I was a lucky soul to get invited into the Final Fantasy 14 beta. Love it so far, but the beta tests are only on the weekend. I played it on the PC and it is an absolute gem to look at. In a sense, I am a closet geek; I love video games, just a confession I have to make!

Just to give a little back story, I went on a little bit of a pre-order spree the month of June. I pre-ordered Xbox One and Ps4 because I just could not make up my mind. I love my Xbox 360, and I did own a Ps3 which I later sold to my brother, but both Xbox One and Ps4 seem like they are unique enough to justify getting both this gen. I then get this "bright" idea. Final Fantasy 14 is not just a computer game, but a Ps3 game. Logically thinking, which other geeks can probably relate too, when we think we are logical, we are just being overcome by our gamer geek blindness. This leads me to my next great decision! I order another ps3!

Futureshop has a sale for the new ultra slim ps3. So I blindly order a Ps3, then click on Final Fantasy 14 PS3 collectors edition and order that too. I then thought to myself "well I travel a lot so I will need to keep the PC version" (which I am already accustomed to playing.) I then search for the PC version, pre order that. I then realize quickly there is a pre-order form for the Ps4 version? "Oh God" I said to myself, bang pre-ordered the Ps4 version as well. Now I am thinking... "Ps3 version, I don't have a keyboard" I then, already in my craze state of mind, order the PS3 keypad, but oh wait? PS3 has this new headset with base beat!? What is this top of the line headset they speak of? I read the description and I am just excited to the point that I am idiotic, bang order that, but wait there is more? NHL 13 for Ps3 is on sale? So as you probably already know, I order that too!

Now reality sets in. I just ordered a bunch of stuff, a lot of "un-needed stuff," in the eyes of one specific person. I know what my girlfriend's thoughts are going to be when boxes start showing up to the door this month as well as next month when the pre-orders arrive. Unfortunately for me she is a social worker. When I do these "impulsive" buys, she will begin the interview process to get to the bottom of it. Which I know there is no real source, but she fails to realize just how much I love video games (her and I will be together 10 years in August, and yes I hide it very well!) So what is a guy to do?

I succumb to the fear of her anger. I log onto futureshop and purchase an Ipad. Something I planned for her as a birthday gift, but my need for survival and the "happy wife, happy life" is all so true. I am just praying to God the Ipad shows to the door first, because if not this may be the last blog I ever write again! If it fails to come first it will be viewed as a suck up gift. If the Ipad comes first, I will be considered the best loving boyfriend in the world. If there is such thing as God, Luck, and Fate, please show yourself and by the unforeseen powers, may the Ipad win!

If anyone is interested in grouping on in Final Fantasy 14 when the final release comes out, let me know!

Currently at work, 1:40 AM! So as I sit in my office on this very quiet night I will decide to kill some time by writing my new found love for my Playstation Vita.

When the Vita first came out I was really on the fence about buying one. My brother was a late adopter of the PSP, which he absolutely loved, but I never really got into the whole "hand held market." I did have an original game boy years ago which as a young kid I did love to play. I did purchase a Nintendo 3DS with Starfox and Zelda, but I just didn't really enjoy the 3DS. I thought to myself, why would I even bother with a Vita if all other hand held never really held my interest?

I decided to do some research and read up on some reviews and watch user based YouTube reviews. To my not so surprise, it was a mixture of positive, negative, and somewhere in between. I then decided to myself "what the hell" and one day I left work with a co-worker and went to the store and picked up one. I bought the 3G version, not due to the online capabilities, but it came with two free games. I then bought a 32 gig stick, and wipeout.

My first impressions were "thank god I bought a 32 gig stick for 100$ or else I would not have been able to play my two free games," something the Vita box failed to notify me saying the two games could not fit on a 4 gig stick! So out of the gate it seemed a bit of a rough start. I then downloaded the games, downloaded a few apps and dived right in. To my surprise the games looked and felt great. I was truly experiencing high quality graphics on a hand held device that were fairly fun. Also, to my surprise, I downloaded some original PSX games, Chrono trigger, Final Fantasy 7 as well as Xenogears.

Being lucky and in a high position at work, I was able to bring my Vita in to work and play my games to help pass the time on slow days. I unfortunately, and quickly realized, once finished those games there was not much else to do with my Vita. Slow release of games, or games that did not interest me, and seemed to be no other big titles being uploaded on the PSN network, how disappointing! So my Vita sat there, hours, days, months, until one day my friend, a huge Playstation fan, mentioned Playstation plus!

Playstation plus has brought my love for the Vita back stronger than ever! Free Indi games, free Vita games, free PSX and PSP games; I didn't know what to do! Luckily the week I signed up there were some great free titles! I downloaded like I never downloaded on the Vita before (thankfully I got the 32 gig stick!) and dove right back into my Vita once again! Where was this PSN + all along? How did I miss out on such an amazing feature! Sony, you were right on the money with this option!

So currently, 1:50 AM, I am at work, I am having a blast on my Vita once again, and I decided to share with the world my rejuvenated love for my Vita!

Cheers!

Another blog post from a bored worker! I am currently the only one in the office today, so it is extremely boring. Also, it is unfortunately good Friday... I shouldn't be working, but here I am!

I am a huge starcraft fan. I originally started playing Starcraft the first day it was released. I did not start multiplayer right away, but I loved playing skirmish games vs the AI. When Starcraft Broodwar was released it totally changed my perspective on Starcraft and opened my world to multiplayer. Eventually I joined a clan that took a lot of my teenage years away and I believe a sported a record with over 300 wins and just 50 some losses. I was fairly pro, but I was an obsessed teen back then!

Now Starcraft HOTS has been released, an expansion back for WOL. I played a lot of WOL online, and I did "alright." I mostly played 3 vs 3 where sometimes it would go well, but other times a weak link could prevent a win (sometimes I was the weakest link!) I never was the type to play 1 vs 1 battles due to me feeling like team play was the way to go, boy was I ever wrong!

With HOTS newly released I played a few 3 vs 3 battles, but now quickly have transitioned to trying 1 vs 1 games. My 1 vs 1 record is not a positive one, out of 18 games I have only 8 wins. Realistically I feel I should have 10 wins due to me being close to winning two games, but unfortunately made some poor decisions in late game, watching the replayed made me very angry! But it has helped me learn from those mistakes. Another reason possibly I only have 8 wins is the fact I only play random. This prevents me from mastering one race, but to become somewhat well rounded in all three.

1v1 games just seem so much more balanced, intense and overall more enjoyable due to its competitive nature. I feel playing more 1 vs 1 games will actually help me improve, rather than waiting for a team mate to help me out if I am lagging behind. Maybe someday I will get brave and try and play on the Korean servers. I hear those players are quite challenging and a great way to learn some strategy.

I would like to know other players thoughts on HOTS. What is your favorite race? Do you play 1v1's or do you like having team mates? Let me know!

It is Friday, it is a very slow day at work and I am extremely bored. I guess it is time for me to write another blog, which in all honesty I am not a blogger, but when you are bored you can become anything! I had the luxury of being able to take a few days off work and fly home, which does not happen as often as I like anymore. I feel I spend more time on a plane then actually doing anything, but I got home nonetheless.

One of my greatest guilt in gaming history is that I never finished Skyrim. I absolutely love the game, and I quite frankly obsessed over it for quite some time, but I never actually finished the game. I currently have about 198 hours on it and just started the "main mission." I think subconsciously the main reason why I didn't finish the game is due to my true love for it. I know there are a lot of things to do after you finish, but when it is truly "over" I think I would feel more depression than joy. I game I have obsessed over, put countless hours into, and was devastated when my follower just vanished to never be seen again, but yet I searched the lands and the tombs to find out if they were dead or just lost, this is a lot of dedication. I know there are two expansion packs out, which I will end up getting once I finish the main quest, but will those two expansions fill the void? I just don't know.

Elder Scrolls Online's beta is just around the corner. I feel a little underwhelmed for this game. My biggest fear is that this online game may prevent another vast single player campaign. If this does happen, I don't know if there is a game out there that will satisfy my adventure, my thirst for exploration and getting lost in an amazing world. Next gen seems just around the corner and I can only imagine what can be done next, but will a single player Elder Scrolls actually happen again? If it does, will it be five years away? Possibly longer? By then I will be five years older, will I have time and the same love for games to enjoy it?

I don't know what is next, but I am hoping for something big when it comes to Elder Scrolls. Here is to hoping for an even bigger work, more great quests, and amazing atmosphere with astonishing music!

It has been a very long time since I posted a blog. Years, years and more years. At the moment, while I sit in my office at work bored, I have been obsessivly searching on content for Final Fantasy 14. Mind you, I have not played V 1.0 due to it having a lot of negative reviews, but seeing how development has gone I find myself impatiently excited for this new version.

I played a bit of Final Fantasy XI in my younger days, but got very angry when I rolled back a level in quit. My brother and I played together on the playstation 2, and there was just something about the world that sucked us both in. I do play other MMORPGs such as guildwars 2 and world of warcraft, but there was always something I felt very charming in Final Fantasy XI that just made me really enjoy that game.

I have been regularly checking my email to see if I was one of the lucky few that would get a beta key, but no such luck. I hear alpha testers and "legacy" memebers, which I am not quite sure what that is, have got invited. As sad as this may sound, I even used my girlfriends' two emails to try and have better odds into getting into this beta, very sad I know, and also she was not happy due to fear of junk mail and hating my game habits, but I have not been this excited for a MMORPG since Final Fantasy XI. World of Warcraft did not excite me this much.

Not sure what or how the community feels about the new revamp of Final Fantasy 14. Will it be successful? Will it fail? Or will it be so-so and survive for a few years. I would love to hear people's thoughts!

Regards,

BP

Just like wearing a halloween mask to hide one's identity, the headset and an xbox live connection works the same way. twenty some year old men and women trash talking young children and vise versa in flexing of verbal muscle and lung compacity to get those last words in as the timer of halo 3 runs out to start your next match. Is there a problem with this trash talking? Is it harmless fun? Well to some extent I beleive so.

When playing Halo 3 with the buddies and testosterone running through our veins, we know when it is vailiant to say good game, or when to admit a proper defeat, but we also know when to do our faithful trash talking to help us keep our competitive side in tact. One game we said our usual "Hey maybe you should try another game because halo sure isnt the game for you" or "Hey buddy did your batteries run out? because you sure did play bad." We had a good laugh at the other teams expense until one says we have been reported. I never thought much of this until the next day when my buddy could not log on.

When making your xbox live account if i am not mistaken you choose your zone which all of my buddies and including myself are set on "Underground"which if i am not mistaken is the "trashing talking allowed zone." I know we did not really cross the line, but I thought microsoft reviewed this kind of thing? Did they somehow say "oh boy these guys really crossed the line with their dead battery pownedge talk" I mean this is a payed service so people want to enjoy it, but i want to enjoy it in my trash talking underground zone and if i cant do that isnt my experience just as ruined?

Trash talking will always be part of of the internet gaming community, and it will never be fully pervented. There is crossing line with some people, but after having an amazing win, trash talking makes that win so much more enjoyable!

I'm not the type to rant on about somthing, but with the recent posts ive seen about Forza 2 i can not help it.

 Where are the days when a person would pick up a controller and play a game and not care what the graphics looked like? I mean, when the original Nintendo came out; hell even when the atari came out, half the games were nothing to look at, but they were still fun to play. Yes times have changed and technology allowes us to bring so much more realism to the gaming industry, but that still shouldn't stop a person from picking up a game that could be a great game, just because the graphics are poor -- or if it does not run at 60fps.

I believe a true gamer will play anything atleast once. Even if the game is ugly and long, beautiful but yet shallow or vice versa; they should still give it a try. Even if the game does not appeal to you at first, you never know it could possibly grow on you in the end.