UpInFlames' GameSpot Friend's Blog Posts

lozengez writes: RE: Revelations Impressions

Sat, 18 May 2013 19:18:03 -0700

Tom got a hold of the upcomign PC version and gives his impressions. We also go over Metro: Last Light and the week's news.

http://gameunder.net/http/gameunderlibsyncom/rss/2013/5/18/game-under-episode-6

Thanks for listening, comment on the show page.

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"lozengez writes: RE: Revelations Impressions" was posted by lozengez on Sat, 18 May 2013 19:18:03 -0700

JodyR writes: Farewell GameSpotters

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:33:46 -0700

Can you believe it has been almost 8 years since I first started working at GameSpot? How it began, GameSpot contacted me to ask if I knew of any competitive Unreal Tournament gamers for E3 2005. I provided a solid professional gamer and it didn't take long for them to offer a community manager position for the GameCenter service that allowed you to build your own game servers. I've pretty much done everything at GameSpot, from a daily show to stage show assistance but one area I never touched is reviews, and for good reason! It's a tough job. Outside GameSpot, I've dealt with other games media networks, events, and services but now it's time to see how games are built from a developer's point of view. The game I'll be working with has two of my favorite gameplay components: rocket packs and rocket launchers! LOL But yes, the game is a competitive shooter so I fit right in.

I'll miss all of you but I know we'll keep in touch. As for whether or not you're in good hands, GameSpot staff is working diligently around the clock to rebuild the site. I can't wait to see what's on the horizon!

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"JodyR writes: Farewell GameSpotters" was posted by JodyR on Tue, 14 May 2013 08:33:46 -0700

dannyodwyer writes: Hello GameSpot US

Sun, 12 May 2013 19:56:46 -0700

Right now I'm sitting in a rented apartment in San Francisco. It's sunny outside, there's baseball on the TV and I'm on a laptop trying my best to sum up what fu7ked up set of events landed me here. I'm also reminding myself of how bad I am at creative writing.

I arrived in San Francisco yesterday where I'm staying for about a month to work alongside the US video team in the run-up to E3. Back in 2005 when I used to stay up until midnight to watch On The Spot, I dreamed of another life where I could work in the GameSpot HQ, and be as good at talking about games as the people inside that 640 x 480 frame. I'm not sure if ever really thought it was a possibility. In fact, I'm sure it was just a pipe dream.

Would you employ this man?

I'm sitting here, thinking about the past five years of work to get here, and the only emotion I have to describe this situation is bafflement. I am fu7king baffled that I am sitting here.

I'm baffled that that super-green, idiot kid managed to get this done. I'm baffled that all those people took a risk with me and gave me opportunities. I'm baffled that my fianc moved to the UK with me so I could try get a job in the industry, and then allowed me to live in a different country for another two years once I did. I'm baffled that anybody watches my videos at all. That my Irish accent carries, that my opinion of games matters, that my jokes are funny. I'm baffled that my professional heroes, the men and women who inspired me to try this line of work, actually know who the hell I am. And that some of them even like me?!

But the most baffling part is that I'm not even the least bit anxious about tomorrow. I've been waiting years to work with the people inside that building, and sitting here with the baseball on, and the sun outside - it's like some strange version of Christmas Eve. Where on Christmas Day you work like a horse to collaborate with talented people and create amazing videos about video games. I cannot wait.

Before posting this, I just spent a few minutes reading my old blogs and I spotted something. Tomorrow, the first day I walk into that office, is 3 hours shy of being exactly 7 years from my first blog post on GameSpot.

Baffling.

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"dannyodwyer writes: Hello GameSpot US" was posted by dannyodwyer on Sun, 12 May 2013 19:56:46 -0700

Shame-usBlackley writes: Tough Love

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:13:59 -0700

I've always been an outspoken advocate for this hobby. God help the person who blamed society's ills on gaming within my earshot. The person who blames games for everything and sees them as a corruptible influence on kids found no friend or safe quarters with me. I defended the hobby because I knew I was right. I know that in my gut. In my heart. But I also defended it because I loved it. I loved it for all the reasons anyone loves anything. I loved it for all the times it transported me from my boring, mundane (sometimes painful) world to another that I could've only dreamed of taking part in. I loved it because as I grew, it grew with me -- like any great love does. From days as a wide-eyed kid with my Atari, to adoloscence with my Nintendo consoles, to Adulthood and Sony, the industry aged with me and yet still somehow remained relevant. Over the last few years, however, a dark spot has formed on my love for the hobby, and I fear it will turn malignant if it isn't cut out.

It's not the games themselves -- I still love sitting down with a game just as much as I did back when I first stuck Defender in my 2600. And I think by and large game developers are just as creative and amazing as they've ever been. I don't think I could ever stop loving this hobby, as I have loved it longer than any other thing in my life. I hear musicians talk about how music made them feel the first time they heard their favorite band, and that's how gaming makes me feel. I hear people talk about the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction they get from climbing a difficult mountain or getting an A in Calculus, and that's how I feel about gaming. Of the problems I am about to speak, love and admiration for the hobby aren't among them.

However, you can still love something and not like what it's doing. That sums up very much how I feel about where things are going. I see developers shutting doors even after making a game that sells a million copies. Back in the day, they would have been heroes of industry. I hear publishers mentioniong that a game has failed to meet expectations after it sells nearly three and a half million copies in a month, and I wonder who these people are and where they got their expectations from. I see publishers abusing the loyalty of gamers by asking them to buy unreleased, unaccounted for content for nearly half the cost of the game itself, even before it has been released. I have watched the two main players in the industry make proclamations of "10 Year Cycles" all the while refusing to lower the price of overpriced, ancient hardware that is only months away from being replaced. And I have also watched the industry attempt to explain away the sales numbers that have fallen each month for hardware and software. Whether due to bluster or plain self-delusion, they believe that they don't have a problem.

But they do. They really do.

New rumors of consoles requiring that there be a constant internet connection have surfaced and not been squashed. The insistence on pairing the precision control of a controller with an imprecise motion control mechanism looks set to continue. A recent interview with DICE revealed that one of the companies (Microsoft I would presume) has been trying to bribe them to include Kinect controls in their games. What better illustration of a problem is there than a company trying (and feeling compelled) to bribe game developers to include support for a device that just doesn't work? Sales numbers are going down because the companies have kept the prices so high that the $129 market (which is quite large, by the way) has never turned up to support this generation. Further, people like myself have found their love for the hobby tested by all the microtransactions and season pass asshattery. Can anyone make a compelling case for why you should buy a game on launch day anymore when you can wait a couple of months and pay one third the price and get a bunch of additional content? I tried, and I couldn't. If you can, enlighten me. I'd love to hear it.

Which brings me to the crux of this post: the industry has done the impossible. It has found the place where my disdain for how it is being run has exceeded my love of it, and the last thing I can do -- the only thing I can do to show it how much I love it is to stop supporting its bad habits. My love is about to grow tough. Where it was once unconditional, it will now be very conditional. The relationship is about to become very lopsided in my favor for a change, and brother, that's going to feel pretty good. I have realized that I am strong and that this hobby needs me more than I need it. I purchased over two hundred retail titles this generation, and roughly half that number of downloadable games. Believe you me, I hold the cookies in this relationship, and if I don't start seeing more respect, that money is going to go elsewhere.

So from now on, I will abide by this simple set of rules:

I will no longer buy games at launch unless the publisher publicly and openly states that there will be no plans for Day One DLC and/or Season Passes. If a game includes those items, I will wait until it is either bargain bin priced ($15 or less sounds about right) where I can buy the extra content for less than the amount they would have gotten from me initially, or until a "Game of the Year" version gets released at a discounted price and with all the additional content.

I will no longer support any system that emphasizes motion controls. I believe the Wii was a cancer on this hobby largely because it flagrantly disregarded the fact that controls are the single most important aspect to a game. I believe Microsoft has, sadly, gone in the same direction. There is a lot of money in pocket and I want to spend it -- all you have to do is give me what I want. The first and best way to be guaranteed not to get it? By shoving a control mechanism on me that doesn't work.

I will not support any company that demands I connect to the internet to use their device. I am the master of my time. I will be goddamned if anyone is going to tell me how to use it, especially a device that I've paid hundreds of dollars for.

I will not support any company that implements measures to block used games or intends to tie software to one console. I think it's safe to see why this is such a bad idea after a generation where the North American industry leader had a failure rate of double digits. But it's not just that -- it again goes back to trying to tell me how I can use a device I bought legally. If I want to loan a game to a friend or family member (or conversely, borrow one of theirs), then I should be free to do that. Other industries do just fine with used markets existing, and in many ways, view that as a means of gaining a lifetime customer. Gaming can too.

I will buy the machine that least resembles a media center and most resembles a game console. This should be self-explanatory, but I don't need Netflix on my console. I have a myriad of other devices for that. And think about that for a minute -- why would a game console manufacturer include all kinds of options that encourage the player to not buy and play games? I want a game console, because that will be the developer's console.

In closing, I'm not doing this to be a prick. I'm not doing it to make a point. I'm doing it out of love. I feel I owe it to this hobby to not take part in a lot of the dark habits it has taken up. If my money goes towards the good side of gaming (and perhaps other like-minded people too), then perhaps it's not too late to save it. And if it is, at least I can say that I tried. I am afraid of where things are headed. The dark signs are everywhere. Something has to change. We have to go back to the basics of what worked, and let history be our guide.

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"Shame-usBlackley writes: Tough Love" was posted by Shame-usBlackley on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:13:59 -0700

Kevin-V writes: Lost, Not Forgotten

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 20:05:23 -0700

Dan Wolboldt saved my life.

He didn't pull me from a burning building or rescue me from a frozen lake. But when I was suffering from a depression that had me constantly on the brink of suicide, he was the man who kept me on this side of the abyss.

He was my therapist, but that word is so clinical, and doesn't accurately describe who Dan was to me. Friend? Yes, even though I usually only saw him in the confines of the office of a mental health clinic in Warren, PA. Father figure is more accurate, I suppose, but whatever you call him, he was the one that convinced me that life was worth living. His office was the safest place on the planet. It was there that I felt most vulnerable, and most cared for. He is the reason I am still here today, rather than a memory, or at very least, rather than a human husk, withering away in a hospital for the remainder of my days.

He shared with me stories that a professional therapist shouldn't generally be sharing with his patient, and yet it was exactly the right thing to do in my case. I would record myself playing Christmas music on cassette tape and give it to him as a Christmas gift. I went to a church where he was a guest pastor one Sunday and marveled that this man could radiate such kindness and generosity. I read about his exploits with his boy scout troop, and wondered if those young men knew how fortunate they were that someone like Dan could be in their lives.

I also know that Dan was an imperfect man. But I wasn't prepared to discover that several weeks ago, this man responsible for me being here to share this story today went missing. Vanished from his house, his wallet and keys left behind. No note, no goodbye to his wife Penny, no sign of a break in, no indication that something was wrong. He was simply gone.

The police have searched, and the Conewango Creek and local branch of the Allegheny River have been scoured. No one knows if Dan, at the age of 69, wandered off to take his own life, or fell into the river and was washed away. Perhaps he was discontent and troubled, and decided to travel where he couldn't be found and live out his last days in peace. Perhaps he simply went for a walk to some unknown place and suffered a heart attack, and hasn't been found in spite of the exhaustive search.

But it doesn't seem that Dan is coming back.

The last time I talked to Dan was a few years ago. He sent me an email entitled "The real story...for those with a warped sense of humor." It was a typical viral email that people might send, this one with pictures of fairy tale princesses as they might have ended up. Snow White with her several babies and a good-for-nothing prince sitting in front of the TV. An obese Little Red Riding Hood wandering through the forest, sipping on a Big Gulp and carrying a basket full of bread. It certainly wasn't the most socially sensitive communication, but it's what I have.

I love you Dan. I hope that you are close to God now.

Edit: My mom shared this YouTube link with me of Dan leading vespers in 2012. http://youtu.be/dmVaCIoxeI0

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"Kevin-V writes: Lost, Not Forgotten" was posted by Kevin-V on Sun, 07 Apr 2013 20:05:23 -0700

shaunmc writes: Here is a picture of Mankey

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:00:33 -0700

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"shaunmc writes: Here is a picture of Mankey" was posted by shaunmc on Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:00:33 -0700

duxup writes: Shout out to Gamespot

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 10:35:17 -0800

It is a sad situation but it is good to see Gamespot and Kevin throw down the hammer on SimCity.

It is unfortunate to see a classic franchise left on the shelf for so long and then trashed.

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"duxup writes: Shout out to Gamespot" was posted by duxup on Fri, 08 Mar 2013 10:35:17 -0800

GodModeEnabled writes: GMES Top 10 Games Of The Generation

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 03:57:28 -0800

GMES Top 10 Games Of The Generation

I know, I know. Just ten? Seems like a herculean task. For the all the flak I give this generation for going a bit long in the tooth in the tail end it has by far got to by one of the best video game eras we have had. Nevermind all the bad things, what matters most is the games. What matters at the end of the day is the quality software you pop into your machine, that magical place a true masterpiece of a videogame can transport you to. This is our place. Mine, yours, everyone who loves videogames. No other media can reach the levels of immersion and experiences we can get.

I always said the best games really take you somewhere. Let you see, hear, feel and experience things that would be otherwise completely missed in most peoples day to day ordinary lives. The catch is that it doesnt have to be the graphics, the artstyle, the number of polygons on screen that accomplish this. Gameplay itself can take you to that place as well. That one serene spot where everything clicks and you think to yourself. Yeah.... this is it right here, this is what its all about.
I know also that the generation isnt over yet but it more or less is. The only games this year that I could see making this list maybe are Bioshock Infinite and GTA V. Well as good as im sure they will be im gonna hedge my bets anyways and go with what has tickled me pink so far.

I had to leave out a lot of good games from this list. I mean im not just talking about culling the wheat from the chaff, I mean leaving piles of it behind for someone else to champion. For me this is my list, my best of the best. This list is not in any way supposed to be objective, so keep that in mind. Anyways enough with the blabbing lets get onto the list!

First a look at my top 10 almost made it list, then on to the real thing:

Top 10 Almost Made The List: Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Assassins Creed 2
Borderlands 2
Call Of Duty: Black Ops
Castlevania Lords Of Shadow
Dead Rising
Infamous
Silent Hill Homecoming
Skyrim
The Walking Dead

10. Super Meat Boy

If you are an early generation gamer, say a NES or a SNES child, then chances are high that you grew up cutting your teeth on platformers. That was truly the golden age for the genre. The pinacle of which in my opinion was Super Mario Brothers 3. As gaming (and gamers) aged more and more platformers became less and less relevant, or just recycled and uninteresting.

After many years without a truly great platforming title, here we are. This is, in my opinion the greatest platformer of the entire generation, and I would say almost the greatest platformer of all time. There were a few other great platformers this generation dont get me wrong. Im sure most of you reading this are like uuuummm Mario Galaxy motherfvcker its a thing. Donkey Kong Country Returns was also pretty damn amazing.

Meatboy to me was just pure magic though. I have never, ever, ever in my entire life felt so proud of having beat a videogame as when I beat the final level in this. Angels floated down from on high, cascading me in sparkling fountains of celebratory beer, a marching band strolled by my house trumpeting my praises, and in a sheer aura of awesomeness ladies for miles around were impregnated by my greatness.

Yeah this game was that hard. That is what made it FUN though. Somewhere in this generation we lost sight of that feeling of accomplishment gained through overcoming great adversity and were lulled into handholding me too cinematic experiences, while not necessarily bad left a gaping void waiting to be filled.
The entire first world of this game is basically teaching you everything you the skillset you need to conquer later levels. The level design is brilliant, and you never feel like you have been cheated because the controls are so perfect. They need to be for a game this demanding. For what started as a flash game spirialed into a huge success for Team Meat who at the time of making this were just two or three guys.

If you grew up with the generations of old and even have a passing interest in platformers you owe it to yourself to play this. You will need a set of big brass testes to finish it, but you should certainly see what all the fuss is about. Dont worry Dvader im sure one day youll be as good at platformers as I am.

9. Street Fighter IV

Before this game was released fighting games were in a long dormant slumber. Some would argue they were dead, other on life support, regardless though they were really missing from the mainstream for quite sometime.

Then SONIC BOOM. This badboy was released. Just as Street Fighter 2 really launced the genre into sucess back in the day it managed to accomplish the same this generations later. This game isnt just good, it is easily one of my favorite all time fighters.

Sporting a slick new cel shaded artstyle, a great online mode (in which I recieved many insults and death threat messages from surly 14 year olds) fantastic controls, tons of fighters this game was the ultimate package. When it came out me and a couple friends would try to get together a lot for nights of drinking and fighting. Lots of great memories from this game.

I will kick your ass with Blanka anyday!

8.) Dragon Age Origins

One of my favorite RPGS on the whole generation and a real return to form for Bioware. Well at least until they sh1t over themselves with the sequel (but hey 3 should be awesome!) this game was a unique, interesting fantasy world with interesting characters. Alistar, Morrigan, that dwarf that farted a lot... so awesome.

The gameplay was a lot of fun with its semi tactical nature, pausing and issuing orders and choosing from many fun spells and abilities made the combat always interesting. The locations were diverse and the plot was deep and interesting. The lore was really fun to dive into as well. Not a whole lot else to say about this one other than I played through it like three times, which is something almost unheard of for me to do.

7.) Heavy Rain

This game gets so much hate. I feel like a lot of people just dont get it It is hard to put my finger on just what it is that makes it one of my favorite games of the generation but it does so many things right. First of all I felt like I was taking place in an interactive serial killer movie the entire time. It was exciting, fresh and new!
The gameplay was intriguing and I really enjoyed the franticness and epicness (for lack of a better term) that some of the scenarios exhibted. Like being trapped underwater in a car while being tied up. Oh crap, oh crap you dont got long... what to do ..... then boom. Failure means you are dead and you continue on the story without that character. This gave the whole game such a tense and exciting feeling to it.

The graphics were amazing, the story was great, the gameplay was fun and it was one of those rare games that felt like it was actually made for adults and not teenagers living out power fantasys of shooting wave after wave of cardboard cutout enemys in a sh1t story barely there just to hold the violence together. This was different, and it worked. I cannot wait to see what else this team does.

6.) Fallout 3

This was probably the best RPG of the entire generation. Yeah the story wasnt very good I know, blah blah build the worlds biggest brita water filter, blah blah. But it just dosent really hold this game back. The locations and dungeons are all unique and well designed, the lore is great and the characters are awesome.
Howabout a huge shootout with a gang in a ruined supermarket, a school, a church.... or washington overrun with gatling gun weilding supermutants. From the great V.A.T.S gameplay (shoot off enemy limbs) to the fantastic leveling system (perks are all fun) to the moral choices, to the vast amount of exploration and immersion this is a game you can get lost in for a long time.

5.) Demon Souls

This game came out of nowhere and floored a lot of people. This game hates you and wants you dead. This game is brilliant and is worth the sharp learning curve. Sporting a hub area called the nexus players took one of five portals to different levels spread across the land in a quest to..... umm... Yknow... mend the world and stuff?

Ok I never got the story to this game at all ( or its sequel... bonfires = good?) but the gameplay is what is king here. Sporting incredible combat that stresses paitence and caution instead of headlong rushing, varied and tough boss battles ( diiiiiiieee maneater!) a fun magic system, incredible atmosphere, immersive graphics... this game is an instant classic.

Like Super Meat Boy it does away with the handholding. Whiny casual gamers should stay clear, this game is for someone who wants a challenge and the feeling of pure accomplishment and greatness that comes with clearing it.

4.) Resident Evil 5

Oh em gee I love this fvcking game. /gush. No seriously this is another game that get copious amounts of hate that I just dont get. It is everything RE4 was only better. I played through this game FOUR TIMES BACK TO BACK. I dont think I have ever done that with a game before or since.

The graphics are crisp and sexy, the gameplay is RE4 dialed to 11 and then injected with steroids (no really im pretty sure chris boulder punching roidrage has a d1ck the size of a baby carrot now) and the immersion is high. The story is silly but fun, bringing closure to the long running RE storyline. Wesker was one of the greatest villians of the generation, and his boss fights in this game were pure amazing.

I still attest that the coop aspect of this game was unessecary (noone gives a sh!t about Sheva lets be honest) but that does not hold back what is here at all. This game is a masterpiece, probably better than part four, and easily destroys part six.

3.) Deus Ex Human Revolution

Wow. That is this game in one word. Some of the best stealth all generation, one of the better stories, adult gameplay and situations. Meaningful choices and interesting characters and setting. Its hard to say anything about the game that hasnt already been said but I mostly enjoyed sneaking up behind b!tches and giving them the dirtnap.

This game like almost no other this generation makes you feel like a badass, while still being vulnerable and having to be careful. It is a huge rush ghosting through areas, or taking people out alike. You get a variety of powers and augmentations that you can upgrade in any order you want, whether its seeing through walls, punching through walls (lol hulk smash grrr), falling from any height, jumping higher...etc.

This game is damn near perfect and helped fill the hole of actual adult games made for adults that has persisted so much for the generation.

2.) Bioshock

Unrivaled atmosphere and immersion. An awesome story featuring one of the most interesting locations in all of gaming. Fantastic use of powers and special abilitys. Great exploration. Everything about this game was fun

(ok the ending was wrinkled ballsacks)

That did not take away from the pure bliss and enjoyment of the game that came before it however

1. Uncharted 2

I had to think hard on what was the most fun this generation for me. It is hard enough even trying to quantify fun into a measurable thing to be analyzed and weighed against other fun but after some thought here it is. In my opinion the best game of this generation.

Interestingly I thought the first game was only just ok, and didnt bother to play the sequel for quite some time. Thankfully my younger brother pestered me enough to give the game a chance because wow. The differences between the first game and the sequel are night and day. This game feels like you are playing through an Indiana Jones movie (if Indy was to murder about 400 more people than usual that is)

It has the best opening section to a game probably ever. Awesome graphics, gameplay, incredible setpiece scenarios that are exciting and diverse. This is it guys (and gals) this is why we play videogames so that once every few years or so we can experience that perfection, that pure magic of being in a near flawless game.

Also Cloe. I would so hit it.

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"GodModeEnabled writes: GMES Top 10 Games Of The Generation" was posted by GodModeEnabled on Fri, 01 Mar 2013 03:57:28 -0800

S0lidSnake writes: I have learned how to make gifs!!

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 22:42:13 -0800

So prepare for some next gen extravaganza!

http://i.minus.com/iY3HNLR4mbICv.gif

http://i.minus.com/i3QjCjW9iWRwL.gif

http://i.minus.com/ibl3HhrUpwvo2Q.gif

http://i.minus.com/iCMqmZZ6NdU6P.gif

http://i.minus.com/irFkcaHAxmHDB.gif

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"S0lidSnake writes: I have learned how to make gifs!!" was posted by S0lidSnake on Fri, 22 Feb 2013 22:42:13 -0800

ChiliDragon writes: When local franchises need to fail

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 20:19:46 -0800

My favorite on-the-way-to-work coffee place is under new ownership.

There is a big sign by the counter that proudly states the owners are new, but the baristas and the coffee are the same. They lie!

I've been stopping there on my way to work 2-3 times a week since we moved here a few years ago, and I don't recognize a single face. For the first time in over a year I have to actually explain how I want my coffee drink, and they don't even offer breakfast sandwiches. Also, the coffee they serve tastes awful. In fact, it's disgusting.

Before the switch, when Moxie Java ran the place, it was packed in the mornings. Since they changed to the Local Franchise, it's not. There was one other person there this morning. One! And they are slooooow. I have to be at work by 9:00 AM... before, if I left home by 8:35, i had time to stop for coffee, with time to spare. Now, if I leave by 8:35, I barely make it to work on time.

This particular local franchise sucks donkey balls and I hope they go out of business. They ruined my morning coffee place!

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"ChiliDragon writes: When local franchises need to fail" was posted by ChiliDragon on Tue, 12 Feb 2013 20:19:46 -0800

Donkeljohn writes: Where You Can Find My Thoughts

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 00:24:15 -0700

Hey all!

With the news of Ray and Greg retiring from games, I wrote this thing over here. I'd be pretty stoked if you read it and commented. Warning: it's not really written for people who play games as much as it is composed for people that start companies.

After working in a few startups over the last 4 years I've really come to appreciate the hard work and team effort that goes into building something from nothing. It's amazing to think almost 20 years ago two doctors got together to build what would be one of the best RPG development houses in the world. Neverwinter Nights was instrumental to helping me break into the game industry and a clear catalyst to landing the job I had at GameSpot. If it wasn't for the Aurora Toolset and the collaboration with some talented college friends, I'd probably would've been writing end-user training manuals for enterprise software all these years (not that there's anything wrong with that).

Today, I'm excited to be helping to build something that has been designed to make the startup life easier, leaner, and more illuminated.I hope to succeed and wouldbe chuffed to bits if you'd share it with your friends on Twitter & Facebook...especially if they are the entrepreneurial type[s].

I wish each of you all the best and will continue to check in here from time to time. Just thought some of you might find the write-up of interest.

Happy playing, my friends!

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"Donkeljohn writes: Where You Can Find My Thoughts" was posted by Donkeljohn on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 00:24:15 -0700

NeoJedi writes: DBoy's Ten - Part Two -- The First Of Many

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 16:40:24 -0700

Once I got that text blogging thing down, I was wondering if I should do video blogs. I had seen The Wesker and EightBitWarrior's videos and had thoroughly enjoyed them, but I was afraid to do one myself. Let's just say that I'm not much of a looker, which made me weary about putting my mug in front of a camera for the world to see.

Finally, I mustered up my courage and decided to give it a shot. So, on May 27, 2006, I posted my very first video blog on GameSpot. The result? A nervous little man talking about the Surrounding Force union (remember unions?), thoughts about Guitar Hero (the first one), Tournament TV (remember that?), my clan in Unreal Tournament 2004 (best online multiplayer shooter of all time) and the WWE. It still boggles my mind that the video got 587 views, especially with such bad video quality.

Nonetheless, here it is in all it's glory (or lack thereof).

[ Watch Video ]

Join me tomorrow for part 3, where I take a look at the videos that got the most views here on GameSpot.

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"NeoJedi writes: DBoy's Ten - Part Two -- The First Of Many" was posted by NeoJedi on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 16:40:24 -0700

Rocker6 writes: The inevitable approaches...

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 02:34:43 -0700

...and that is me leaving Gamespot!

As some of you probably know,I'm in a strong disagreement with most of the site policies lately introduced,which made me spend less and less time here,I don't comment on the news articles anymore,just skim through some blogs,and ocassionaly make a few forum posts...

However,few days ago,I think I found myself a new community for myself:OCN

I've been a member for a few days now,and I'm already very impressed.The community is very well organized and maintained,the overall attitude in most of the forum is very level-headed and professional,the site is very stable,and I still haven't experienced any issues or glitches.It feels light years ahead of GS in its functionality...

The site is obviously geared heavily towards PC enthusiasts(though there are some console gamers around the site),so the focus is heavily on hardware discussions,but there are still news sections constantly updated about gaming,so I guess I can still easily stay in touch with the latest stuff,which is a big plus.Anyway,my stay there simply eliminates most of the reasons I have to visit GS...

I'll probably still stick around here a little to stay in touch with some of my friends,but my GS time is becoming more and more limited with each day.At this rate,won't be long before I fully drift away from the site...

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"Rocker6 writes: The inevitable approaches..." was posted by Rocker6 on Fri, 22 Jun 2012 02:34:43 -0700

rragnaar writes: One Year later...

Thu, 10 May 2012 15:18:11 -0700

Today is the anniversary of my good friend Loren's death. Last year I wrote:

"I'm hoping that this time next year I'll be healthier, smarter and happier."

Things are going really well on that front. I've taken 30 credits since going back to school. I've got 8 As and 2 Bs. I've lost 30lbs, and in general, I'm feeling really healthy and really happy.

We are meeting up in the park tonight to get drunk and disorderly and play this rad game called Kubb. Basically it involves throwing pieces of wood at other pieces of wood. A very fitting game for some sad drunks looking to let off some steam. I hope all is well with everyone. I'm sorry that I haven't been around much in the last year, but things are going really well.

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"rragnaar writes: One Year later..." was posted by rragnaar on Thu, 10 May 2012 15:18:11 -0700

JusticeCovert writes: Bring This Game to America!

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:15:21 -0700

It's time for a petition folks! Otherwise this game might never see a North American release. Who's with me?!

[ Watch Video ]

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"JusticeCovert writes: Bring This Game to America!" was posted by JusticeCovert on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:15:21 -0700

viberooni writes: Giant Bomb is back...

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:58:19 -0700

Maybe it's time I took a look around here again as well. Interesting to see usernames on my Gamespot friends list that I've come to recognize across GB and NeoGAF over the years. This isn't really my gaming home on the internet anymore, but happy to peek in every once in a while. Go team CBSi!

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"viberooni writes: Giant Bomb is back..." was posted by viberooni on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:58:19 -0700

visionary writes: Mass Effect 3 - Mission Complete Spoiler Free

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 11:35:32 -0700

So I just finished ME3 which was an amazing culmination to my entire experience with the series, and I have one thing to say. What's up with the backlash? Sure, the ending wasn't a highlight of ME3 but I personally felt satisfied and quite frankly the backlash is overblown. For many, I really think it comes down to how they played the game and their level of expectations (and the fact that this is the finale to a series people have dedicated countless hours to). If you spoke to every character until you exhausted the available dialog options, you can easily get a sense of where they'll be once the credits end - your closure to these relationships and the world develops throughout the experience, the ending itself just paints a picture of how things may or may not turn out, the rest is left up to the imagination and I have no qualms about that.

I won't write some long detailed article about how much I enjoyed the game as a whole (I don't think most people care to read that), but in my opinion, after having just played three of these games in a row during the period of a couple of months. I can easily say that this is the most satisfying gaming experience I've ever had narratively and it's a series that has moved me in ways that few video games have. A slightly flawed ending won't change that.

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"visionary writes: Mass Effect 3 - Mission Complete *Spoiler Free*" was posted by visionary on Wed, 14 Mar 2012 11:35:32 -0700

Caddy writes: New PC

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:48:11 -0800

I've recently just bought a new PC. I had my previous one for 5+ years, and while it was still in decent shape and running well, I wanted a proper upgrade. I had to start from scratch, because upgrading from the old parts would have just been pointless because pretty much everything needed an upgrade.

Anyway, here are the specs, for anybody interested:

Case
COOLERMASTER HAF 922 MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel Core™i5-2500k Quad Core (3.30GHz, 6MB Cache) + HD Graphics
Motherboard
ASUS P8Z68-V LX: USB 3.0, SATA 6GBs, ATI CrossFireX
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (2 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 560 Ti - 2 DVI,HDMI,VGA - 3D Vision Ready
Memory - 1stHard Disk
120GB INTEL 320 SERIES SSD, SATA 3 Gb/s (upto 270MB/sR | 130MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W ENTHUSIAST SERIES™ TX750 V2-80 PLUS BRONZE

It's not right at the top of the line, but it's a really nice system. It runs Starcraft 2 on extreme and stays above 100 frames per second. I've yet to try any other games on it. I'll be looking to buy Battlefield 3 on the PC at some point and see what it can do.

Speaking of Battlefield 3, I bought it on 360 and I've played a bit of the multiplayer. It's very different to my usual Call of Duty, and sometimes it can be far too slow for my liking, but on the whole, I really enjoy it. The random stuff you can get up to in the game is really fun, and playing it with a few friends is a laugh. It will take a little while before I get "good" at the game, but I'm enjoying it so far.

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"Caddy writes: New PC" was posted by Caddy on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:48:11 -0800