I've been a PC gamer for a little over a year now and to add to that I'm using a laptop. It's the Samsung Series 7 Gamer and it's a beast. It's also considered a desktop replacement but obviously a desktop would be much better for the same price. Anyways, for this past year I haven't been using a headset when I game. I used the built-in speakers and microphone until upgrading to two small external speakers and finally forking out $15 for a Wal-Mart headset. Phew, glad I don't have to use that thing anymore. A few weeks ago I purchased the G930 and I couldn't be happier.

The sound quality is superb. The surround sound is fantastic and gives me goosebumps making online gaming more intense and immersive. Even when playing solo it's a great experience. Also, watching movies and listening to music become events themselves. I feel like I'm in a sound proof room listening to high quality sounds when I wear these things. The wireless aspect of it is very convenient. I believe a full charge lasts over 3 hours. Anyways, I try to keep it plugged in at all times only unplugging it when I go to take a shit.

For $105, it was definitely worth it. You can even pick it up at Best Buy but it'll be an additional 60 bucks unless you want the wired version then it'll be a lot cheaper!

Check it out here!

I've never had the chance to play an alpha build of an game. I don't even think I've played a beta before and if I have I don't remember. That sucks but it is what it is. I also don't think I've ever bought a game at launch! The soonest I've bought one was a couple weeks later. I'm not sure if this is correct, but i bought the game Star Forge alpha and I believe it's still in it's alpha mode. On the other hand, I love and play the game War of the Roses and they're coming out with another game called War of the Vikings and you can sign up to try the alpha but they pick who plays at random unless you refer five friends which then grants you a guaranteed spot as a tester.
I'll keep my eyes open for any other alpha/beta builds. It's just so exciting to be part of something new and fresh and raw!

Yet I still gravitate to games that have been out for years and years but I can't help but feel so lost and behind everyone else! For example, World of Warcraft seems like a game I'd enjoy. It just seems everyone is max level and I'm such a noob and from what I've experienced high level players don't like helping the lower levels! It's funny, though. I've played Runescape for years now and my second account which is now my main has been played for 3-4 years I believe and I'm still far, far behind many players. This is just a crummy thought but, you know, it's kind of silly that I let this get to me. As a matter of fact, it doesn't get me too hot and bothered but when I get to talking I start to stir up my emotions and I'm reminded of what I feel about certain things that would otherwise go unnoticed because I'm too busy gaming or making videos and having a great time to worry about tedios shenannys! 

It's 10:43 PM here in Washington state. I have nothing planned for tomorrow so I can sleep in for as long as I'd like. After I post this I'm going to get in bed and continue watching Lost and hopefully get more answers!! Game on everybody! 

I'm leaned way back in my chair and my vision is slightly blurred which isn't good at all because I'm wearing my glasses -_-

BUT, all is well since I got to spend a few hours on RPG maker and learn how to navigate between maps and have discussions and maybe solve basic puzzles. I've learned that I need to give myself breaks even if I feel like I can keep going. Because if I don't then I end up getting burnt out and it leaves me stationary for too long. But lately I've been taking everyyhinis modest dosages. Well, when it comes to gaming I consider a modest dose being one game so I bounce between games every few hours. And since I have all this free time I spend almost all my time gaming which may seem lame or pathetic to some people but when you have a hobby that brings you so much happiness you can't help but embrace it. 

Nonetheless, I do need to start getting outside more. I've always been average build my entire life but the last month or so I've noticed a slight weight gain and it didn't become visible up until a couple weeks ago. Whatever. Honestly, I could careless, but I don't want to be a negative influence on those around me by being ultra lazy. It's funny though because my mother told me it's important that I take it easy this summer and that I have permission to do nothing. That's a very odd proposition for a person. Of course, I don't take full advantage of it because I like to do things to help my family because it makes them happy thus making me feel good.

I'm currently downloading the trial of World of Warcraft. This is my third time in the past 4 years that I've done this but the other two times were mediocre attempts at training and I just wasn't that into it. But now I feel like I want to give it another go seeing as it appeals so much more to me. I crave a rich MMO with tons of mind-numbing activities in an attempt to self-medicate! Soon, though, I have to register for fall quarter. I'll probably do that tomorrow, we'll see. 

ANYWAYS, I'm about to continue watching Lost (I'm at season 2, ep. 11) and I hope to be asleep by 1:30-2:00AM. Stay classy and game on everybody. 

Hello everyone! I bought RPG Maker Ace yesterday after much deliberation. It retails on Steam for $70 but was on sale for $23. So, I bought the main program and a few DLC packs to make things interesting. I got started soon after I made my purchase while following a tutorial on YouTube and I have to say that it is one of the most entertaining programs I've ever used. It's very simple to learn how to use it and you're only limited by your own creativity. People have made countless games with this software that are on par with games being sold on the marketplace. However, if you want to, you're able to market your game and have people buy it. You just need to give credit where it's due. 

SO, yesterday was interesting. I played some 2v2, 1v1, and a single game of 3v3. My 2v2 games were strong but could have been better. As for 1v1, well, let's just say that before lastnight I was 0-7 but after lastnight I believe I'm now 5-9. It was hilarious; during one of the games my opponent said I get a free win. I asked him what he meant and why and he told me he just felt like it. I ignored him thinking he was just messing with my head and continued my building. But true to his word, he flocked into my base with all his drones so I pulled all my drones off the minerals and gas to eliminate them. At that point of the game, I still had no lings which reflected poorly on my talent considering the fact that I should've laid down my spawn pool sooner. 

I think today I'll be playing more SC 2 and messing with the DLC I got for RPG Maker. I might also play some TF2 and if that gets too frustrating I'll hop on War of the Roses.

GAME ON!

I was out of town for one day. My family and I headed north to visit some shops and my sister and I went white water rafting. The rafting ended up being a blast only after I was pulled out of the river by members from another raft because I had fallen in. Our raft hit a stupid rock and it launched me into the current and I actually thought I was going to die. Freaky stuff.

Admittedly, gaming was on my mind more than anything. I guess I couldn't wait until I returned home to play games because I just tapped away on my phone leveling up characters on games I normally play to pass the time. It was fun though, playing all those mobile games. I've developed more of an interest in them ever since I played a game called Fantascia which is wildly entertaining if you're patient. 

There's pretty much no turning back for me now. I have to get my shit together and figure out what I want to do! Err, I'm rambling on. Today's just one of those days where I feel like I'm in a daze. Probably because of too much gaming :cool:

That's all, folks! I wrote this extremely short blog post between games of Starcraft (3 in total). It looks like I'll be finishing my night playing this game until the morning in which I'll check out some of the new reviews here on Gamespot and perhaps peek my head into some of the forums. Take care and game on! :D

Hmm. So, I've been playng this game for roughly 4 or 5 days and I'm completely in love with it. However, I'm finding that my skills are at the bottom and it's difficult for me to manage my units and fully utilize my resources to create an effective build order. Furthermore, I only play Zerg and it appears that I am still unsure of what units are best against others. 

For example, I'll go against a Terran enemy and if I get my spawn pool up at the perfect time, I can begin scouting the map and take a peek over at the opponents base to see wtf they're doing. As my resource count grows and I've expanded with an additional hatchery, one strategy is to push with lings and roaches. This is in hopes that I hit them before they get their siege tanks or any other substantial upgrades/tech. Now, if I employ this strategy then it also means full upgrades to my ground unity and the adrenal upgrade for my lings. Meanwhile, I'm pushing here and there to stall the opponent and prevent them from producing their units. 

At some point, however, they will build their siege tanks and marines and perhaps the marauders if they're smart and head to my base. And assuming there aren't any air units I can split my main force into two groups and hit their main force from two sides ultimately surrounding them. 

Of course, I am only pulling an example out of a pool of games. This tactic only works under very specific conditions. One should never assume the enemy wont be building certain units. 

Anyways, I've learned that I need to watch more gameplay videos and more importantly, use the hotkeys since I don't use them. My current APM average is 40. Yeah, I know. Pathetic. But I don't mind because I have heaps of fun every match I play because it's a constant challenge and it makes me a better player. For now I think I'll take a break and play my other games but I can totally see myself playing Starcraft 2 later tonight since tomorrow I'm leaving for a brief vacation out of town and wont be gaming until Monday. 

*cheers echo throughout the Universe*

It's a glorious experience. Of course, I still have my 360, but ever since my Gold membership ran out I've spent more time on my computer playing a variety of games. Many of which aren't games I typically play. For example, Company of Heroes. I would never play a game like that a year ago. I hated RTS games because it meant having to use my brain and strategize and I couldn't just spam units and rush to win. So, I always strayed away from those types of games. Nowadays, I'm learning the ropes on Company of Heroes, Tropico, Civilization V, and Starcraft 2. 

Now that we're at the end of the Steam summer sale, it's time to work our way down the list of games we bought just because it was 80% off and whocaresifyouneverplayit IT'S 80%OFF!!! OK, I'll calm down now. But there's something magical about buying a game that's usually $25 for only $5. One of my my favorite games, War of the Roses, was on sale for $4.99. I bought it and played it, started off a bit rocky seeing as there were many skilled players who owned the game long before I did, but later ended up enjoying it. And by later I mean after I took a two month break from the damn game and finally picked it up again using only a crossbow in an attempt to snipe players from long distances. This was because my only other option was to get into sword fights with players which is a lot more difficult. However, I now prefer the swordfights! I use a poleaxe and smash skulls!

I saved my money to take full advantage of the summer sale. It paid off considering I amassed a large quantity of great games that would've cost me a small fortune had I not paid the sale price. But this post isn't about finances, it's more about how I was dragged into PC gaming without even knowing. I mean, yeah, I started gaming on my PC more after my Live membership ran out, but I still viewed PC gaming as something I'd never fully get into as much as I did with console gaming. 

I was very wrong. I'm now in the stage of gaming where I'm beginning to wear the keyboard and mouse like a pair of loose fitting gloves rather than flailing my hands around in the dark.

Furthermore, there seems to be a lot more flexibility for PC games and that's very important for me. Steam has also beem a huge contribution to my enjoyment and appreciation for gaming. I love booting up a game on Steam and seeing that there are thousands of discussions going on ABOUT A GAME! That's so awesome. That means you can drop in and be part of a conversation with other gamers from all around the world. The gaming experience just becomes richer and richer the more I play.

I plan to frequent this blog more often as well as the site to keep up with gaming news and updates. I plan to invest in a handheld gaming device, perhaps the 3DS or Vita, as well as a Wii or maybe the PS4 when it comes out. We'll see.  

The story in Sleeping Dogs is extremely intense. It's almost like being part of a fast-paced action movie with tons of twists and turns, blood and violence, and gorgeous women. 

I just beat it and was blown away by the cinematic quality this game had. It's nearly perfect in terms of story structure and describing the Sun On Yee clan and police corruption. I highly recommend this game! 4/5

-Hotcakes Galore

I'm pretty new to PC gaming. So when I installed Steam and became exposed to the wealth of games a few clicks away, I was shocked! Actually, everything about PC gaming is awesome. Understand, I've been gaming on the Super Nintendo, then the Playstation 1, and went right to the Xbox and Xbox 360. I owned the PS3 for a couple years but I hardly ever played it and ended up selling it (which I regret  now). So there I was, thinking I wasn't much of a gamer UNTIL I was introduced to this new world. Computer gaming.. It's truly an experience. Controls are awesome, mobility and graphics are optimized, and the community is wonderful. Granted, XBL is a very good online gaming experience if you ask me. However, the 360 has lost its fire and I can only hope with the news of Sony's PS4 they bust their a**'s building something to match. And it's not just about the hardware.. It's about who wants to make games for you and how supportive the community is. 

With that said, as of this moment, I'm leaning towards purchasing the PS4 when it comes out seeing as it caters to the versatile gamer and presents a wealth of great new features. However, if Microsoft is cooking up a console that can still compete with the Playstation, then Xbox is priority. I recently bought a Gamefly subscription so as to not lose touch with the console market and get a taste for the various types of games while increasing my gamerscore at the same time (not that gamerscore matters.. right? RIGHT??). 

In closing, I'd like it to be on record that I look forward to the selection of games for PC and I'm thankful that I have a great friend (who's also a veteran member on Gamespot) who is the most passionate gamer I know and is able to point me in the right direction in terms of finding great games. Shout-out to you, Toysoldier!!!

Signing off for now, 

Hotcakes Galore

Recently I've felt the importance of involving myself in a community that was passionate for gaming and I couldn't think of a better one than Gamespot. I went to the site today and began creating a new profile when it dawned on me that I already had one! But shoot, how the hell was I supposed to remember the login? I mean, I made the thing a few years ago and made a few posts before ditching it for whatever reason. Anyways, I'm back. I'm here to use my jabber mouth for good and not always for evil! I also hope to network with gamers I might end up adding on Steam or Xbox Live and even Skype! Well, I'm going to finish this up since I'm super eager to jump into the forums and checkout all the game reviews.

Much love, 

Hotcakes

P.S. I know my username makes me seem hostile by default.. Pretend my username is Hotcakes Galore since that describes my personlity a lot better than 666TRYME666 which sounds like I'm about to fight you with the Devil on my side hahaha! <3