...must have already seen this going around the net. But I just saw it today for the first time and wanted to share in case you happened to miss it.
Best thing ever!
David
Friday, November 28, 2008
Is it totally 'the G word' that I want this?
I grew up in a time when the words 'GAY' and 'FAG' were easily tossed around as insults. I am ashamed to admit that I- as a boy and teenager- used both terms when jokingly insulting my friends (and seriously insulting my enemies) more than I should have (i.e. more than once). But it was the times and back then it never occurred to many of us that using those words in such a fashion could have really been hurting a gay person who was in earshot- closeted or out, but back then, I didn't know a single gay person in my school...I imagine that's very different for high schoolers today?...
...but today, for me and the people I know, the F word in any context and the word 'Gay' when used in a derogatory way are simply unacceptable. I hope visitors to this blog feel the same.
But the issue now is, I find myself without a good word to describe a guy- or the action of a guy- that is wimpy and soft and girly. I mean, I could use the words: wimpy, soft, and girly, but none of those have the same punch as the old 'G word', you know? How much of the power of the 'G word' tho, comes from the fact that a portion of our society still has an ignorance and hatred of gay people? And how much of it comes from the actual phonics of the word itself? Probably the former. Especially considering that I do know gay people now and with the exception of one, I no longer associate gay people with the adjectives wimpy, soft, or girly.
And before you accuse me of being ultra PC, remember, that same sort of 'oh you're being too sensitive' sentiment was tossed around back in the 60's when discussing civil rights for African Americans. And look where we are- thank God- today. Look who is in the White House.
And so, no, I don't think I am being too sensitive about this. Words matter in that they help form our reality. And so I will choose to continue to avoid these two words. But that brings me to the issue, the dilemma, and the whole point of this post.
I saw this online this morning, and I really, really want it.
Does that make me totally...err....wimpy, soft and girly? :)
David
...but today, for me and the people I know, the F word in any context and the word 'Gay' when used in a derogatory way are simply unacceptable. I hope visitors to this blog feel the same.
But the issue now is, I find myself without a good word to describe a guy- or the action of a guy- that is wimpy and soft and girly. I mean, I could use the words: wimpy, soft, and girly, but none of those have the same punch as the old 'G word', you know? How much of the power of the 'G word' tho, comes from the fact that a portion of our society still has an ignorance and hatred of gay people? And how much of it comes from the actual phonics of the word itself? Probably the former. Especially considering that I do know gay people now and with the exception of one, I no longer associate gay people with the adjectives wimpy, soft, or girly.
And before you accuse me of being ultra PC, remember, that same sort of 'oh you're being too sensitive' sentiment was tossed around back in the 60's when discussing civil rights for African Americans. And look where we are- thank God- today. Look who is in the White House.
And so, no, I don't think I am being too sensitive about this. Words matter in that they help form our reality. And so I will choose to continue to avoid these two words. But that brings me to the issue, the dilemma, and the whole point of this post.
I saw this online this morning, and I really, really want it.
Does that make me totally...err....wimpy, soft and girly? :)
David
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
HAPPY THANKSGIVING YA'LL!
Be safe! Have fun! And- if I may be so bold as to offer advice- do try to take some time out to appreciate and be thankful for what you've got. You hear about shit like these attacks in India today and it makes one grateful for all that is good in life. Granted, it should not take a terrorist attack to make you feel that way, but sometimes you do forget.
And I tell you, my life has been a heck of an interesting ride this last year, but I wouldn't change a thing and I am so grateful for all that I do have. I hope you guys/gals feel the same. Thanks for reading, enjoy your holiday, and I'll chat with you guys later on.
As for my plans: Watch Macy's holiday parade with the kids, Tgiving lunch with the family, then dessert at a friend's house, some games (MGS4, GEARS OF WAR2, MK VS. DCU), and maybe I will catch a movie (Australia maybe but I didn't like the director's other flicks...maybe 4 XMASes even tho I hear it's totally average and forgettable)...but hey, it's the holidays so I gotta see SOMETHING!
Oh, and I leave you with this internet classic. I am sure you've seen it 1000 times but- for me anyway- it NEVER gets old!
Later!
David
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
CAPITAL LETTERS WILL KILL US ALL!!!
CAPITAL LETTERS ARE COMING TO GET YOU! THEY WILL KILL YOU! THEY WILL FIRST OFFEND YOU AND THEN THEY WILL DRAIN THE LIFE FORCE FROM YOUR EVERY ORIFICE! CAPITAL LETTERS...THEY WILL BE THE END OF US ALL!!!!!
DAVID
Sunday, November 23, 2008
VGXPOWTF?!?
+++++UPDATE:
Two things:
a- LOVE MGS4...have yet to finish it but I LOVE it. I just think as an overall game- for ME- Gears was able to achieve its goals better and thus, the overall game experience- for me- was better. But MGS4's ambitions were clearly very, very lofty, ambitious, and forward thinking and I think they succeeded at achieving those ambitions 90% of the time. GEARS SEEMED - what do I know?- to shoot for a simpler set of goals and they- to ME- nailed every single one of those goals. Both games are essential playing (and will probably remain so beyond 2008) and it's very possible that given how much unique stuff MGS4 tries to do, it could eventually be seen as the 'better' game. And I think it will certainly be seen as the game that influences more games- from a pure mechanics standpoint- going forward. Altho the Gears reload 'mini game' is genius and for some reason- for me- works SO MUCH BETTER in Gears 2 than in Gears 1 (altho I don't think it's changed so I dunno why I am saying that...but in GOW2 it just seems to fit in better). But come on, they are both classics.
b- We have not gone multiplatform. We are 100% exclusive to Sony and we are proud of and grateful for that affiliation. It means a lot to us to be exclusive to Sony, given our history with the company and love the idea of providing ultra fun games exclusively for the PS3 audience. I remember being a kid with my ATARI 2600 and my best friend had the INTELLIVISION and it rocked to have exclusives that helped define my console. It was also fun to go over to his house to play stuff that I could not play at home (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, B-17 Bomber!) In this day and age, exclusives gets more and more rare and so it's pretty cool to be aiding in carrying on with that tradition. Doesn't mean we will ALWAYS be single platform, but right now we see no reason not to be and are- again- very, very happy with the situation and would love to think Sony will always want us to be exclusive to them.
END UPDATE
++++++++++
For those wondering where I was this weekend- when I had just posted saying I was going to be making a Skype enabled appearance at the Video Game Expo in Philadelphia- well here is your answer:
I was sitting at home, on my ass, playing some MK vs. DCU and waiting to go virtually on stage.
But then as the minutes ticked by, I started to realize, "Hey, this thing ain't happening..."
So I went for a walk with the ex-wife to get some coffee and hang out.
Odd thing is,I JUST found out- as in minutes ago, as in TONITE, SUNDAY NITE-that the appearance was officially cancelled an hour (or perhaps just minutes) before it was supposed to occur.
So on my end folks: I had- and still have- no idea what happened.
I had been in very regular contact with the VGXPO people over the last month. Very nice folks, clearly they are interested in putting on a good show and if they continue to want my support in the future, I see no reason to withhold it.
BUT you'd think sometime between last Thursday afternoon (when I first started trying to reach them to get some 411 and confirmation) and, say, 5 minutes before our talk was scheduled to go on, SOMEONE from the show could have called or emailed me to let me know what the fuck was going on.
Alas, it's Sunday nite at 10 in San Diego and I've not heard a word from these guys.
What the fuck.
But I'm sure they cancelled it for a good reason. I know as of Monday, there were some firewall issues we were trying to deal with in order to get the Skype going. So I got no beef with them canceling it. Hell, it's not like I was gonna get paid for it (I don't take money for this kind of stuff). My issue is more with: hey, could you guys have fucking given me a heads up? Before you cancelled it? DURING your canceling it? How about over a day AFTER we were scheduled to go on. But alas, nada. Still have not heard word one.
And damn, it's a good thing I didn't, you know, have PLANS or anything that I had set aside in order to be there for the dang show. You know, the one I wasn't getting PAID to do? The one I did for FREE cause I'm a nice guy and thought it would be fun to support a 'game show for gamers instead of just industry peeps' kind of deal? Yeah, that one. THAT show. Sheesh.
Anyway, hope no one showed up to see me and was pissed. And hell, I hope everyone involved in putting on my part of the show is ok. Hope no one got sick or anything.
But anyway, there's the info.
If there's any interest, we'll do a live video blog again- at this site- in the next few weeks and we can all get together online and chat games. Deal?
Ok, gotta run. Office is a damned mess and I wanna clean it before the week gets going. It's real hard for me to get focused on work when the office looks like nuke hit.
David
ps. I saw GOD OF WAR III when I was in Santa Monica last week. I can and will not give away details. But I think it's ok for me to say two things:
a- HOLY HOLY HOLY FUCKING HELL!!!!
b- I thought GEARS OF WARS 2 looked about as good as a next-gen game could look....and that game is currently- and will probably remain- my game of the year. And hell, I think I actually get to vote on that kind of stuff in some circles :) And unless I get blown away by POP or something else I missed, GEARS 2 is the SHIT....this year. Dudes and dudettes, fucking WAIT till you see the amazing graphics...just fucking wait. And yes, Xbots, accuse me all you want of being a Sony fanboy. Just remember two things:
#1- I just said GEARS 2 is the BEST fucking playing and looking game of the year....better than any PS3 game. And there are some damn good PS3 games, I feel.
#2- FUCK YOU! I ain't no fan boy but this mother fucking game looks like nothing you've ever played...and you can hold me to that when this thing hits and when they start showing gameplay footage. It looks like a painting come to life- it's THAT good looking.
David
Two things:
a- LOVE MGS4...have yet to finish it but I LOVE it. I just think as an overall game- for ME- Gears was able to achieve its goals better and thus, the overall game experience- for me- was better. But MGS4's ambitions were clearly very, very lofty, ambitious, and forward thinking and I think they succeeded at achieving those ambitions 90% of the time. GEARS SEEMED - what do I know?- to shoot for a simpler set of goals and they- to ME- nailed every single one of those goals. Both games are essential playing (and will probably remain so beyond 2008) and it's very possible that given how much unique stuff MGS4 tries to do, it could eventually be seen as the 'better' game. And I think it will certainly be seen as the game that influences more games- from a pure mechanics standpoint- going forward. Altho the Gears reload 'mini game' is genius and for some reason- for me- works SO MUCH BETTER in Gears 2 than in Gears 1 (altho I don't think it's changed so I dunno why I am saying that...but in GOW2 it just seems to fit in better). But come on, they are both classics.
b- We have not gone multiplatform. We are 100% exclusive to Sony and we are proud of and grateful for that affiliation. It means a lot to us to be exclusive to Sony, given our history with the company and love the idea of providing ultra fun games exclusively for the PS3 audience. I remember being a kid with my ATARI 2600 and my best friend had the INTELLIVISION and it rocked to have exclusives that helped define my console. It was also fun to go over to his house to play stuff that I could not play at home (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, B-17 Bomber!) In this day and age, exclusives gets more and more rare and so it's pretty cool to be aiding in carrying on with that tradition. Doesn't mean we will ALWAYS be single platform, but right now we see no reason not to be and are- again- very, very happy with the situation and would love to think Sony will always want us to be exclusive to them.
END UPDATE
++++++++++
For those wondering where I was this weekend- when I had just posted saying I was going to be making a Skype enabled appearance at the Video Game Expo in Philadelphia- well here is your answer:
I was sitting at home, on my ass, playing some MK vs. DCU and waiting to go virtually on stage.
But then as the minutes ticked by, I started to realize, "Hey, this thing ain't happening..."
So I went for a walk with the ex-wife to get some coffee and hang out.
Odd thing is,I JUST found out- as in minutes ago, as in TONITE, SUNDAY NITE-that the appearance was officially cancelled an hour (or perhaps just minutes) before it was supposed to occur.
So on my end folks: I had- and still have- no idea what happened.
I had been in very regular contact with the VGXPO people over the last month. Very nice folks, clearly they are interested in putting on a good show and if they continue to want my support in the future, I see no reason to withhold it.
BUT you'd think sometime between last Thursday afternoon (when I first started trying to reach them to get some 411 and confirmation) and, say, 5 minutes before our talk was scheduled to go on, SOMEONE from the show could have called or emailed me to let me know what the fuck was going on.
Alas, it's Sunday nite at 10 in San Diego and I've not heard a word from these guys.
What the fuck.
But I'm sure they cancelled it for a good reason. I know as of Monday, there were some firewall issues we were trying to deal with in order to get the Skype going. So I got no beef with them canceling it. Hell, it's not like I was gonna get paid for it (I don't take money for this kind of stuff). My issue is more with: hey, could you guys have fucking given me a heads up? Before you cancelled it? DURING your canceling it? How about over a day AFTER we were scheduled to go on. But alas, nada. Still have not heard word one.
And damn, it's a good thing I didn't, you know, have PLANS or anything that I had set aside in order to be there for the dang show. You know, the one I wasn't getting PAID to do? The one I did for FREE cause I'm a nice guy and thought it would be fun to support a 'game show for gamers instead of just industry peeps' kind of deal? Yeah, that one. THAT show. Sheesh.
Anyway, hope no one showed up to see me and was pissed. And hell, I hope everyone involved in putting on my part of the show is ok. Hope no one got sick or anything.
But anyway, there's the info.
If there's any interest, we'll do a live video blog again- at this site- in the next few weeks and we can all get together online and chat games. Deal?
Ok, gotta run. Office is a damned mess and I wanna clean it before the week gets going. It's real hard for me to get focused on work when the office looks like nuke hit.
David
ps. I saw GOD OF WAR III when I was in Santa Monica last week. I can and will not give away details. But I think it's ok for me to say two things:
a- HOLY HOLY HOLY FUCKING HELL!!!!
b- I thought GEARS OF WARS 2 looked about as good as a next-gen game could look....and that game is currently- and will probably remain- my game of the year. And hell, I think I actually get to vote on that kind of stuff in some circles :) And unless I get blown away by POP or something else I missed, GEARS 2 is the SHIT....this year. Dudes and dudettes, fucking WAIT till you see the amazing graphics...just fucking wait. And yes, Xbots, accuse me all you want of being a Sony fanboy. Just remember two things:
#1- I just said GEARS 2 is the BEST fucking playing and looking game of the year....better than any PS3 game. And there are some damn good PS3 games, I feel.
#2- FUCK YOU! I ain't no fan boy but this mother fucking game looks like nothing you've ever played...and you can hold me to that when this thing hits and when they start showing gameplay footage. It looks like a painting come to life- it's THAT good looking.
David
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
COME SEE ME THIS WEEKEND!...well, sort of :)
Hey- so the folks who put on the Video Game Expo (that's VGXPO to you and me) asked me to come speak this weekend at the big show. Problem is, it's in Philly and I didn't want to travel so close to Thanksgiving...lots to do around here, ya know?
BUT they were kind enough to allow me to attend via the magic of Skype and/or Ichat. Now I know we tried something similar in Nottingham a few weeks back and had some tech glitches. This should go smoother as we:
a- are gonna prob. go with the stabler Skype versus Ichat
b- are going to test it out more thoroughly than we did in Nottingham...we DID a test but failed to take into account duration which- it turns out- matters. Longer you are on the signal-especially so far away- worse it seems to get. I don't know why, but there you go.
c- The show location and my house are much closer than my house and Europe so the signal should be stronger/better.
Anyhow, I've been turning down many of these very generous invites over the last year as I really have little to say that I don't already say here on the blog. And I figure if you care enough to come see me talk, you've already cared enough to visit my blog (where you can see me rant from the comfort of your own home/laptop) and so, what are you really going to get out of this? Also- until I have a new game to promote- what the hell am I really? A guy with a big mouth and a blog who has cranked out some hit games working with some amazing teams but has not had a real hit since 2005? I mean, shit...I'm this close to signing autographs sitting next to the game designer of Hungry Hungry Hippos and the chick who played Small Wonder at Comic Con next year :)...and trust me, some of the Jaffe haters would tell you that I don't even rate that! Fucktards.
BUT this whole virtual appearance thing is pretty darn neat to me. And so doing it that way is enough to bring me out into the semi-real world. But after this, I prob. won't be doing anything like this till we are promoting the new game. I mean what's the point really?
As for promoting the new game, when is that, you ask? Well at least I hope you ask!
Who knows. Going to visit Sony today but we prob. won't pick a launch day. My gut/guess tells me we're looking sometime in 2010. Certainly not later than that. Perhaps sooner.
Ok, gotta pack for my trip!
Take it easy ya'll! And come see the virtual me this weekend in Philadelphia!
David
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
SHAZAM!!!
++++UPDATE:
HOLY FUCK! Look what I found in this interview with Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon!
In talking about downloadable content for MK VS. DCU he says:
BOON:: No. I think [the characters we chose] are the most popular. I think that pretty much encompassed 90% of the audience. We'd hear people complaining if we didn't have Superman in the game. ... There was the occasional person who said Lobo or Doomsday or someone like that [should have made the cut] but we're hoping to do downloadable content on this game, so that could also be a great opportunity to add some of the ones that were left out.
WOW! FUCKING DOOMSDAY!?! Hell...better yet: FUCKING LOBO!?!? IN A MK GAME?!?! Ok, count me in. Best DLC ever man! Please make this happen, Midway!
Ok...ahem, I'm calm now :)
END UPDATE
++++++++++++
Had forgotten this hit this week. Saw a review on Kotaku, realized it was out. Ran and picked it up during lunch yesterday and played for a few hours late last nite. I have ALWAYS loved MK, but especially the earlier 2D games. This one feels like a decent cross between old school 2D MK and some of the later 3D efforts.
I'm digging it. The online is buttery smooth and Captan Marvel fucking ROCKS! He's my fave...his special attacks are so fun and really link well together. Green Lantern so far seems kind of cheap but I must just be fighting him wrong cause I know in this day and age they would not allow a character to be that cheap in a fighting game. But man, once someone gets me with that hammer attack, I just can't get up to defend or counter.
Never been much of a SF or TEKKEN or VF fan...that stuff is amazing but way too deep for me. MK is more my speed, for sure! And I am digging this one. Something is a BIT off in the combat, tho. It's not that it's sluggish. It may have to do with reach for the jumps and some of the attacks...the distance the attacks go is a bit too short for me and keeps me from falling into that great combat rhythm I used to get with earlier MKs. I find myself missing a good 30-50% of the attacks just by a few virtual inches. And that bugs. But overall, it's fun! Enough to keep me from finishing the stunning GEARS OF WAR 2 for at least another few nights while I learn some more characters, finish the story mode, and battle online. But then come the weekend, it's back to Gears!
Also, played this yesterday:
CLICK HERE FOR PETA'S COOKING MAMA PARODY...IT'S COOL! PROMISE!
NOTE: Took the actual game off the site as it turns out the sound was interfering with the video posts....
I've always been an 'on the edge' Vegetarian. Not a vegan (but we do make sure to get most eggs and cheese products from animal friendly farms). But the meat stuff- since I was a kid- always kind of grossed me out. I DO like the taste of chicken and steak. But the concept of eating something that was very recently walking around is usually too much for me to stomach. But sometimes I deal with it and enjoy a steak at Ruth's Chris or an egg and bacon biscuit at Mickey D's ('mamma! mamma! Grandma won a Centipede game at Mickey D's!!!)...but after playing this- and watching the movie at the end- fuck it. I'm done. For good this time. And I feel pretty darn good about it. It's not for everyone, but it is for me, that's for sure.
Big dog and pony with the Sony folks tomorrow- wish us luck!
Talk later!
David
ps. the sound is coming from the Peta game- sorry about that. Wish I could turn it off....if it gets annoying, I will just rip the game from the post and put up a link.
HOLY FUCK! Look what I found in this interview with Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon!
In talking about downloadable content for MK VS. DCU he says:
BOON:: No. I think [the characters we chose] are the most popular. I think that pretty much encompassed 90% of the audience. We'd hear people complaining if we didn't have Superman in the game. ... There was the occasional person who said Lobo or Doomsday or someone like that [should have made the cut] but we're hoping to do downloadable content on this game, so that could also be a great opportunity to add some of the ones that were left out.
WOW! FUCKING DOOMSDAY!?! Hell...better yet: FUCKING LOBO!?!? IN A MK GAME?!?! Ok, count me in. Best DLC ever man! Please make this happen, Midway!
Ok...ahem, I'm calm now :)
END UPDATE
++++++++++++
Had forgotten this hit this week. Saw a review on Kotaku, realized it was out. Ran and picked it up during lunch yesterday and played for a few hours late last nite. I have ALWAYS loved MK, but especially the earlier 2D games. This one feels like a decent cross between old school 2D MK and some of the later 3D efforts.
I'm digging it. The online is buttery smooth and Captan Marvel fucking ROCKS! He's my fave...his special attacks are so fun and really link well together. Green Lantern so far seems kind of cheap but I must just be fighting him wrong cause I know in this day and age they would not allow a character to be that cheap in a fighting game. But man, once someone gets me with that hammer attack, I just can't get up to defend or counter.
Never been much of a SF or TEKKEN or VF fan...that stuff is amazing but way too deep for me. MK is more my speed, for sure! And I am digging this one. Something is a BIT off in the combat, tho. It's not that it's sluggish. It may have to do with reach for the jumps and some of the attacks...the distance the attacks go is a bit too short for me and keeps me from falling into that great combat rhythm I used to get with earlier MKs. I find myself missing a good 30-50% of the attacks just by a few virtual inches. And that bugs. But overall, it's fun! Enough to keep me from finishing the stunning GEARS OF WAR 2 for at least another few nights while I learn some more characters, finish the story mode, and battle online. But then come the weekend, it's back to Gears!
Also, played this yesterday:
CLICK HERE FOR PETA'S COOKING MAMA PARODY...IT'S COOL! PROMISE!
NOTE: Took the actual game off the site as it turns out the sound was interfering with the video posts....
I've always been an 'on the edge' Vegetarian. Not a vegan (but we do make sure to get most eggs and cheese products from animal friendly farms). But the meat stuff- since I was a kid- always kind of grossed me out. I DO like the taste of chicken and steak. But the concept of eating something that was very recently walking around is usually too much for me to stomach. But sometimes I deal with it and enjoy a steak at Ruth's Chris or an egg and bacon biscuit at Mickey D's ('mamma! mamma! Grandma won a Centipede game at Mickey D's!!!)...but after playing this- and watching the movie at the end- fuck it. I'm done. For good this time. And I feel pretty darn good about it. It's not for everyone, but it is for me, that's for sure.
Big dog and pony with the Sony folks tomorrow- wish us luck!
Talk later!
David
ps. the sound is coming from the Peta game- sorry about that. Wish I could turn it off....if it gets annoying, I will just rip the game from the post and put up a link.
Friday, November 14, 2008
False Advertising
Here's Mad World:
And here's Prince of Persia's GREAT but (I think) totally misrepresentative trailer. The bullshit flies off the chart at 3:30...check it:
NOTE: And before anyone posts- yes I KNOW the job of advertising is to evoke feelings in the potential customer. BUT usually those feelings are somewhat tied to what the actual product has a potential shot at evoking. Buy a sexy sports car and you VERY WELL MAY feel like a bad ass for a while. So it makes sense to sell me the car with an ad that stimulates that feeling. But attaching a desirable feeling to a product that in no way has a shot in hell at evoking that particular feeling? That's dishonest and lame and- worst to me- disrespectful to our great medium. ESPECIALLY when the product in question already evokesperfectly desirable feelings that can be used to sell the game (i.e. sell me Gears by promising I get to be a bad ass mother fucker...that's honest).
SECOND NOTE: And where the fuck is the gaming press in calling us out on all our bullshit? It's not that I want to be called a liar- cause again, I'm guilty of this shit too- BUT our games- as an INDUSTRY- get BETTER when we get called on bullshit and are forced to do better with each swing at the bat. Instead, most of the press seems to get all fanboy geekout over this shit and they should be holding our feet to the damn fire about it. And if there is a game journalist out there that is calling 'foul' on this, I am not aware. But I apologize in advance if I was not aware of you.
THIRD NOTE: One thing I should consider is perhaps this is a way to bring non gamers into the fold. They come expecting a certain experience that they are comfortable with and then get into gaming. Hard to sell a non gamer on some of the gamey things games do so well unless they know how cool it is...and perhaps this is a good way to trick them into taking a game for a test drive that they never would. It's still lying and I hate it and think it disrespects what we do. And I think gamers- who are gonna show up for the great gameplay either way- should at least not be so easily swayed. But I can see the point- if that is indeed the case- about bringing in the non gamers...
Great weekend ya'll!
David
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
DREAM MYSELF ALIVE...
Been playing Gears 2 every nite after work for the last 3 nights. Mainly the single player. LOVING it. FIrst game to me was good and stunningly produced but didn't hold my interest beyond a day or two. THIS one? So much fun and fuck the haters...when that dude...well hell...SPOILER BELOW:
When that dude offs himself cause the torture had been too much? Man, I actually got a touch emotional. I didn't cry or anything...fuck that, that's for babies!! But I was like: dude, poor guy. Cause that character had been set up really well and then the fact that he kills himself cause it got too much it's like: DAMN, if THAT guy couldn't handle it....
And so the next gun battle I was like: FUCK these Locusts for doing that to my buddy!
So hell, MAYBE there's something to this storytelling and gameplay merging...:) Who knows...
ANYWAY- point is: I've been playing so much I just work up from a dream where I was in this great gun battle with someone on my side- not sure who- against all kinds of bad guys. The final bad guy was the guy who played the 'mmmmm.....yeah' manager from Office Space and is now the new agent on Entourage. HE was chasing us with this little action figure that had been rigged to a bunch of explosives. But then I shot him IN THE FACE with a shotgun and it didn't really hurt him and I was like: WTF! It was one of those moments where what was happening in the dream was so unrealistic I guess it broke the sense of reality and it was so jarring that it woke me up....but up until that point, it was so much fun! I was chasing him around with a shot gun, shooting up into the ceiling and trying to hit him as he ran around on the second floor, up above us....
Anyway, dream woke me up- dunno how it ends. But it was fun...now I'm jonesing for more Gears...but I gotta go back to bed...
Later!
David
ps. YES I got out of bed to post this. Look what I do for you motherfuckers! :)
When that dude offs himself cause the torture had been too much? Man, I actually got a touch emotional. I didn't cry or anything...fuck that, that's for babies!! But I was like: dude, poor guy. Cause that character had been set up really well and then the fact that he kills himself cause it got too much it's like: DAMN, if THAT guy couldn't handle it....
And so the next gun battle I was like: FUCK these Locusts for doing that to my buddy!
So hell, MAYBE there's something to this storytelling and gameplay merging...:) Who knows...
ANYWAY- point is: I've been playing so much I just work up from a dream where I was in this great gun battle with someone on my side- not sure who- against all kinds of bad guys. The final bad guy was the guy who played the 'mmmmm.....yeah' manager from Office Space and is now the new agent on Entourage. HE was chasing us with this little action figure that had been rigged to a bunch of explosives. But then I shot him IN THE FACE with a shotgun and it didn't really hurt him and I was like: WTF! It was one of those moments where what was happening in the dream was so unrealistic I guess it broke the sense of reality and it was so jarring that it woke me up....but up until that point, it was so much fun! I was chasing him around with a shot gun, shooting up into the ceiling and trying to hit him as he ran around on the second floor, up above us....
Anyway, dream woke me up- dunno how it ends. But it was fun...now I'm jonesing for more Gears...but I gotta go back to bed...
Later!
David
ps. YES I got out of bed to post this. Look what I do for you motherfuckers! :)
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
SWAMP THING
Sitting at my kitchen table downstiars, listening to the girls upstairs washing toy animals in their bathroom sink. I have no clue why they love doing this but Lord knows they do...there's some clean motherfucking toy animals upstairs in my house, I'll tell you that. I do recall loving to sit in the bathtub as a kid and play with my super hero action figures, making forts and secrets bases out of bubble bath and stuff...that was fun.
Noticing more and more games are starting to look like play action sets/claymation...and in a great way. For example, in the underground caverns of Gears 2 right now (loving it!) and there's this part where the river is running thru the caverns and it LOOKS like I've stepped into a little claymation set or something...it's like things look real enough but they also look kind of toy like...and this is not an insult. I LOVE Gears 2 and think it sports some of the best graphics this gen so far. This is an observation of many great looking next-gen games. Things sort of look...toy like. Or stop motion like. Hell, I noticed it in Madagascar 2 this weekend as well...it was almost like watching stop motion/claymation...what is that? It's not the old, PS2 era generation bad art stuff where the skin of characters was too shiny. We're way beyond that now... again, I LOVE the graphics in Gears and really like this effect but I just can't put my finger on what it is and/or if it's intentional or just a side effect of graphics getting closer and closer to real life....
Anyway, sorry for lack of posts this week- we're rushing to a few major milestones we have coming up in the next few weeks so all hands are on deck. Just totally swamped. A few rambly things:
a- What will my Xmas game be?!?! Prince of Persia maybe? I will have Gears 2 finished by the time Thanksgiving hits, so that is out. Oooh, I need to play Fallout 3...perhaps that and Prince? And shit, still have not played DEAD SPACE. So there are choices :)
b- STILL playing JEAN D'ARC on PSP and still FUCKING LOVING IT!!!! I play in little spurts, really get into it for a few days, get 1-3 battles done, then put it down for 1-3 weeks...but I always come back to it. Man, it's a great game. I don't think it got the love it deserved but hell, TURN BASED RPGS never really do in the states....
c- PSP store is really cool! I just got on it a few days ago...had not been on before...truth be told, not a lot of stuff on there that gets me excited (I dloaded the MLB 08 demo...that was fun!) but it's the same interface as PS3 store and it really gets me jazzed about PSP2 (I know nothing, just speculating that the new PSP- whenever it hits- will let us get games via the store and bypass UMD)...I still love the PSP altho I know there always has been a drought of amazing games...I still think it's a crazy impressive system and it's done well but in the shadow of the DS it lost a good deal of its luster...was it a mistake to assume portable players WANTED a console experience? Is that where it went wrong? Along with the biz model causing portable games- which are usually pretty inexpensive to make- to creep into the 4-8 million dollar budget range?!? I would guess yes...wonder if PSP2 will focus more on less expensive more casual style games or keep the more 'portable console' take...
d- Speaking of DS, man it's EVERYWHERE! Waiting for my doc to come in the other day for a check up and outside the door I hear my doc and the nurse (both women, no less) talking about how they are playing different games on their Ds's...pretty cool!
e- Craving Uncharted 2! I have such fond memories of playing thru the first one last Xmas season. Perhaps I will dig it out and play it again...prob not tho...too many new games to play....but who knows...
Ok, need to get the kids some breakfast then get to work...chat with you guys soon!
David
Noticing more and more games are starting to look like play action sets/claymation...and in a great way. For example, in the underground caverns of Gears 2 right now (loving it!) and there's this part where the river is running thru the caverns and it LOOKS like I've stepped into a little claymation set or something...it's like things look real enough but they also look kind of toy like...and this is not an insult. I LOVE Gears 2 and think it sports some of the best graphics this gen so far. This is an observation of many great looking next-gen games. Things sort of look...toy like. Or stop motion like. Hell, I noticed it in Madagascar 2 this weekend as well...it was almost like watching stop motion/claymation...what is that? It's not the old, PS2 era generation bad art stuff where the skin of characters was too shiny. We're way beyond that now... again, I LOVE the graphics in Gears and really like this effect but I just can't put my finger on what it is and/or if it's intentional or just a side effect of graphics getting closer and closer to real life....
Anyway, sorry for lack of posts this week- we're rushing to a few major milestones we have coming up in the next few weeks so all hands are on deck. Just totally swamped. A few rambly things:
a- What will my Xmas game be?!?! Prince of Persia maybe? I will have Gears 2 finished by the time Thanksgiving hits, so that is out. Oooh, I need to play Fallout 3...perhaps that and Prince? And shit, still have not played DEAD SPACE. So there are choices :)
b- STILL playing JEAN D'ARC on PSP and still FUCKING LOVING IT!!!! I play in little spurts, really get into it for a few days, get 1-3 battles done, then put it down for 1-3 weeks...but I always come back to it. Man, it's a great game. I don't think it got the love it deserved but hell, TURN BASED RPGS never really do in the states....
c- PSP store is really cool! I just got on it a few days ago...had not been on before...truth be told, not a lot of stuff on there that gets me excited (I dloaded the MLB 08 demo...that was fun!) but it's the same interface as PS3 store and it really gets me jazzed about PSP2 (I know nothing, just speculating that the new PSP- whenever it hits- will let us get games via the store and bypass UMD)...I still love the PSP altho I know there always has been a drought of amazing games...I still think it's a crazy impressive system and it's done well but in the shadow of the DS it lost a good deal of its luster...was it a mistake to assume portable players WANTED a console experience? Is that where it went wrong? Along with the biz model causing portable games- which are usually pretty inexpensive to make- to creep into the 4-8 million dollar budget range?!? I would guess yes...wonder if PSP2 will focus more on less expensive more casual style games or keep the more 'portable console' take...
d- Speaking of DS, man it's EVERYWHERE! Waiting for my doc to come in the other day for a check up and outside the door I hear my doc and the nurse (both women, no less) talking about how they are playing different games on their Ds's...pretty cool!
e- Craving Uncharted 2! I have such fond memories of playing thru the first one last Xmas season. Perhaps I will dig it out and play it again...prob not tho...too many new games to play....but who knows...
Ok, need to get the kids some breakfast then get to work...chat with you guys soon!
David
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Ramlin' Man
Hey!
This one gets a bit rambly (hell, don't they all!...)l...I wish YOUTUBE had an edit feature...hell, I wish I had time to edit :)
Later!
Here are some pages from the old, JC PENNY catalog I talk about above...ahh, brings back memories!
David
This one gets a bit rambly (hell, don't they all!...)l...I wish YOUTUBE had an edit feature...hell, I wish I had time to edit :)
Later!
Here are some pages from the old, JC PENNY catalog I talk about above...ahh, brings back memories!
David
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
...wow...
...fucking thank you America!
Now let's just hope Obama can really do what he says and bring ALL OF US together...Democrats, Independents, AND Republicans!
What an amazing night!
Fuck, I'd hug Bill O'Reilly at this point!
Talk later- gonna watch his acceptance speech!
David
Now let's just hope Obama can really do what he says and bring ALL OF US together...Democrats, Independents, AND Republicans!
What an amazing night!
Fuck, I'd hug Bill O'Reilly at this point!
Talk later- gonna watch his acceptance speech!
David
8 MOTHER FUCKING CHANNELS!?!?! OH MY GOD!!!!
Ok- check it out!!!!
I mean, there's even a little HUD in the upper right that keeps SCORE!!!
Shit, does Direct TV let you make your own Mix? That would be so amazing...what would I have on there? Like CNN, MSNBC, VH1CLASSIC, G4, REELS, HBO...damn we live in some cool times...
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Voting on a Sunday...
Note: Please forgive my hat head...I still have not had a shower today. This is why I wear the fisherman's hat so often in my blog posts...but it's downstairs right now and I'm too lazy to go get it. I tend to work in my pajamas since I work at home and my hair- unlike other people who can just wake up and go- seriously looks like a damned rat's nest in the morning. So there ya go...man up and suffer thru my horrendous hair style. And remember: FUCK SALT!!!!
David
NOTE: No clue why this is out of sync...never happened before to me on Youtube...but you should be able to get the gist, yes? Thanks!