others will be available at the Club. We cannot have every mascot option available, for example, my alma mater, the Duquesne University "Iron Dukes" are not an option. That still leaves a lot of great choices for you as a fan. This option will exist in all of our clubs with a Photo Center, which is the vast majority of Sam's Clubs.

This was a cool project on which to work with Electronic Arts. Our local team of Kasey and Mark did a great job in making this happen. We appreciate their hard work in making your Member experience a little bit better and more exciting. So, time to put the Penguin hats away and break out the Fightin' Irish hats. We can all cheer for the teams we like. Many of us will be able to customize the games we love with the teams we love at Sam's Club. Look for it at Sam's Club on July 15th!

I have a few other announcements coming, but need to lock down a few details... Stay tuned!

Busy, busy, busy....

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 19:22:55 GMT

Well all, I know I've not been in the blogosphere lately, but I've been rather busy with wrapping up things at work prior to my going on vacation and then maternity leave this month. I may have time once the little one arrives and settles in to catch up on my blogging, but it depends on how much sleep or lack thereof I will be getting....hey, you may end up with a really sleep deprived blog, which may actually be rather funny! Anyway, I will try to maintain some communication with the outside world and gaming so keep the information coming my way. Happy Gaming!!

The Incredible Shrinking Laundry Detergent

Thu, 29 May 2008 07:31:51 GMT

I wanted to take a second to let you know a little good news for Wal-Mart and for the planet. Its official, as of today, Wal-Mart’s goal to work with laundry detergent suppliers to shrink the packaging of every liquid laundry detergent product on the shelf is completed. Water has been pulled out of the bottles, and now all of the laundry detergents are compacted by a factor of 2 or 3.

I love this kind of small change with a big impact for two reasons. First, this change is so practical. Though it has been literally years in the making, it is just at first blush a little occurrence until you think about the effort and the impact of a change to all of the detergent bottles that are sold at Wal-Mart shelves across the country. Small unassuming changes seem to frequently end up being the most revolutionary don’t they…

Second, these changes are great b/c they end up being about more than just Wal-Mart. Because this was done in partnership with the suppliers of detergent focused on efficiency across the entire supply chain, the impact will be seen at the rest of the retail over time too. Soon, every bottle of laundry detergent will be compacted in every store. This makes the effect even larger. My very rough un-audited calculation for the total impact across all retail is that this will reduce 125 million pounds of plastic and 165 million pounds of cardboard each year.

So, this kind of change reaches all customers regardless of where they shop; that means greater impact and more lasting change. Indeed, with all of its sustainability efforts, Wal-Mart has committed to sharing learnings and even technologies. A bummer is that this means Wal-Mart’s people may not get credit for their hard work…then again, the customer really deserves the credit anyway.

Here Comes Blu Ray!

Mon, 19 May 2008 13:31:25 GMT

We told you we would have more Blu Ray and we do! This week you will find an additional 3 Blu Ray hardware players in store. Check out our Blu Ray machines>>>

Magnavox

Samsung

Sony

Panasonic - ***UPDATE*** Photo -

PS3

We also have a wide assortment of Blu Ray movies in 1200 stores and are showcasing the hi def experience on a 40 inch TV.

So, the question is… what should I get my husband for Father’s Day…a Blu Ray player or a PS3? My kids are voting for a PS3.

Poll_10

Major Changes Coming Soon!!!

Tue, 06 May 2008 16:12:15 GMT

I was reading blogginstocks the other day and noticed the commentary on Wal-Mart's PC Merchandising. The first bullet point was a bit hard to swallow: "Why even carry PCs is you display them like this". I must be honest here: I agree. We have sold our fare share of computers over the years, but really haven't focused on improving the customer experience and addressing the concerns that bloggingstocks brings up. When I took over the PC business last August, this was the first area on my list that I wanted to address.

As you read down the blog, the next question is "Why is Wal-Mart stepping up to the plate". Well, here is Wal-Mart stepping up to the plate!! On May 19th, we will begin addressing some of the merchandising issues we have experienced in the past to help make the PC shopping experience easier for customers. With over 3,800 stores, you are bound to see some variations of what I am about to show you but know we do recognize a need to change.

The biggest change is in our Laptop area. Here is a mock up of what the new counter will look like:

Again, this is just a mock up but you can see that this is quite a change from our current display at stores. The biggest changes are the helpful signing that will allow you to determine your end use then match up that end use (thru the use of icons) to one of the computers at the store, as well as merchandising the product by brand. We have spent the last few years developing our brand portfolio and are proud of the brands that we can offer to customers. The "Best For" signing allows customers to figure out what computer best fits their needs.

You can then match the icons to the screens on each of the laptops (seen in the first picture) as well as the fact flags below the laptops. The fact flag is meant to clean up the language and speak more to the customers needs. Here is an example:

As you can see this is a major change from where we currently our. We also know that a lot of our customers are researching online at walmart.com or other websites before they ever come to the store so we are working to integrate our online experience to be similar to what you see in the store.

These are some big changes. We are very excited to roll them out to all our customers. I would hope that you would at least consider us for your next pc purchase. Whether you are buying online at walmart.com, buying on line and shipping it to your local store via site to store, or happen to be browsing the new look on your next trip to Wal-Mart to buy deodorant or cereal, give us a try.

Would love to hear your feedback. What do you think of the changes? What else are we missing?

Poll_9

Thanks,

Rip Van Winters

Tue, 06 May 2008 01:20:37 GMT

Wow…I have been absent for two months, but it seems a full twenty years by blog standards. So I am descending from the mountain, joints weary and rusty firearm over my shoulder. I hope you recognize me, fellow villagers of this Blogosphere.

I was going to write an in-depth review about the CTIA convention, but more than adequate coverage has been provided of the products and events. Out of this convention, however, I noticed one major feature on mobile phones that is an emerging trend: high mega-pixel cameras.

What intrigues me most is the reality of your phone and digital camera now becoming one device. To date cameras on phones are used to catch embarrassing moments or quick snap shots, but with the introduction of 3MP, 5MP or even 7.1MP cameras…your phone now can take the family vacation or holiday pictures as well.

If you are interested check out some of the new Sony Ericsson CyberShot phones or my personal favorite the LG Viewty. Drop a line about your thoughts on this topic or others regarding mobile phones.

Now if you will excuse me I need to go trim my beard.

Iron Man

Fri, 02 May 2008 15:03:38 GMT

Last week we were fortunate enough to get a sneak peek of Iron Man, and personally I loved it! Liz from our Marketing team felt really passionate about this movie and wanted to be a guest movie critic and blogger. Here is what Liz says...

As with the beginning of every summer season, comes the summer list of blockbuster movies and must-see hits. This coming summer brings forth no exception. With gas prices skyrocketing, and the heat soon to be blazing, make sure you pick the best of the best to see this summer.

There will be several movies competing for number one, some more deserving than others. One of the best movies you’ll see this summer will come from an unlikely culprit—Iron Man. While less media and consumer products have been circulating around this film, it is by far one of the best of the season. Robert Downey Jr. is surprisingly an excellent Iron Man. Both the story line and action are equally thrilling, and the movie is realistic enough not to seem too far fetched, while still amazingly imaginative. While some early scenes language isn’t necessarily appropriate for the youngest of audiences, the movie as a whole is pretty family friendly. Hollywood has gotten us into a pattern where sequel is the name of the game—sometimes leaving you with a discontented ending, and the feeling that you’ll have to slap down another $10 bucks next summer to see the sequel. Iron Man leaves you without guessing any endings, however with a healthy hope that there will be a sequel to come.

May New Release Movies

Fri, 02 May 2008 09:14:00 GMT

May New Releases

May 6
First Sunday
P.S. I Love You

May 13
Mad Money
The Great Debaters
Untraceable

5/20
National Treasure 2

5/27
Rambo - The Fight Continues

In Honor of Earth Day

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:01:44 GMT

In honor of Earth Day, I can't pass up on the opportunity to take a poll. I was thinking on the way to work today about some of the changes I have made personally since becoming heavily involved in sustainability. The key areas of opportunity in sustainability have always been in my blood (heck, I grew up with a family that produced over half of the food they consumed in the backyard garden), but sustainability changes the way you think about your relationship with the world.

If you are reading this blog, my bet is you know what I'm talking about. Those who recognize the importance of sustainability typically have something in their life they can point to that taught them about their opportunity. For the last couple years, Wal-Mart has been working to help all its associates learn and become a part of the opportunity.

All that being said, I'd like to ask you a fairly personal question. What happened in you that made you understand better your responsibility and opportunity in sustainability. Was it a book? Was it a family member? I know it isn't always one thing, but if you had to choose one that really helped you "get it," what would it be?