2010 dog-friendly Honda Element - click above for high-res image gallery
In spite of being functionally outstanding, Honda's odd looking Element crossover has never lived up to sales expectations. The funky box never approached the initial sales target of 75,000 units a year, and this year it's on track for barely more than 15,000 sales. Despite its relative commercial failure, Honda has reportedly given the green light to a second generation model. Despite a couple of modest freshenings, the Element is already seven years into its life cycle - considerably longer than typical for a Japanese branded model.
Given the slow sales, why would Honda bother with a new iteration? Honda's executive vice-president, John Mendel, has informed Automotive News that virtually all Element sales are incremental. The Element shares its platform with the much higher volume CR-V, but apparently almost no buyers cross-shop the two vehicles - Element buyers have no interest in the CR-V and vice-versa. If Honda does proceed with a new model, perhaps unique features like the recently introduced dog friendly package will be the key to increased differentiation and success.
2010 Saab 9-5 - click above for high-res image gallery
Here's a little bit more on the salvation/debacle of Saab. First of all, it should be pointed out that after our last report about Holland's Spyker trying to buy Saab, the freaks lovely people over at Saabs United pointed out some gaping holes in our reporting an inconsistency or two with the Reuters/our version of the facts. As such, we've gone ahead and vetted the information we're using for this post with the brain trust over at Saabs United. Hey, they really like Saabs, what can we say? And now, on to the story. Automotive News is reporting that China's Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Company (BAIC) has reached a deal with General Motors to acquire the tooling for both the Saab 9-3 and 9-5. Not so fast, says Saab's United! What they actually acquired is the tooling for the old 9-5, as well as the stuff for the pre-2006 9-3. Sort of a big difference, as obviously Saab's just getting geared up to roll out the all new 9-5 - and whomever winds up buying Saab will most likely want to offer both it and the existing 9-3 and its derivatives. Spyker's CEO Victor Muller confirms the BAIC deal is for "old equipment" and goes on to characterize the BAIC deal as, "Good news."
Then there's a bunch of no commenting. Obviously, General Motors has no comment on anything, though they do say that once a deal is reached they will say something. As far as we can tell, the pending Spyker deal is still a definite maybe. BAIC could not be reached to make a "no comment," and Saab's Eric Geer's stated, "We can't comment on anything about the sales process." Though our Saabs United source does provide us with a juicy tidbit, "[Geer's] wife is Saab's head legal counsel so he's like the canary in the coal mine. If he ever resigns suddenly..."
So there you have it - Saab's future is still totally up in the air. Though our source says that in addition to the 9-5 sedan, there's a 9-5 wagon (SportCombi) that's "pretty much ready to go" as well as the 9-4x which has, "been ready for about a year but Caddy had to get the SRX out first." Plus, a new 9-3 is being worked on. And one more thing - Saabs United is reporting that a Swedish group (not Renco) is also in talks with GM, in addition to the Spyker deal. We'll keep you posted.
While Heavy Rain attempts to welcome both serious and more casual players, it's clear that many will find the unique controls and the story's slow burn a bit too jarring, unconventional, and even boring. Sony has already released so much (arguably too much) footage of Quantic Dream's adventure, and chances are that you've already passed judgment on the title. Perhaps more than any other game before it, Heavy Rain hopes that you want to like the experience. Why? It is -- at its core -- a role-playing game.
When people find out I've been playing Heavy Rain, the first question that generally pops up is, "Is it anything but a series of Quick-Time Events?" The problem with that question is that it inherently assumes that a QTE necessitates a lack of player control. While it's true that the majority of player input is done via on-screen indicators, to simply call them quick-time events is a bit derogatory, ignoring the innovations that developer Quantic Dream has made. Not all actions require players to press buttons as quickly as they see them. In fact, most of the commands involve a very deliberate pace: you may need to move the analog stick slowly, or hold down two buttons while transitioning to a third. Some inputs use the PS3's built-in motion controls, while others will use a combination of various inputs. There are many ways of interfacing with the controller, with each QTE trying to simulate its corresponding, real-world action.
However, variety is not Heavy Rain's greatest innovation. Perhaps the most difficult aspect of the game to explain is its integration of inaction. You are often given the opportunity to do nothing -- and counter to your intuition, that can be the most satisfying option to pursue.
The Arts and Crafts movement wasn't as much about arts and crafts as it was about fusing artistry with craftsmanship. Ruskin and his adherents found no reason why well-built objects of use couldn't also be objects of monumental beauty. You can't go sailing on the Kelmscott Chaucer, though, so for you seafaring lovers of beauty and dexterity there are Prema boats.
Each boat is fashioned from Western Red Cedar, book-matched ash, cypress, and sable by one man in one workshop in Florida. There are no visible fasteners, and the smallest Prema boat hides 2,500 of them. Hull integrity is sealed with a comprehensive layer of epoxy for air- and watertight seals, then boats are coated in ten layers of spar varnish for a sun-protected finish. The rub rails and keel are tipped in half-round bronze for impact resistance. The silicon bronze hardware above uses designs by 18th century America's-Cup-winning yacht designer Nathanael Herreshoff. The wood on the top side of the boat is book-matched, the same technique that Rolls-Royce and Bentley use for their dashboards.
The overwhelming craft and art, however, doesn't mean that sound principles behind crafting a boat have been ignored. The slender hollow in the bow helps the skiff part the water. But even at rest the boat is on plane, meaning you don't spend undue energy parting the waters ahead. The hull's generous flair helps keep water where it should be -- in the sea, not in your lap. Pair that with the full-keeled round bottom and low center of gravity, and you can lean the boat 60 degrees to either side without taking on water.
And for its last trick, Prema boats are convertibles: you can use the oarlocks, or attach a mast and sail amidships, or fit an outboard motor over the bronze wear plate in back. Prema boats come in three sizes: 12'1", 14'1", and 16'1", and the heaviest one only weighs 200 pounds, which makes them easy to pull ashore or haul aboard. They take a while to build -- quality always does -- but there's still time to pair it with next summer's lake house season and that Sycara IV you've had your eye on...
Last month we spoke with Heavy Rain executive producer Guillaume de Fondaumiere about Quantic Dream's upcoming PS3 adventure game. As a game far from the everyday, de Fondaumiere agreed that Heavy Rain has been a challenge to market. "It's a difficult game to market, because it's difficult for people to understand what it is unless they experience it," he admitted in our video interview above. "So we have to show it to them. We probably have to give them a playable demo for them to see and experience for themselves how different and unique this experience is."
We argued that a playable demo would simply reveal how unconventional the controls could be, to which de Fondaumiere responded: "You simply cannot use conventional game mechanisms when you want to create a unique experience. But I think that -- and user tests we've conducted show that -- you get used to it very quickly. It's quite intuitive. I'm not too concerned about this. At all, actually."
Finally, when asked if he had any final words to tell the Joystiq audience, de Fondaumiere advised fans not to sell the game back to GameStop after completing the story. "Buy the game, don't sell it. Keep it to yourself. You'll need it to continue and experience more episodes in the months following the launch of the game." So, DLC confirmed, right?
Our American Flag
by The American Illuminati.
Our Capitol
by The American Illuminati.
Our First Flag
by The American Illuminati.
Preview: Heavy Rain's first full chapter originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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