Everything Old...

When my brother and I were kids, my dad would always take us places on Saturday afternoons, after cartoons (naturally)...

What great times, what great memories. Riding around in his beat up, faded blue pick up truck, stopping off at Jack's for french fries and Mountain Dew, going to the quick mart for 25 cent comics pulled fresh off the spinner rack ('Hey Kids, Comics!'), grabbing a pocket full of green and original flavored Super Bubble from Crestline Pharmacy (where they also sold those giant sized comic books like SUPERMAN vs. SPIDERMAN!). Ahhh, good times. And I'd like to think I am creating the same kinds of opportunities for my kids to form their own sorts of warm memories. I guess we'll know eventually :)

But anyway, a buddy of mine on Facebook brought these to my attention:



...and it got me thinking back to those great Saturday's with dad.

So what's the big deal, you may ask. They're just glasses with Star Trek on them.

Ah but they are MORE than that, my friend! MUCH more! See, these are the new Star Trek movie licensed glasses from Burger King!

Yep, you read that right. GLASSES! From Burger King! Real life, old school, motherfucking movie licensed glasses from the God Damned Burger King!!!

When we were kids, every big movie had glasses. All the Star Wars flicks, some of the Indy movies did. I think there were glasses for Disney's Black Hole and E.T. as well. And usually you'd get these at McDonalds or- more often than not- Burger King. Every now and then, some B-/C+ level fast food joint- like Hardees- would try to get in on the action, but it was clear they didn't have the money for the good licenses so you'd end up with glasses that had pictures of Kenny Rogers from Six Pack, or James Gardner from TANK.

Well anyway: here are some glasses that I remember fondly:




I have super fond memories of that Boba Fett/Darth Vader glass. I think we had like 3 of them. Over the years, they were either lost or- more likely- broken in accidental drops onto our hard kitchen floor.

As of late- as in, the last 20+ years- the glasses thing has given to shitty plastic cups where the ink comes off after 4-5 runs thru the washing machine. These little, stupid cups may have helped the fast food places avoid lawsuits but they've never felt substantial and they have not- I don't think- pushed their way into the consciousness of the last few generations of children.

But check it out! Now the glasses are back! And it makes me feel like a kid again!

Hell, I didn't even like the new Trek film all that much, but I think I'll hunt down a Burger King tomorrow just to get me a Mr. Spock glass! You know, for old time's sake!

How cool!

Ok, going to bed- later ya'll!

David

ps. Yes, Nikki- I still have very, very fond memories of The Tickle Lady, Six Flags, seeing Smokey and the Bandit and Jaws with you and Stephen, thinking May was calling the Mnt. Brook Police, doing jumps in the dirt in Stephen's THING car/truck hybrid, and many, many other great memories. Mom says I never blog about you...well I just did! :) And I will in the future! I love you!

Should we legalize Pot? + STAR TREK (mild spoilers)

NOTE: Someone just told me that alcohol is found in nature as well...so scratch that statement :)

Star Trek stuff kicks in around 7 min, so if you've not seen it and want to avoid spoilers, you've been warned :)




UPDATED POST: Here's a quick follow up to some of the comments:

To All Who Come To This Happy Place...WELCOME!

...err, unless you're Jewish, or African-American, or from India, or a woman with a desire to do anything but clean up after and serve at the foot of a man. But as long as you're not any of those things, then yeah, welcome everyone! Welcome!

'To all who come to this happy place...Welcome!'

Famous words known to all Disney freaks- like myself- spoken by Disney himself in July of 1955 on the day Disneyland opened for the first time.

Now look: I'm a Disney nut and the obsession has been (happily!) getting 'worse' since I've had kids (we go to the park every month or so), since I've been devouring the behind the scenes books I get at the theme parks, and since I've discovered a number of like minded Disney nuts in real life and on the internet.

And in my growing fandom, I've been searching for info about Walt Disney. What made the man tick? What did his family think about him? How did he respond to his success?

There are lots of books out there, but frankly the biographies are too damn long for me to read (900+ pages for the one that folks say is the best). So I did what most lazy folks do: I went to Youtube and tried to find a movie version of what I wanted so I could digest it fast and over a lunch break. :)

And in my search, I came across this documentary:



If you've watched it (and there are 5 other parts beyond what I've embedded above), you can tell: The story of Walt Disney as the kindly, creative 'Uncle Walt' ain't true. And what is true ain't pretty.

And some of the most incriminating stuff comes right from Walt's mouth. A lot of the other bad stuff comes from folks who worked with Walt and were relaying things he was reported to have said to them.

And so IF this doc is to be believed, I'm really turned off to the man who was Walt Disney at this point.

And what I wonder is: is it fair that this information should affect the way people feel about the current Diseny brand? Or even the classic Disney stuff that Walt had a direct hand in creating? Or was Disney just a man of his time and it's unfair to hold him to today's standards of what it means to be a likable, kind person?

These days, it's impossible for me to associate the new Disney with the real Disney and for that I am grateful. The new Disney seems very much about diversity and teamwork and imagination and hope for the whole world, all races and types. The old Disney? If the doc is real, not so much. If the doc is real, I imagine Walt is rolling over in his cryo chamber over the casting of an African-American Disney Princess in The Princess and the Frog.

Also, if the documentary and all the research I've done on the parks and the older Disney flicks show anything, it's that the vast majority of stuff we all love about Disney (Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Dumbo, etc...hell even Mickey Mouse!) was created or lead or turned into the great magic we love by many other folks along with and/or instead of 'Uncle Walt'. And so with that knowledge, it keeps me from turning my back on the whole thing.

But I ain't gonna lie: if that documentary is true, the individual Walt Disney seems like someone whom I would not care to meet and whose work I would not care to support with my cash.

Granted, documentaries have a point of view and perhaps this one is not all true. But it's hard to argue with actual footage of Disney turning colleagues over to the government during the McCarthy witch hunts (and it's even worse if his views on Jews, African-Americans, women,etc. pan out). But I did read somewhere that towards the end of his life Disney tried to change or actually did change his assholian ways (altho I've seen no evidence of that). So who knows.

Either way, it's pretty shitty stuff to discover (again, assuming even a touch of it is true). And it makes me:

a- wonder which of today's celebrated people that we hold up as being the epitome of a specific virtue or a set of admired virtues is really full of shit? For example: are Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg REALLY nice guys?!?
b- perhaps it's naive to assume that people- and especially creative people who see the world a bit different than most- would and should be holier that the rest of us and less susceptible to the negative human traits that the rest of us must deal with. But in that case, these celebs should not present a totally fake image of who they are and fool the public. I think that is the worst part about my whole Disney discovery...a sense of disappointment and betrayal.

Later ya'll

David

Ah who the hell am I kidding? :)

It's 3:15- can't sleep.

A few things:

-Just woke from a dream where I was looking after my dying father. Now my dad- thank God- is very much alive and healthy, thanks for asking :)...but in the dream he was in bed in some hospital and dying. Now before that, in the same dream, I was working at one of the junkyards he used to own and run when I was a kid. But in the dream I was a grown up and I was doing a really good job running his yard and dad seemed real pleased with me and my work. And then- just like that- we're in the hospital and he's dying but only he's not an old man anymore, but he's a little, little boy...like around 3 or 4. And he's so sad and so little and so cute. And he sits up in bed and I tell him it's ok and that I'm there for him. And I ask him if he wants to stay or if he wants to move on. And I hope so much that he'll say he wants to stay but I know the answer he is going to give: he shakes his head yes when I ask him if he wants to go be with "gaga" (the name we had/have for his mother who has been dead for a long time). And so- sad as I am- I pick my father up- who is this little boy- and I hold him as I slowly spin him around the room in a warm, tight embrace and tell him everything will be fine and that I love him and that I have him and that it's all ok.

And then I wake up.

And now I feel sort of sad, like I'd like to call dad right now. But it's 5 am in Alabama and I don't want to wake anyone. I'd like to go hug my kids too, but its 3am here and I don't want to wake them either.

Man, having small children of my own- who are the age of my dad in the dream- I realize that the bonds between parent and child (in both directions) are so much stronger than just physical. Dreams like this make me wonder if there is something to the idea that we are all old spirits who have known each other many lives over and we just keep going round and round with the same spirits as our companions. So in one life a spirit is your dad,in the next that same spirit is your kid, sometimes your next door neighbor. Is that what is going on with this life? Or something else entirely? Well, whatever it is, it reminds me of how wonderful and precious family is.

Either that or I've just been watching too much IN TREATMENT on HBO....which- truth be told- IS the case :) Amazing, amazing show!


- Yes, I am still blogging. I was pretty bummed by the leak from our game yesterday. Not so much the information that got out (there really was nothing in there that gave away what we were making or breached any sort of trust I have with the team or with Sony). I was just annoyed that someone would actually go thru the trouble of not only defogging the images (that I clearly was sharing with the net community and clearly didn't want defogged) but then that they would go so far as to post the info on the net. I know I'm a naive idiot for being surprised but sometimes the behavior of folks on the net can really just wear you down. But then you remember that most folks who come here and post about games and pop culture all over the net are just nice, passionate people. I have no desire to stop blogging- something I love to do- just because from time to time there are going to be people who do shit that really gets under my skin.

- On that same front, I'd been thinking alot about this idea that I would rather be known, loved,hated, ignored, forgotten,etc. all solely based on the work I contribute to, and not for my blog. Now I know my blog is not some massive thing...it's not like I get a million readers a month or anything. BUT it has brought me more attention than any of the games I've been involved with and sometimes I'm like: well what's the point of that? Better to not have a blog and if anyone thinks twice about me besides my loved ones, it will be because the work we do makes folks happy. And I do feel that way...strongly.

I've seen other folks I admire (in games, in comic books) stop blogging and there's something that feels kind of dignified about that action. Like those folks are saying: the work will speak for me, not some blog.

And again, I really appreciate that stance. It's a stance I often think about taking ( clearly)...

BUT I also know that it's 2009 and blogs and the internet are amazing tools for connecting with folks who DO like and support the stuff you and your team creates. I mean, how nice it is to be able to connect directly with the folks you have a hand in entertaining. How nice it is to hear that you and the team have made something that has really touched someone's life in a positive way. And how nice to share a look into our world with people who are clearly interested in such things. It is an amazing gift and opportunity and while there is a strong part of me that feels that the work should just speak for itself, a stronger part of me tells me that blogging is something I don't want to give up doing.

So I won't and I'm not.

And at the same time, me and the team are going to bust our butts to bring ya'll some of the best games you've ever played and allow the work to speak so loudly for itself that this whole worry will be a moot issue.

But so long story short: I don't want to stop blogging; so I'm not going to.

I do want to go to bed tho. I've put my LA trip on hold as I have to work this weekend :( And I'm getting tired so I'll just see you all next week!

Later!

David

CLOSING TIME

Hey all- need a big break from blogging. Who knows- as always- I may come back to it but right now feels like a great time to stop.

To all of you regular readers who have gone with me on this journey over the years...we're just getting started! Soon our website for EAT SLEEP PLAY will be up and blazing and you'll be able to find me there on company blogs and the EAT SLEEP PLAY forums.

Until then- have a great start of the summer movie season and I'll chat with you all soon!


Much thanks and much gratitude for all your support over the years!

later ya'll!

David

LEGO TWISTED METAL!

Check it out- custom LEGO TM vehicles!!!


Here's DARKSIDE!


And MINION!

Now where's Sweet Tooth, dammit! The clown demands his Lego treatment!!!

More can be found here!

David

Rambling on California Adventure + Wolverine Apathy

Rambly v-blog today:



Oh, and here's the odd BROTHERS AND SISTERS promo/photo opp at Disneyland...I know there is a wine and food festival going on at CA ADVENTURE so it kind of fits a bit more but hell, even a food festival at Disneyland feels out of place.

Disneyland with my oldest kid:)

Taking a day off from work to hang with my oldest daughter at one of our fave places! No lines either!!! Which means we can finally ride toy story mania!!! Bout to board! Later y'all!

David

My First Game Console

For those who saw the Hiphopgamer interview and were wondering what the hell kind of first console I was talking about, here it is, in all it's triangular glory! Man, just seeing this makes me feel 7 years old again! I can totally see me and my brother in our playroom/old den- with the bright red shag carpet and the massive old school television (that had the record turn table built into the top). I can see us now, obsessing over this new fangled device that my dad brought home one night. God we played this thing for hours. Little did I know at the time that video games would have such a huge impact on my life.

Thanks for the memories, Mom and Dad! And thanks for letting me always do the stuff I loved to do growing up. I love you!

You Swine!

When we lived in LA, we had the best pediatrician you could imagine. His name is Dr. Jay and he works in Santa Monica and is just amazing. So amazing that even tho we are no longer officially his patients he will still take our calls about our kids to put our minds at ease. He's so amazing that in 2009, the man still makes house calls and will come to your home the day your kid is born (or the day you get him/her home from the hospital) in order to give the kid the once over, get to know his new patient, and- most importantly- put a new parent's mind at ease. Dr. Jay is one of the many reasons I still love and still miss my dear Los Angeles.

So we got this email today from him about the Swine virus that seems to be going around (and- I gather- causing a bit of a panic among his Santa Monica parents). In his usual, non reactionary Dr. Jay way (one of the reasons I love the guy), he reminds us all not to worry so much about the current epidemic of the day... and gets a semi dig in at the Bush Administration! Sweet!

But political jabs aside, check it out- see what you think:

David
+++++++++++++++++++




Just wash your hands.

Every year, hundreds of viruses pass through the pediatric and adult community. Many of the bugs are disruptive and keep kids out of school and adults away from work. Some of the viruses have unique signs and symptoms, but most just cause amorphous aches, sneezing, coughing or intestinal upset.

Influenza viruses, especially new ones, trigger more news stories and can be made to seem much more frightening and dangerous than they really are. Government agencies and media don't supply statistical context and make it sound like you've got a "fifty-fifty" chance of contracting this new virus. They then make it sound like a lot of people who get this influenza end up in the hospital and may die. Statistically, nothing could be further from the truth: The chance that the new virus is really dangerous is small. The chance that you'll get it is much, much smaller, and the possibility that you or a family member will be harmed by the virus is so slim that the news should be on page twenty, not page one.

Swine Flu is a virus for which there is no vaccine, no threat to your family and there are undoubtedly tens of thousands of harmless undiagnosed cases throughout the world. The news stories are probably taking a hundred questionable respiratory deaths in Mexico and guessing.

There actually is a very, very small chance that this virus could cause severe illness and whenever this occurs hospitalization and even fatalities are reported. The likelihood of a pandemic is miniscule, but newspapers, governments agencies and the manufacturers of pharmaceuticals do their best work and make their biggest sales when people are scared.

Tamiflu is recommended for treatment and prevention of this influenza virus. The company which gets the drug's royalties (Gilead) has as a major stockholder--previously Chairman--one Donald Rumsfeld.

Local pharmacies are already running low on Tamiflu.

Connect these dots.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/governmentFilingsNews/idUKN2445216420090424

http://www.snopes.com/politics/medical/tamiflu.asp

http://money.cnn.com/2005/10/31/news/newsmakers/fortune_rumsfeld/

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE53O17O20090425

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=200904251215dowjonesdjonline000319&title=who-says-initial-findings-show-swine-flu-responds-to-tamiflu

The usual boring admonitions apply: wash your hands, stay well-rested and well-hydrated. You do not need to buy Tamiflu. It is an effective antiviral drug but has possible side effects.

http://health.howstuffworks.com/health-illness/treatment/medicine/medications/tamiflu-psych.htm

As far as our office prescribing Tamiflu, we would rather not, but we will if you insist. I promise you that I personally am purchasing none for my family and would recommend the same to you.

Best,

Jay
JNG, MD FAAP

Wherein I Get Hip...

Hey ya'll. This is a fairly long Skype interview I did the other night with the Hiphopgamershow.

The guys from the site had been posting in the comments about their site for a few months, wanting to get me on. After not being able to make a go of it for a bit, we finally had some time to connect last Tuesday night. It was a fun interview and it's clear that the HipHopGamer (I forget his actual name...I checked my Skype window where he's a contact of mine and it just says HHG, so I dunno his actual name :)....but it's clear he's passionate about games and a super, super nice guy to boot. I've seen on the net some people giving him shit about his energy level or the way he speaks but he just seemed like a real nice, passionate, and positive person to me. I had a great time, thought a lot of the questions were interesting, and was more than happy to work with HHG. So give it a watch/listen if you are so inclined!



Ok ya'll- off to the job- chat later!

David

Like a Pig in Shit

So I was just looking around my office and I realized it's a total pig stye.



Ok, it's not THAT bad (I mean, it's been worse, for sure) but it sure ain't clean.

But right when I started to get the thought that I should clean the place, I realized that I take comfort in a messy space when I'm in my creative zone. Right now-with the game- the team is really starting to gel and we are making great progress on all fronts. When I am in that phase of a game's development- where tech solutions are getting locked down and the pipeline of play mechanics and new art is FINALLY starting to flow into the realtime database at a speedy pace- for some reason, my work space tends to get really, really messy. I think it's cause- clearly- all my energy goes towards focusing on the game experience and the experience of real life takes a back seat.

So here I sit with my 3 day old Diet Coke cans, coffee cops from Einstein Bros Bagels, the massive empty box my new dev kit was shipped in, and the GOD OF WAR framed art that I took down to show someone on ichat and have yet to put back on the wall...and it makes me happy. Like a Pig in Shit, you know? I like it because it signifies where we are at in the game and I like it because it just feels good to be surrounded by all this stuff, like a warm blanket made up of pop culture artifacts, bad-for-me drinks, chewed on pencils, and pictures of the games and the kids that I've helped to make. And I really, really like it :)

David

Stupid Facebook App

Here's another one of these that seems to be going around the Facebook world. I did it while waiting for our new build to download. Kinda cool, kinda dumb. Whatever. Thought I'd share! :) Have a great weekend ya'll!

David

+++++++


Rules:
1. Put your music library on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must write that song title as the answer to the question, no matter how silly it sounds! Most of the time they seem to work though, strangely enough.
4. Ok, go!
5. When you're done, tag 20 people in this note, and make sure to tag the person who sent you this.

1) IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OK?" YOU SAY?
Sugar, We're Goin Down

2) WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Can You Feel It?

3) WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Children's Story

4) HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
All Fired Up

5) WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Return of the Mack

6) WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Moves like an Ape, Looks Like a Man

7) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
Good People

8) WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Tavern Fight

9) WHAT IS 2+2?
Now We Are Free

10) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Material Girl

11) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
The Ultimate War

12) WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Meeting Edward Gracey

13) WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
The Legend of the Holy Grail

14) WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Under Pressure

15) WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Hold On

16) WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Straight Outta Compton

17) WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
I Was Born to Love You

18) WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Come Sail Away

19) WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Diamonds from Sierra Leone

20) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmit

21) WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Fate

Note:#3 is particularly worrisome :)

Zen and the Art of Arty Games

Woo-Hoo! We got stickers!

So working at home, you forgo typical 'real' office luxuries. Things like an always stocked fridge, free bagels on Friday, and a really big logo to greet you when you enter your workplace. Out in Utah there are a couple of big EAT SLEEP PLAY logos that hit you right as you are walking up to our door. But here, at Casa Jaffe, no such luck...that is...until now!!! Check it...we got stickers!


Regular readers of the blog will recognize the missing door handle that shattered when I kicked the door in when my 5 year old locked herself inside. Yeah, I still need to get that fixed. :)


And there's our logo in alll her glory. Yeah, she looks all lonely up there by herself, but hell, it's still kinda cool to see when I come into work every morning.

And check it: Even more stickers!

Now I just gotta find a place to plaster them!


Ok, ok...they are just some damn stickers...but when they are stickers from a company you really care about, well hell...it's damn neat for me to see!

Ok- it's late...just got done watching 7 Pounds with Will Smith (pretty good!) and I wanna get some sleep. My new dev kit arrives tomorrow and I'm so excited to try out some of the new mechanics the team has put into the game since my rig has been out of commission. Chat with you guys soon!

David

MOTHERFUCK!!!!

For all the folks who think all I do is rah-rah the PS3 all the time, here's a switch for you:

FUCK THE MOTHERFUCKING PS3!!!!

At least the dev kit :)

Check this shit:


DAMMIT! Today I broke off my 6th fucking USB port thingy that hooks the controller up to the dev kit. I know you can't tell all that well from this pic, but that little black tab on the floor is the thing that hooks the end of the usb cable into the ps3. And they are very, very fragile for some unknown motherfucking reason. And I was simply walking by the damn dev kit and the cord caught on my leg and snap! God Damn Motherfucker just popped and shut my day down. According to our producer Angelic, she has already had to send 8 of the God Damned things in for repair! So at least I don't feel so bad about being the only one this happens to. But still...DAMN!

And since I've never been able to get a PS3 dev kit to work with a wireless controller (not sure if they are designed to)- and since it happened too late in the day for the office in Utah to make get it Fedex'd out before tomorrow- I'm fucking out of luck playing the game till Wednesday!

Ah well, I guess I can do some work on the shell/main menu design tomorrow.

Fuckin' grumble, grumble.

David

Why we work for Sony + Kevin Smith

Great Quote From Steve Jobs

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

Wow...pretty much sums it all up for me! So glad I saw this quote this morning.

Good day, ya'll!

David

BIZ PICS

Hey all- sorry out of touch this last week, was out in Utah. Sony came to visit us and we were swamped with those meetings along with lots of gameplay tuning.

Gonna head out in a bit and see STATE OF PLAY and then hit the toob and play some KILLZONE 2 single player. I spent lots of time with the MP but am only now going back to go thru the one player campaign. So far, I'm digging it lots. Pretty amazing looking game, that's for sure. Oh and playing OUTRUN on the 360 as well! Very fun, very addictive!

Anyway, been accruing game biz pics over the last few months and figured I'd post them here just for fun, and to also shine the tiny light which I am able to shine on lots of other amazing men and women who make the game biz run. So here ya go- and I'll chat with ya'll more regular like start of next week!

David



This is at the Sony party at GDC. At this point, I was as drunk as I have been in several years. At pic left is Scott Hyman, Biz Dev head of Creat Studios (they of the PSN addictive MAGIC BALL, among many others). At pic right is super agent to the stars, Gina Ramirez of UTA talent agency. I do not know why I look so smarmy in this pic. Perhaps I get smarmy when I get drunk? Either way, there ya go. And yes I am wearing the same clothes here as I did on the Bonus Round that was taped the next day. Like I said, I was very drunk. It was a very long night that never really ended. It just kind of went from here to the glamor spot that is Denny's. And then, before you know it, it was the next day and there I was, hung over and trying to hold my own on the Bonus Round


Some of the heaviest hitters in the Sony family...and then me :) That's Shu Yoshida who runs the product development ball of wax- all over the WORLD!- for Playstation. If it wasn't for this man, you'd have no ICO (among many other ground breaking games). Sean Layton is next to me, who now runs Japan's Playstation PD and has been a major Sony playa/heavy hitter for years. And then there's Studdy at the end, Shannon Studstill who was the GOD OF WAR I producer (i.e. she who pulled the whole damn chaotic thing together), was exec prod. on GOW II and is now over at EA Los Angeles.


This is me- drunk again- on the first night of the show. I am really not that big of a drinker, altho these pics would indicate otherwise. But biz shows are not only for nuts and bolts work, but the nights are great times to hook up with industry friends and colleagues and just blow it out. So there tends to be lots of drinking. But by the third night of the show, I was done with the booze and just wanted to hit my hotel room and watch a flick. Anyway, this is me when I took the trumpet off some random San Fran cab driver's dashboard and proceeded to see if I could still play the INDY JONES theme (as well as the ON BROADWAY solo from back in high school...either it was that or GIMME SOME LOVIN')...either way, I can't play the damn trumpet anymore....not that I was ever much good at it. But now it sounds like a duck being slaughtered.


And here's the cab driver- whose horn this was- taking the trumpet and showing me how it's done. Why the FUCK I put my mouth on some strange cab driver's trumpet (shut the fuck up) I have no idea. But he could play, that's for sure. Glad I've not come down with anything since that nite. Perhaps all the booze killed whatever germs were living in the mouthpiece.


Did I mention there was much drinking? Here's me doing the only thing in my life that even comes close to being a gangsta: drinking Patron like a fucking fish. Altho I hear these days the rappers are into the White Russians and Patron is kind of out of vogue. Ah well. That's me, Shannon/Studdy, and then Nate (who was a designer on God of War II and is now doing external design work for Sony Santa Monica) and God of War III game director, Stig Asmussen.


Me and Shannon in some cool light.


We're missing Ru (the director from CHAINS OF OLYMPUS...altho me and Shannon downed pancakes and french fries with him later that night) but here's me, Shannon, God of War II director Cory Barlog, and God of War III director Stig Asmussen!


Now this is both amazing, flattering, embarrassing, and sad. This is the FUCKING ANIMATION DIRECTOR for MGS4!!! Yes, that's right- the man who fucking worked hand in hand with Kojima to create some of the best- oh hell, THE BEST- cinematics ever put in a video game. And I can NOT REMEMBER HIS NAME!!! :( I was just getting my drink on- but was buzzed enough- that I have blanked on this super talented dude's name!!! Also his name is Japaneese and I'm bad remembering names from Japan. So if you are reading this, please shoot me an email. I would love to stay in touch. So cool that he came up to me and told me how much he dug GOD OF WAR. And I was like: oh man, you worked on MGS4?!? So it was very cool. But how lame that his name has slipped my mind :(



Me and Eric, one of Sony Santa Monica's external senior producers and magnet for drunk Persian women. Eric is working with us on the new game and also seems to know pretty much everyone in the biz. This is from dinner with the Sony folks out in Utah just a few days ago.


Me and Eat Sleep Play Co Founder/Co Pres Scott Campbell (also of Incognito and SingleTrac fame). I was going thru some fun gifts that Tina Kowalewski (industry super schmoozer and head of Sony Santa Monica External Dev) had gotten me for my bday. I had to have Eat Sleep Play fed ex them to my house as I would not be able to get on the plane with a magic 8 ball (cause it's not only filled with more than 3 oz. of fluid but looks like a fucking cartoon bomb from Rocky & Bullwinkle)...


Me and Tina K in the hotel lobby. Tina K- by the way- took ALL these pics except this one. I should hire her to be a paparazzi for me :)

Ok, so there's me and my buddies out and about in this amazing industry that is the video game biz. Ok, movie is gonna start soon- gotta run. Chat later ya'll!

David

COSMO MAGAZINE FUCKS UP SHIT + GAME PR/ANNOUNCE UPDATE

Hey ya'll- no I do not have an announce date but I talk a bit about it around 7 min on the vid. Before that is me just ranting about Cosmo magazine. Yes...you read that right :)...






Ugh, just look at this bullshit. Such a rusty jar of nasty ass juice. Lordy....

Oh and check out that headline in the upper left: Sex HE Craves....

Excuse me? Now look, I'm all for women (and men) learning some tricks to be better lovers. Sounds great! But in THIS magazine, it's just one more bullshit example of giving women info on how to please their man versus how to please themselves. For me, I'll tell my daughters- when they are old enough, naturally- that their biggest and first responsibility in bed to to make themselves feel good. If they've hooked up with a partner that CONTRIBUTES to that- and if THEY can contribute to his (or her if they go down that road) pleasure while ALSO enjoying themselves?...well, then they have found a winner. But the goal is not to get a fucking gold star and a pat on the head from some dude in the bedroom. Amazing...just amazing. And even MORE amazing is the amount of women out there that have been conditioned to believe this horse shit.