JamesL007 Blog

Bulletstorm Review

2011-02-23T22:15:00.000-07:00

From developers Epic Games and People Can Fly comes a game of pure fun and guilty pleasure that leaves you wondering why more FPS games don’t take this direction more often. Bulletstorm brings back the fun to FPS that has been missing for a long time, the game is focused on you being creative not static at all unlike most FPS games out on the market today. Bulletstorm is a breath of fresh air in what has become a very static genre for the FPS, with great graphics and amazingly solid gameplay Bulletstorm does so well that even the little nitpicky stuff is over looked because your having so much fun that you forget about and go right back to killing with skill.

From the moment you start up the game and get into the action you get a feel of freshness to a genre that has been dominated by duck and cover tactics, instead Bulletstorm rewards you for rushing the enemies and going wild with your shots and kicks. The story is pretty basic you’re a space pirate that use to work for a general that had you believe you were doing good means and then find out you were killing all the wrong people for the wrong reasons, so boring stuff out of the way now you try to get revenge on him but end up crashing down on a planet with dangers on all sides and all you have is your friend that is now part cyborg. From that start you get the visuals of a great and amazing planet teaming with beautiful landscapes and some detailed enemies that won’t go down without a fight. Don’t go looking for too much depth in the characters they are one sided but don’t make the story or game, what does is its’ golden key and that is the killing with skill.

Oh Yeah Skills to Pay the Bills

Skill shots are what is essential to survive on the planet, the better you play around with killing your enemies the most points you get to use on re-filling your ammo and buying upgrades, if you take the duck and cover approach to the game you will spend a lot of time cursing because you won’t be able to upgrade nothing or it will take you a long time to do so. Skill shots are rewards for mixing up your kills and using your kicks and environment at your disposal to make the more out of your kills and get the most skill points for those kills.

Once you get the leash you learn about how the confederation was rewarding there elite soldiers for skill kills and that is where you get into the whole skill kill marathon of the game, the skills are not just locked to your weapons but the environment and the creative nature you take to get your kills. Be creative and don’t have any fear and you will score tons of skill points and be rewarded for your efforts big time. Sometimes you have to really mix it up to get the most out of every kill, so again this part of Bulletstorm just makes you feel like you are playing something new and really you are. By taking the FPS out of the static kills that come in so many of the now acclaimed games of our time, Bulletstorm separates itself by allowing the player a wide variety of choices to kill your enemies and make it so you’re not doing the same thing over and over again which happens in a lot games now of days. By allowing the player to experiment and try new things allow you to both enjoy the fun out your kills and get to enjoy the amazing graphics at the same time. The fast paced action that comes into the game and at times surrounds you with enemies on all sides and leaves you to make up new ways to get the most out of your kills because using the same tactics don’t work on all enemies.

Not so Fast

Visually the game is a masterpiece of art and detail, you get a sense of wonder at times as your gunning down enemies and you see this amazingly colorful background with lush layers of colors and details. From the guns to the landscapes you get a sense of awe and see how they all work together and are blended so well that nothing is out of place and that the graphics make the game, it is like icing to the cake and really makes you enjoy all of the wonders this amazing game has to offer. But the artwork isn’t just sold on the landscapes and guns, from your main character to the enemies the details have not been overlooked or tuned down you get a sense of detail of layers to the characters but even knowing there isn’t a really large variety of enemies the details on them and graphically speaking it is great. The artwork on this game is from the same developers that make Gears of War and clearly they have not toned down anything at all, you get a feeling that this is a Gears of War game at times because of the graphics but the gameplay definitely says different. This is one game that for the first time in a long time you don’t see any flickers or distortions in the graphics at all, unlike some games if you turn a corner fast you see though a wall or can see though the landscape but in Bulletstorm the graphics are spot on and rock solid.

In addition to the single player campaign there is a multiplayer and Echoes mode to the game. The multiplayer is co-op based and is called Anarchy, played with up to four of your friends while in Echoes mode you’re replaying a certain part of the game for the highest score you can get. Now some would say this is lacking but again giving the nature of this game and the graphics of it, these two additional modes actually open up more and more of the game. Basically if you love competition you will love Echoes mode as you battle for the number one spot and in Anarchy you rack up XP and skill shots with friends to unlock new armor, weapons, and more options for customization.

From all the great angles of this game does come a few drawbacks that become noticeable after you start playing, one is the lack of AI for your teammates to successfully kill anything it seems. They will shot and even knock down the enemy but have a problem following thought with the kill, this seems like it was a move by the developers for you the player to do more and have more to do in the game, but at times you wish they would at least get a few kills at times. Another annoying factor is you can’t seem to jump at all, so when you come up to a ledge or downed tree you have to walk up to it and wait to press the action button to climb over it. This action leaves you at times going from fact paced action to being slowed downed to the point it takes a little away but not much at all and after a while you get over it but still annoying. The online only has Anarchy mode which is co-op and at times can be a pain to find a game if your friends haven’t yet picked up Bulletstorm.

In short this game does what so many seem to miss and that is having fun with the FPS genre and not takes itself so seriously. In a genre ruled by wars and battles of the past or near future it is a breath of air to have an FPS game that is just fun to play and enjoy and not feel so static like your saving a world from a thermonuclear bomb attack or sleeper agents being triggered to go off, it is just a joy to sit back and run down enemies with some skills and have a ton of fun enjoying the guilty pleasure that is Bulletstorm. With DLC already being confirmed for this game in Spring of 2011 it is safe to say Bulletstorm is a must have for all true FPS fans out there.

9 out of 10

Planet Minigolf Review

2010-06-07T10:05:00.000-07:00

ZEN studios welcome us in to a great new game with the release of Planet Minigolf on the Playstation Network. ZEN studios noted for their fun loving ZEN pinball game, has introduce us in to a great new world of minigolf that allows you to have fun, listen to your music, and even create your own levels to share. Planet minigolf takes you to some wonderful worlds with some of the most wicked courses and holes you may ever see.

Single Player

Single player take you though a few courses from around the world, the courses are based off the location. For example Buccaneer’s hideout is based on an island and is surrounded by pirate boats and other things based on the location and name of the course. When you first start the game you get to pick your character and do very light customization to him or her as you need to unlock more clothes, and accessories though playing the game and earning badges. Badges are awarded to the player for doing certain activities like getting a hole in one or using a trick putt to sink a ball in the hole. The game does allow you to customize the way you play for instance the way you putt you have three options from Direct where you pull back on the left analog stick until you feel you have the perfect power and then let it follow though, Easy for easy you press and hold the X button until you reach the perfect power you want then let go, and three click in this one you use the X button three times here one is for the shot setup then the power level you want and then finally at the right time to release it for a perfect putt. The style you wish to putt at is in the options menu and is accessed by pressing START on your controller note you can’t change your putt style while in mid-game you have to do it before you start a game up. Well the courses are broken down into five ranges Warm-up, Pro, Extreme, Wacky and Custom. Warm-up is the first one in the line and has to be completed before moving on to the next one and so on, custom is holes and courses the community has made and published for all to play. Along with all that is option to YouTube upload your footage of your game, you had a great run on a hole and want to show others well now you can with the inclusion of the YouTube upload feature in Planet Minigolf. The game is quite rewarding to most and does have a difficultly level that most will find both easy and at times beyond hard to throwing the control in a fit of rage. As it takes a while just like with most ZEN games to get use to and feel out the controls and difficultness of the game, some of your putts you will power whack the ball and it feels like you barely tapped it at all and other times you light putt and it feels like your character just smashed it with a baseball bat. Well what is a good game without power ups, in Planet Minigolf you have a wide range of power ups that you can use to help you sink that putt or add more style to your stroke. The power ups for example the Guided controller one allows the player to use there sixaxis controller to control the ball’s direction and help you make that birdie. In addition to just the single player you can if you’re tired of playing the holes and courses in the game make your own as the game allows you to access all the options and choices that are in the game to make the sickest, coolest, badest hole or course you want. The options for making your own creation are limitless and are only limited by your creative juices.

Multiplayer

Well from a great single player game it has an amazing multiplayer mode for users to either go online or local with others in your room. In Local you can play with up to six players in certain game modes, allowing you to team up or just see who the best in your group is. Game modes for local are one on one, singles, doubles, and teams. All of these modes offer you the ability to adjust the level as you want and set up your own rules for the game. Allowing you to make the most fun for all involved and have a truly unique time with the game. If you don’t have anyone around then take it online, you have two choices online from ranked games and casual games, the difference being that in ranked you can’t change or mod the rules of the course as it are set to make things fair for all. After you choose which one you want you again have the same four options for match types as in local multiplayer.

Visual and Audio

The visuals in the game are very well done and make each location have its own feel and texture to it. Like when you play buccaneer’s hideout the graphics are really nice and rich and make you feel like this is so great of an idea for a course. The game does suffer from some glitch graphics at times pending on where your ball is and your putting other than a few times does it happen and other times your camera will somewhat lose focus but beyond that the graphics are dead on for this game. The character customization is simple but does the job for your character as you progress you can unlock new items for them that can show off some wild ranges and deck them out with custom putter and balls. Soundtrack in the game is not the best in the world and at times gets on your nerves a lot, but never fear as you can use your own music. Yes customizable soundtracks this game has, I would suggest make yourself a nice playlist and then load up the game and let your music take over. Another kind of annoying aspect is the announcer’s commentary at times is just either annoying or not even needed, no fear you again can turn off the commentary though the options menu at anytime.

Final Decision and Score

Score is 7 out of 10

My final thoughts on this game is that it is a great game to play and have others play with you, in fact more and more you will have more fun playing the custom levels others create then the ones in single player aspect of the game. The difficulty is on par for a ZEN game but at times will make so people just so angry that your character can’t put it right that you will throw the controller or just quit the game midway through a hole or course. The ability to make and publish custom levels and have your own soundtrack is right on awesome for this game, but the difficulty and at times glitching graphics do mark the game down a bit. The price is not bad at ten dollars but I fear some players that are not use to ZEN studios games will have buyer’s remorse. It is a great game for those seeking a difficult and fun loving game and are tired of the easy ones.

*BTW: I created a hole entitled F1rst Course, please take a look at it and have some fun with it and let me know what you think of the hole. If you can’t find it under that name just search my PSN ID in the search area for hole and you should find it then.

PLAYSTATION Network Card

Red Dead Redemption Reviewed

2010-05-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

Rockstar Games introduces you to the Wild West in their latest game Red Dead Redemption. Red Dead Redemption starts you off as John Marston looking for an old friend. But finding him and getting to him is not going to be an easy journey. Beyond the main story missions of you tracking down your old friend(s) and helping out those that become close to you, is a massive open roam world that only Rockstar Games could do. The games storyline is very rich in context and makes you feel at times like what are you doing and are you really making a difference or just helping in the destruction of certain regions of the game. Can you really change? Can you ever be freed from your past? All questions the game asks you, and in the end you learn the truth of the matter and then you truly get the meaning of the word Redemption.

The gameplay takes a moment or more to get used, as you will have several ways to handle certain things or tasks in the game. Getting to know your controllers accurately is critical in later parts of the game along with accuracy. After you learn your controls you will experience a lot to do in all three areas of the game from New Austin, Mexico and West Elizabeth. The open roam feel of the game will be normal for players of any of the Grand Theft Auto games in the past, but in Red Dead you will spent a lot of time searching around and exploring the elements of your environment. Searching your environment and getting to know it well is very important to later challenges and adventures you will be on. Outside of the main storyline missions are a lot of addition challenges and rewards to do. There are Tailors’, Doctors, Gunsmiths and General stores. Remember to check them out periodically as new weapons, clothes and items do come available as you make progress thought the game. Additionally you will be able to switch your outfits in the game, as you do certain missions you will be able to unlock new outfits that will give you advantages in the game. As a matter of fact here is a full list of things you can do outside of just the story missions.

Bounty hunting - A bounty is placed on a man’s head and you can accept to go for it, catch him alive or dead. Alive bounty fetches more than a dead one.

Horse breaking Jobs -At different ranches you can accept to break in new horses, trick is to keep your balance without getting bucked off.

Horseshoes – Simple game of horseshoes, get close enough to make a ringer.

Arm wrestling – Test your strength and win some money against others in a simple arm wrestling.

Poker – Play Texas Hold’em style rules poker.

Blackjack – Good old blackjack.

Liar’s Dice – Each player as a cup with five die in them, you job is to bet how many of a certain die are on the table and to call out the bluffs. Trick is to not lose all your dice or else you are out.

Hunting – There is plenty of wild animals and they fetch some good prices they do, trick here to sell certain animals in different regions for higher prices.

Duel – Well in every town there is someone to challenge you to a duel, pick your timing and placement and show them who the fastest gun in the west is.

Five Finger Fillet – Put your hand on the table and try not to cut it.

Gang Hideout Clearing – There is gang hideouts though out the game, clearing them out rewards you with new weapons and money.

Stranger Missions – Were there is a wide range of different people you will meet in the game; you can complete these missions at any time during the game. The missions can be as simple as gathering flowers or tracking down pieces of a map or horse.

In addition to all those challenges, come the ambient challenges to master to become a true legend of the west. These challenges are Survivalist, Master Hunter, Sharpshooter, Treasure Hunter to master them you must rank them up to level 10. The early challenges for them are simple and very easy and grow tougher and tougher, for insentience the treasure hunter challenge you gather maps in the first few maps it almost spells out where the treasure is, later on you will have to almost to guess as the clues get very few. All four of these challenges unlock more stuff for you and makes your gameplay experience easier too. Another thing you will have to watch is your honor and fame rank, as you honor raises the more people will respect you and things will cost less and with your fame rank your name will get more and more known. The higher these levels are the more law enforcement and regular folk will just look away to your minor crimes like horse stealing and so on. Your honor rank is impacted by how you act in missions, meaning if you do the right thing and not kill innocents or steal you rank will grow positivity as if you do something wrong or decide to go into business for yourself.

With all that and a very rich multiplayer that is packed with up and coming challenges via Rockstar Game’s Social Club makes the single and multiplayer version of this game a must pick up for any gamer. The multiplayer modes include Free Roam, Free for all, Shootout, and capture the bag.

Graphically speaking the game is awesome with getting the time period and landscape to look so rich and beautiful at times, like when the sun just rises over the crest and breaks the horizon makes you feel like you’re almost there. The character design is quite rich too, getting the cuts on faces and the look of despite or despair on others is quite rich. The game does not handle in a full HD resolution but it seems not to hurt the game at all. In fact it helps makes the game feel more of a rough and rugged feel but still play just as smooth. If you watch your screen as you are following a train or being shot at you will see as debris will cover your screen at times and impact your vision. The level of detail is even noticeable on the animals, if you look closely at them you can see as they look almost realistic and the sounds they give off even can make the hair on your neck stand up as if a wild cougar is in the house with you. Graphics and sound is spot on for this game makes the experience ever richer for the gamer.

Over all this game is awarded a 9 out of 10 score, a great game with minor glitches and errors here and there but nothing that can’t be fixed with a simple patch. The game allows players a wide range to do and offers a wide replay value with the option to re-play any mission again to get a higher rank as well. The minor glitches and technical issues that do come up here and there keep it from reaching a full ten out of ten score. Lots of room for addition DLC (Downloadable Content) for both the single player and multiplayer along with the social club challenges makes this game so rich that playing it over and over is a joy.

Updating the Blog

2010-04-30T19:34:00.001-07:00

I decided as of today to retool and reinvent my blog as it. During the next week or so I am gonna try out some new things and add and remove stuff as I like or what seems to fit best for the site.

I plan on rolling out more stuff related to gaming and electronics, this means more reviews, previews and my views in general on stuff.

I will update all my info in the bio and add more links to find me around the net. For now if you have a comment or advise please leave it. *UPDATE* I am writing up my review for God of War 3 as I am updating the blog hope to have both up by Monday.

Thank You

James

Future Looks Brighter

2009-08-17T22:15:00.001-07:00

Well I have just gotten back from my second visit out to RVS(Riverside) as I call it. I can honestly say every time I leave it breaks my heart to go, I love my Sara Victoria Hurtado a lot and I have plans on marrying her and having a wonderful life together just me and her.

She is my lifeblood I can honestly say. Me and her just go together like Reese’s peanut butter and chocolate do. I can honestly say I have found the girls of my dreams and everyday that I am with her is the happiest day of my life.

I plan big things with her, from living together to getting her a real diamond ring for that left hand of hers and making her my wife. She is perfect in everyway possible, from her smile to her humor, to the way she just knows what to say to cheer me up.

Yes you heard me right I plan on marrying this beautiful girl and spending the rest of my life with her. That’s all for now folks….Also TripleTags.com and TripleChat.com are now merging into one and that means new and bigger things are coming so make sure to re-bookmark these sites okay.

Paramore - Riot! - Hallelujah

A Brighter Tomorrow

2009-04-08T19:25:00.006-07:00

Well it has happen at last, I have a girlfriend. Not just a normal girlfriend either I have an amazingly wonderful girlfriend that has given me a new lease on life. Ever since the day I met her has changed and rocked my world like you can't believe. Just knowing her has been so amazing that now we have taken it to a new stage and started a relationship.

Today starts a new life, a new beginning, a new world of opportunities and avenues. For once I am truly happy and so is she. They say everything happens for a reason, a phase I hated to hear until I stepped back and noticed just that it meant. To often we only see the smaller picture and never notice how bigger everything is and how everything does happen for a reason. Call it organized chaos, seems like it happens for no reason or randomly but it has a purpose behind it and does it for a reason.

Funny thing is everything in our lives are coming together and falling into place now for us both. I like this and wouldn't have it any other way I tell you.

I Love You Victoria Hurtado

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Now playing: Panima - Just be Still
via FoxyTunes

The One You Love

2009-03-18T11:51:00.004-07:00

How do you tell the one you love that you love them when they know it and say it back to you.

I love a girl with all of my heart that I am not afraid to say that to the world at all. I know I have been absent from posting on here and other sites I work for but I have been in another world that I don't want to ever leave at all. I love this girl so much I envision a future with her by my side going though the good and bad times. As a matter of fact I shown her just how much I love her by the simple things I send her and little letters I send her too. I have changed in many ways thanks to her that I can never repay her for that like you can't imagine. She saved me from myself when I was going though some hard times and I was there for her to when she was going though hard times and things were getting sticky too.

That is why in June 2009 I am heading out of state to see her and see that smile and those eyes for the first time. Pictures are nice but it's nothing compared to seeing someone in person. I am making this trip to see her and tell her just how she has made me feel and all the things I say I really mean no bullshit, no lies, just hard honest truth. Something about saying it in person means more then just writing it in a e-mail or saying it on the phone. I think once she sees me and hears my words that she will know just how much I love her and never want to let her go no matter what. I am going there to look around and hangout with her and have a blasting good time doing stuff. I really do see a future with her like you can't imagine, I have never felt like this before in my life to tell you the truth. She makes me feel so grand and great when we talk that I never want to hangup the phone even when I am super tired.

I am not afraid to say her name either, her name is Victoria. She is the prettiest girl I have ever seen in my life no joke on that nor no line either. I think she is just the prettiest thing ever, both inside and out. She is so loving and caring and willing to put others over self like she has done for her family and friends. She just makes me feel this rush of emotions that I can't describe, but all of them make me feel like the most important person in the world. She has a way that no matter what my day is going she can make it all feel better and make my worries go away.

I love her for her, her smile, her eyes, her laugh, her personally, her randomness, her attitude, her love in music, FUCK I love everything about her honestly I do and I mean it.

So if you are reading this Victoria just know that I James loves you and will always love you. Just know I would never do anything to hurt you or make you upset like others have done to you.

I Love you Victoria and nothing will change that ever.

Be My Valentine

2009-02-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

I love Valentine's Day and hate it all the same too. I spend year after year of it alone here, not by choice but by design it would seem.

See fellow readers of this never looked at blog of mine, long time ago I knew a girl her name was "Destiny". Destiny was a girl I thought like me for me and wanted to be with me. Turned out she never like nor loved me and ended up hurting me in a way I will never forget no matter what I try to do. I did everything right with her and treated her as nice as you could imagine possible, some how that was not good enough for her never would be to her. I would give her little notes, flowers, and random stuff that made me think about her when I saw it. To her it never really matter I could tell and she just played along spinning a web to trap me in. When she finally sprung her trap I feel hard and thought I would never be the same again. From once seeing Love, Beauty, and Hope I only saw Betrayal, heartache, and Lies. From being a fun loving and happy go lucky guy I turned into a bitter, mean and violent person to know. I became cold and angry for a long time I lived like that.

But one day that all changed, I met a girl that seemed to have changed all that for me. She is a wonderful and caring person that saw me for me and didn't laugh nor run away. She gave me a new refound hope in myself and belief that I should not give up and just get back up and in it. It was a great day when I met her and it slowly turned into a great thing for me. Just her talking to me could lift me up when I feel down, just her mere words or voice can make me forget all my troubles and bring me back to life. She brings me hope and care along with her little ways that I just love.

Even knowing I can't be there on this Valentine's Day with her, I am there in spirit with her. Even knowing there is distance between us, it still feels like we are so close on this day.

I love you girl with all my heart, and nothing will ever change that ever.

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Now playing: Journey - Don't Stop Believin'
via FoxyTunes

Being a Better Person

2008-08-03T13:46:00.006-07:00

What does it mean at the end of the day to be a better person; I have wrestled with this idea and phase for the longest time now. One could say I never felt like a better person even knowing most people do tell me I am, I feel I have never reached a standard I have set for myself that I think I can’t reach. Meaning I think I have set the bar so high that I could never reach it even if I wanted to.

I have always tried my damndest to be a better person, either by helping out others or making people laugh and have fun. I try to make people feel comfortable around me all the time and have fun no matter what is going on in my life. I always tried to be a good person when I can and do the right thing but now I don’t know if it’s all worth it anymore.

But lately I have been jealous of what it would seem like everyone, I feel like I missed out on something and now it’s too late for me to join anymore. Not only that but it seems like I am always behind now on everything and can’t get a break at least once in a while, my jealousy is making me act different and think differently than before because its clouding my mind so no rational thoughts can be made. I feel like my life is over before it began to tell the truth, like I had to always watch my friends go on and succeed or achieve great things while I just sat on the sides lines and cheered for them, but in the back of my mind I was always saying “When is it my turn to shine?”. I had to sacrifice a lot and make do with what I had and never complained but I want more for my family and me and does that make me a bad person to think that way, does it make me less of a person to want better things? My life revolves around me taking care of my family something I have had to do since High School, making sure everything is ok and that food is in the house no matter what, I always believed these sacrifices made me a better person and built my character better since both of sisters are careless b*tches that upped left when they could, so I have had this weight on my chest all the time.

Out of my whole family only two people ever graduated High School and that is me and my mother, and I am only one to go on in my education in my family's entire history to get a Associates Degree. I am proud of this fact I was willing and able to do it and had the drive to go on and accomplish something like that a small feet to most but a big step to me.

So at the end of the day I always feel like I am not a better person like I have yet to reach that bar I have set for myself. You could say I do hold myself at a higher bar then most would ever set for themselves, why I don’t know but it’s like I expect myself to do more than I can. The fact I was born in June does not help by Gemini sign is correct, I feel like I am always battling myself over this all the time. And no matter what there is never a clean cut answer too.

Reflections

2008-07-26T23:04:00.005-07:00

When you look into the mirror the reflection back should be of you

What happens when it is not there?

What happens when your reflection is of someone you don’t recognize?

What happens when the reflection does not fit you?

What happens when the reflection is not there?

Where do you go?

Where do you look?

Where do you start?

The Journey begins somewhere but where indeed,

Between the Start and End points that is called the journey or road, but finding the beginning is harder than the end

My Mirror Image

2008-07-24T03:24:00.005-07:00

The Hardest thing to write about is you at the end of the day

Every morning I have to wake up and look at my face in the mirror and the reflection back at me is one I can’t stand anymore. Not for the person I have become on the inside no it’s vein part of me that looks at my outer shell and goes “That's Not Right”. When I was created or birthed which ever you choose to believe I was handicapped from early on for not being ok looking to being down right hideous, for speaking my mind when I shouldn’t have, being laughed at for almost all of my life.

My reflection mocks me and is a consist reminder of the sad fact I will be nothing in due time, my reflection lets me know no matter how many people I help, no matter what I do it’s all in the end not going to be worth it.

Being born in the month of June did not help me, because now that I am a Gemini my two sides always clash and do battle. One side says I have do a lot and will continue to and too just hold in there that’s its always darkest before light, the other side says look you are nothing and will always be nothing no matter what you do or who you help. These two sides of me clash over and over so much so I believe both of them to be true and the fact is I would have never had these thoughts if a girl would have not screwed me over years ago. Until that day I would have never second guessed myself or been so deep into my thoughts but now that has all changed me.
The harshest critic of you is you at the end of the day.

I hate my reflection in the mirror and want these voices to stop; I am a better person now than ever but my reflection tells me different like a permanent scar on my soul she left that I can’t remove no matter what I do. During the day I can silent that voice because of work I do and who I have to look after, but at night when it’s me and my thoughts they always find their way into my mind.

At the end of the day my soul is locked in an eternal struggle between what I know and my reflection in the mirror.

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Now playing: Linkin Park - Hands Held High
via FoxyTunes

When Will Consoles see a AO Game

2008-06-15T03:26:00.007-07:00

In a conversation I had yesterday with a Friend on TripleChat.com I started thinking to myself "When Will we see a AO rated game on the consoles?"

For many developers and publishers the AO rating by the ESRB(Entertainment Software Rating Board) is like a death sentence to the game, meaning no big retailer nor console maker will give it a license. But in order for industry to mature and grow artists have to be able to express themselves and at the same time be allowed to explore and push the boundaries of that field of art they are in.

Its a balancing act between AO and M rated games that sometimes developers have to juggle with ease because the line between getting a AO game from M is sometimes a blurry line to say the least. Many see AO games as being over sexualized with tons of violence in them, but for many its the subject matter that makes them AO not the content so much. The actual rating system for AO is somewhat hard to understand too, the only difference between M and AO rated games is about 1 year difference. In fact look at the definitions of each for M rated and AO rated games.

Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language.

Titles rated AO (Adults Only) have content that should only be played by persons 18 years and older. Titles in this category may include prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and nudity.

Nudity seems to be the problem that some have with games, and then associate them with Pornography on those lines. But Sex / Nudity is part of life no matter what you think, in fact we re all here because of Sex and I have a feeling its going to stay that way. In American Life today we want Sex but instead of admitting it we hide it from ourselves and try to believe we can control it by hiding it under the rag even knowing we know its there. Many clam its for the greater good to have no sex or nudity in a game, greater good why should one person or group decide what is better for the greater good of the people. While one group sees sex as bad and evil the other see it as natural and normal part of life.

We will see a AO game someday but when is the question, since more and more developers are told to axe certain scenes because of subject matter or sexual content and replace it something else maybe a fight scene or something on those lines. For now if nudity or sexual content is up front in the game there will always be a problem unless you weave it into the games storyline with a small bit placed nicely in the game.

I know if AO games got published that many retailers would not carry them stores like BestBuy, CircuitCity, Wal-Mart and even K-mart will not handle Adult materials. But while they will not carry them other stores would be glad to from Adult Bookstores to Fry's Electronics who pride themselves on carrying Adult Movies or Adult materials.

Until developers are allowed to touch on AO games and make them for Adults the industry will never really grow out of its Teens into a fully mature industry. The Industry has made great progress but now its at a stalemate for now, do we continue making the same old games or do we touch on that raw nerve?

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TGS 2007 Recap

2007-09-21T19:16:00.001-07:00

From the PlayStation 3's November 2006 release through the end of Sony's fiscal year the following March, the electronics giant shipped 5.5 million systems to retailers worldwide. Although the system didn't fly off the shelves as quickly as Sony had hoped, the company projected that it would double shipments to 11 million for the current financial year, which runs through March of 2008.

Beautiful Katmari Coming to the PS3:

Speaking with Beautiful Katamari director Jun Morikawa at the Tokyo Game Show, he clarified that Beautiful Katamari specifically will not be appearing on the PS3 -- but, that the series will definitely be making its way to the console soon.

Whether this PS3 title ends up being a pseudo remake of Beautiful Katamari with some added enhancements (as Namco Bandai did with Ridge Racer 6 on Xbox 360 to Ridge Racer 7 on PS3) in unknown. Then again, the Katamari games aren't that fundamentally different from each other anyway. The real point? A new Katamari game is headed for PS3. The director also hinted at the series making an appearance on Wii.

MSG4 Demo to hit the PSN:

Metal Gear Solid 4 will not becoming to the PSN this year in the form of a demo, said but true the MSG4 was rumored to becoming available in demo form by early December as been but to rest as just that a rumor nothing more.

Yakuza 2 is Coming:

Yakuza 2 will be hitting the American cost soon, yes the squeal to the original Yakuza which is already scheduled with a third being available in Japan will now becoming to the North American shorelines. Yakuza 2 follows on from the events of the first game, which saw Kazuma retiring from Yakuza life. However, the head of his former gang, the Tojo Clan, is assassinated by members of the Oni gang, and Kazuma finds himself drawn back into the violent gangster world as he attempts to prevent a full-scale gang war. BTW this game is only coming the PS2 now plans yet on a PS3 version at this time.

Kingdom Hearts for the PSP:

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep for PSP looks to be a single-player adventure in the vein of the PlayStation 2 iterations, though not "Kingdom Hearts III." Birth by Sleep's protagonist was not explicitly named in the presentation, but he looked an awful lot like Zack of Final Fantasy VII/Crisis Core fame.

Sony Buys Evolution:

Sony Computer Entertainment today announced that it has completed the acquisitions of UK-based Evolution Studios and its subsidiary, Bigbig Studios. Both studios have been developing games exclusively for Sony platforms for a number of years. Now that they're members of SCE's Worldwide Studios (WWS) network, they'll have the opportunity to benefit from sharing technology and production methodology with other studios in the network, which include the Cambridge and London teams, Zipper Interactive, Guerrilla Games, Polyphony Digital, and others in Japan, the UK, and the US. At this point, Evolution Studios is best known for its million-selling MotorStorm on the PlayStation 3.

Dual Shock PS3 Controller Comes True:

Scheduled for a fall release in Japan, Dual Shock 3 isn't scheduled for a release in Europe or the US until Spring 2008. Yes we will get the Dual Shock 3 controller which incorporates both the rumble and SixAxis control scheme we have come to know.

Thoughts that kept me out of the good schools

2007-08-24T01:55:00.001-07:00

As far back as I can remember I have always had thoughts that other didn't have, you may say so what we all do no big deal there, but my thoughts were always unique.

First off is religion, I have always had questions about it and went to several different churches to find these answers and none could ever answer them or give me direction with them. I would ask what kind of place is heaven that they need gates for; I mean really are people from hell still trying to get into heaven after all these years? How did they get the gates in the first place, is Heaven the same for all or is it divide up into groups??? Its questions like that and others that I would ask all holy officials and they could never answer or they would tell me Heaven is what I think it is, than I would tell them what I think heaven was and they say I was wrong, this coming from the man who doesn't even know what heaven is like is telling me my vision of heaven is wrong.

My second group of thoughts revolve around everyday life, it's a little easy than the religion ones. Usually these thoughts come to me on the bus after I had a interview for a job and I realize how I sold out for about 10 dollars a hour, I wonder why do women wear clothes that show off a certain area of their body and then get mad at you for looking, I mean come on its just human nature to look at something isn't it. I mean when I come to a car accident I look, hell do I look sometimes I try to figure out how it happen in the first place going over it with people standing on the sidelines. So why do bitches do that to a man I think and then I realize it's because they can do it, I mean we all look at the chick with the big boobs who wears a low cut off shirt so you can see almost everything but the nipple depending on the weather that day. Then I wonder how funny it is that we allow certain people sit next to us, I mean if a old guy is on the bus and hot chick, guess who getting the seat next to you and I realize why again it's all for that chance to make sweet love or have super quick sex.

Why I love Rockstar Games

2007-08-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

Its simple actually, they make some better damn good games. Look at the GTA series or the Manhunt games they made or even State of Emergency. I recently have gone back to VCS to conquer it 100% and found it to be quite a challenge in and of it self, first off you have to complete all the side missions and checkpoint races. That is really nothing but the playground checkpoint races are a little bit harder than in anyother GTA game I can remember to date. I mean the flying missions are easy for me,, I was use to the flying around I did in San Andreas so this time around its nothing to me. But even after spending about the last three days running around VCS I found that I still am only about 90% of the entire game completed. So I know I have a long up hill battle to climb over the next couple of days.

But I do love these games and its not just for the violence or bloodshed you get to do, but also the soundtrack in the VCS game is killer loaded with tons of 80's music I love playing it, it sends me back in time to that era when people did not know what a home computer was, when cell phones did not roam he land, and when you could actually drink your tap water what times they where. But I find myself getting lost in the moment in these games, for some reason when I play GTA: San Andreas for one and a certain song come on, for some reason I can remember the first time I ever heard it and where I was when I heard weird, I can't remember what I had for breakfast but I can remember a song from years ago and where I was when I heard it damn thats weird.

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Test Post

2007-08-19T18:33:00.000-07:00

This is just a test, so don't worry my real blog will start soon ok, for now I am playing around with different fonts, colors and templates for now.

So that it for now, I will see you on the flip side,