Right now my living room is a an ode to babies and devices. I am getting rid of one laptop and have welcomed another into the fold. Both of them have been sitting on the floor next to the modem as I have transferred data back and forth.
I have also been spending uncharacteristically large amounts of time on accumulating points. However, tonight it came to a point where I just wanted to shut it down and walk away. The satisfaction of unlocking achievements is insignificant when compared to the love and joy I feel when I am with my wife or spend quality time with my daughter.Those women are so precious when compared to the fleeting recognition of a few numbers.
Does that mean I can't play? No.
Does that mean gaming comes at the expense of my relationships? Not entirely.
I simply feel an unequivocating sense of dedication to them, I lack for my xboxes, laptops, or whatever device is being marketed these days.
No matter what Razor says, it is over. Without spoiling the end, I have to say I saw it coming a mile away. Seriously predictable. Even the final drive. I, like most others who finished the game, could have gone for another cutscene, but there was really no need.
The opening of NFS:Carbon makes more sense now. Perhaps I'll check that out at After Hours. I met with some of the marketing guys behind that game a few weeks ago. Regardless of how you feel about people who are paid to promote products, the game looks good for what it is. I am interested in deeper customization options. I could also go for an abolition of car classes. I like to dip into all sorts of makes and models.
Either way, NFS:MW is 350 more points. I had a weekly goal for achievements, and I still have a couple more on my must-do list. Judging by the workload I have, I will be abridging my achievement plans. Some of those points are just going to have to wait until next week.
With After Hours coming up this weekend I have some other gaming directions in need of some attention. If you are going to be there, let's connect. Watch my video blog, say hello. I may be traveling with a bit of a group, but I will gladly take time for any GameSpot cohorts.
What do I want to see?
Anything on the Wii. I want to hold that controller in my hand and swing it around. I promise not to say, "Wheeeee!" I can't believe I just said that.
Ryan MacDonald and I playing some CS. I owe him. I've mentioned before that I got into GAME last year by challenging him to a duel. When he and I were chatting, it was at the expense of his time focusing on the stage show.
Guitar Hero II. 'Nuff said.
More Lost Planet. I have played the demo on XBL and found myself wanting more and more. I'm eagerly anticipating the release of this game next year. Since I wasn't into RE4, I can't remember the last time I was excited about a Capcom game.
Gundam Crossfire. I'm hoping this will be the least populated PS3 line. By least populated I mean only 30 people deep instead of 300 people. I want to see some 1080i beam swords melting through Zeon armor.
Bomberman: Act Zero versus Jeff Gerstmann. Can anyone guarantee this for me? Jeff? Please. I want to first-person bomb.
Dinner with Tim Tracy. This is the long shot, but I would imagine some form of food will be available. Even if it isn't the $4.00 hot dogs from the Moscone Center, I will need to eat during a five-hour game bender. Nothing can make the event more palatable than ingesting edibles with the undeniable king of consumables.
I'll come up with more as the day approaches. Anyone else have any requests?
Tonight I was graced with wife as my Gauntlet partner. It was fun to be able to play that classic arcade game with someone else. She picked it up well and helped us score a thief-killing achievement. I was impressed by how quickly she learned the two basic rules:
* Don't shoot the food
* Aim for the generators
Now to get two more people to round out a gang of four.
Any takers?
The regularly scheduled blogging has been postponed.
As a special announcement, for my 400th entry, I'm here to tell you my Xbox Live subscription fell out of the sky and I am about to activate it.
Some of you (who read my blog) have already sent me requests to connect online. That's cool. I'm willing to play online with anybody. I'd especially like to connect with people to play: Uno, Burnout Revenge, Gauntlet, Perfect Dark Zero (Co-op missions), and SmashTV.
For those who are interested in playing I usually follow a few guidelines for your enjoyment and mine:
* I come to play games, not to compete for a championship title.
* If something about my play style bothers you, please share. Don't leave me negative feedback without being mature enough to let me know I'm doing something bothersome.
* I may lose, but I try to be a good sport. Forgive me if I get a bit animated. Don't worry I won't swear or anything.
* If you lose, please don't take it personally. I'll happily play again if we can both be good sports.
* I may be over 21, but I really don't enjoy listening to harsh language. Yeah, you know the words. Nothing will get you dumped from my friends list faster than words I don't want my daughter to hear in our home.
* Sometimes I just want the points. If you want to get points too, let's talk. I'm happy to work out a deal. This is particularly true for DoA4.
* I enjoy playing, but I am on a family channel due to family constraints. I also have school, work, and some other responsibilities I need to cover. If I need to go, I promise to give notice and not randomly disconnect.
* If I disconnect, please assume it was a faulty connection. I have no intention of disconnecting if a competitive match is not going the way I want. I am happy to play a make-up match in the event I know my connection was at fault.
If you are interested in playing, feel free to send me an invite.
I just returned from a whirlwind tour of an amazing island nation. Look for a user video to come soon. The surprise of the trip was not how long the flights were, but how good the movies were.
I have never seen good movies on plane flights. Well, the 21st century is here and on-demand movie watching solves the problem of long-term boredom during marathon flights. What did I watch?
Mission Impossible III - It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Philip Seymour Hoffman lifts this popcorn flick to dramatic status. He's just so. . . nefarious.
Nacho Libre - It was a beautiful movie. Not quite as quirky of a comedy as Napoleon Dynomite, but it was fun, and it had heart. If Jack Black had been replaced by Philip Seymour Hoffman or Christopher Walken, it would have been stellar.
Inconvenient Truth - As much as I like conspiracies, and as much as I respect the occasional politician, I was nowhere near being interested in a documentary about a global warming PowerPoint presentation. Personal biases aside, Gore adroitly defines a problem and challenges the sheeple of the world to flex their power. The science is understandable and the content is amusing, solid, and fairly well substantiated.
X-Men 3 - I refused to pay money to see this film in the theater, but on a $1,000 plane flight, it still felt free. Thus, it was the perfect price. Aside from some wicked plot holes and misuse of talent, it makes a case for a popcorn indulgence . . . as long as someone else is buying.
The Sentinel - I understand 24 is a hot show these days, but Kiefer Sutherland should be expanding his range as an actor, not limiting it. The storytelling was poor. I felt no attachment to the characters. The situation portrayed has been done better. If I wasn't couped up for 12 hours I would have abandoned this B-movie long before the story crashed, or failed to take off. Sadly the only visually appealing part of the film comes in the form of Eva Longoria, and she is hardly enough to save poor storytelling.
The Da Vinci Code - Ron Howard creates a visually interesting version of an arguably sacriligious work of fiction. The twists, turns, and puzzles are interesting, but could have been deeper. The cast delivers compelling performances all around, but I found the end to be somewhat of a letdown.
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