Another blog isn't what I need; in fact, it wouldn't be my first choice to write here. I have two other blogs, hosted on my own server-space, and it's entirely unnecessary for me to utilize the (relatively subpar) "blog service" here. In fact, I'm not even sure on all of the "content ownership rights" here.

However, I do enjoy meeting and conversing with new people and I think it's important. I think that video games are important—as a member of the 18-35 "video-game-players," I "feel" a responsibility to speak out. As a consumer group, we have power. The industry itself listens to us, and everyone with an opinion and a voice should use it. Even if we disagree about the industry, a particular game, or whether XBOX360 or Playstation 3 is better, I think it's important that we, together, even in argument, let "them" know what we think and that our thoughts are important.

Writing for a gaming magazine or a video game site would be a great gig, by the way. I have a blog at 1UP as well; perhaps one day, some influencer at a gaming site will look at my work, proceed to my personal weblogs, peruse my tumblelog and Twitter, eventually to strike the opinion that "yes, I'd be great for [them]!" I'd love to write for "one of the majors," I don't have a "standard" job to get in the way of my 21/7 word-storm aka linguistics.

I've been thinking about returning to The World of Warcraft, as well... but that's still something up in the air. There are many people with diametrically opposed views about WoW (people in my life, most are "close" or close-enough), and I'd like to take the time to consider their perspectives on it first.

I just cherish the memories of ganking people, especially gold-farming Rogues, with a Poly, Arcane Power, Fireball, PoM-Pyroblast, Fireblast, Blast Wave, Frost Nova and AE's until death... if they last that long. (This was pre-70's, pre-Molten Core, on a small server. Not too much Fire-res). Damn. What I just wrote "feels" dirty and nerdy. Time to stop.

Feel free to "friend" me, track me, message me, whatever you'd like. I just redesigned my icons and images, and some of my URLS should now display. Feel free to add me there, too, and if you do, please let me know how you came to find me so that I can thank you for reading the crap you've just endured. Until next time....

Brad

• 11Oct 08

  Ninja Gaiden II

  Been playing some Ninja Gaiden II... new to me. I'm not sure why it wasn't on my radar before, perhaps I was simply unaware. After reading an interview with Itagaki Tomonobu--given while he was admittedly quite drunk, entwined with metaphors... the video game industry and it's genius compared to the legacy of fighter aircraft and its Aces.

  Fighting/action-platformers with light puzzle elements have disinterested me for too long; too much mediocrity and too much unnecessary flash amidst melodrama, the slop of the movie ("action entertainment") seems to have spilled-over into our games. Clearly, when developers take a hit movie: Iron Man for-instance, create and release a really-crappy game and expect gamers to love it, it's too much of a letdown to anticipate or expect that major releases are going to be any great.

  The Dreamcast and PS2 days of several-great-games-released-each-month are over; there are several great games amongst the small number of anticipated "major titles." E3 isn't what it was. EA dominates too much of the market, and game developers have access to (and gamble away) far-too-much money, millions per title.

  I like XBOX LIVE ARCADE because small developers and garage-operations with an idea can release an accessible game, very little hype and simple marketing tactics... I don't expect much from the Arcade, a few minutes of fun here and there, and then games like Castlevania: SOTN, Geometry Wars (for me, Lumines Live and Every Extend Extra Extreme) and most-recently Castle Crashers impress.

  I'm not excited about a new Devil May Cry or the latest "you're a criminal beating up other criminals in an underworld society" game. Ninja Gaiden happens to occupy a similar category of game--similar and not "same" because after playing it, dying, dying again and finally succeeding, it's clear its on another level. When a game punishes-relentlessly a player... and yet he or she cannot set-down the controller, it's special. Itagaki has created that kind of special, at least for me.

  It's the type of game that got me excited about gaming long-ago; overtaken by Starcraft, Call of Duty and a flurry of puzzle games, beat 'em ups and platformers seemed like a waste of time and money. MMORPGS and groundbreaking RPGs were released, eat up thousands of hours and there's no time for "basic" fun.

  I make time for Ninja Gaiden.

  • Posted Oct 11, 2008 12:06 pm PT
  • Category: Games
  • 0 Comments
  • Tag
  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Digg
• 1Jun 08

  Stupid comments are annoying, stupid people abound... sad world.

  The original Gamespot Preview for H.A.W.X.

  User razgriz180 writes:

  The SU-47 is so much better than the F-22.
  And besides it really depends on the pilot because if you put a crap pilot in an F-22 and a kick ass pilot into a rubbish plane like the MiG-21 the better pilot would still win.
  But you n00bs wouldn't know that.

  Posted May 31, 2008 5:11 am PT

  MY COMMENT AT HAWX Preview Information, in-response to stupidity and user razgriz180
  

  ---

  The MiG-21 can't fly at the Raptor's altitude. A "crappy" pilot couldn't get into an F-22, either, because the pilots all came from F-15 squads... F-15 by the way, has over 100 kills to it's name with ZERO combat losses. And now some of those pilots will fly the F-22, while F-16 and F/A-18 pilots (except Super Hornet) will fly the F-35 JSF.
  
  
  The F-22's service ceiling is 65,000 feet, while the SU-47 is 59,000. The MiG-21's ceiling is 62,000 feet. However, stealth aside, the real difference is in the engines.
  
  Using two Pratt & Whitney F122 turbofans, the F-22 has 70,000lbs of thrust capacity. MiG-21 has one-engine, max thrust around 15,700lbs. The SU-47 can generate 64,000lbs of thrust, only through afterburner, however, and can only sustain this for a short amount of time.
  
  The F-22 and SU-47 both have thrust vectoring. Stealth, AMRAAMs, supercruise and higher celing give the F-22 a decisive advantage over the SU-47, and the MiG is a mere relic.
  
  Not that a noob like razgriz180 would understand any of this. Just take a look at either Lockheed Martin's site or Wikipedia. Or watch Military Channel.
  
  The lack of intelligence and accuracy here is frightening; I can only hope that it's a very-skewed-sampling, that the more-intelligent gamers simply aren't spending any time commenting here.
  
  WTF am I doing wasting my time? I doubt that "facts" matter when someone is emotionally-invested in a particular brand of aircraft, or a country... "Soviet" pride, much? It reminds me of console wars... XBox 360 vs Playstation 3 vs Wii.

  • Posted Jun 1, 2008 4:48 am PT
  • Category: Technology
  • 0 Comments
  • Tag
  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Digg
• 1Jun 08

  Finally relented... got GTA4. Wii is fun.

  Originally, I didn't want to get the game because of what it can represent; crime, violence and a dirty street-lifestyle. However, it's really only bad if one lets it be bad. The game got too many good reviews, and I'd basically completed all that there is in No More Heroes.

  I will likely submit reviews for both GTA4 and NMH soon... I obviously need to beat GTA4 before reviewing it, and I'd like to get the achievement points for it.

  I also started playing Wii Play. Unlocking the games are easy, most of the games are too short, and some of the games have stupid or bad mechanics. The 9-ball pool game and tank game are fun.

  I think I may get Penny Arcade's Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness episode one game... it's pretty-cool and the comic rocks. If all of the games are $20, it's an $80 game after all's said and done. No multiplayer or online component, either.

  Ikaruga and RezHD look good, too. I just hope someone gifts me some Microsoft creds to get these games, and some Wii points so I can get Ocarina and Mario.

  • Posted Jun 1, 2008 3:58 am PT
  • Category: Games
  • 0 Comments
  • Tag
  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Digg

See Previous Blog Posts »