Yeah, it's a good friend's birthday coming up soon, and out of all systems, she wants a Wii...Well, she didn't expect it, but give me a stupid idea, and I'll pull it off with flying colors and a smile on my face. Although I'm half tempted to break it open and play it myself, it's that small, nagging voice that tells me to resist the temptation of playing this joke of a "gaming" system. No offense to the Wii owners, but I openly pour out my hatred for that damned system, until it can impress me.

You know, the Wii is so insignificant in my gaming vocabulary, that I actually didn't know what game to get, much less what it's called. (I actually called Super Mario Universe "Super Mario Sunshine") It made me feel like a virgin gamer. lol. It's pretty insulting. But, whatever makes people happy. As long as I don't get stuck playing it, it's no burden to me.

Anyway, don't expect to hear from me for the next few weeks. Holiday seasons usually spells misery and work for us, and it actually makes me envy Ebeneezer Scrooge's whipping boy...honestly, he can't complain. I honestly think I have it worse than him. lol. So I wish you all a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and possibly a Happy Valentine's Day. At least I get a vacation in March. Take care, friends.

The more I read about Nintendo's beast, the more I feel like it truly is: those with the Xbox 360s and PS3's are enjoying multi-million dollar blockbusters, going blind by staring at the most impressive visuals money can buy, but more importantly, insurance that every month, something good will most likely arrive. And even ahead towards next year, we are all confident about the future, because of the hottest titles we just can't possibly wait any longer for.

So...why no love for the Wii? Nowdays, the Wii is the butt of evey gaming joke. The, "it could be worse, I could only have a Wii" arrogance as millions of people enjoy their high profile games. Now to its credit, Nintendo did claim that people crave innovation rather than the same gameplay we've had for the past fifteen years. And seeing that the Wii is the hottest selling console, Nintendo did deliver on that claim.

But I guess what hurts its image is the massive amounts of awful games that are sneaking onto store shelves. Indeed, Nintendo has become a pawn if they continue to allow such low quality merchandise to tarnish Nintendo's reputation. As popular a brand name as Nintendo can ever be, it can also have the same credibility as seeing a hardened rapper advertising a McDonal's sandwich. Sure, money is made on both sides, but in the eyes of the consumers, both companies now look pathetically desperate for attention.

Much like the ugly girl in high school had a sliver of popularity because she was friends with a hot cheerleader, bad games fly off the shelves because it holds the seal of Nintendo's approval. But just like said cheerleader, her sex appeal will plummet if she's surounded by ugly women. And so will the Wii's image, if it is known that it is the system that carries the most bad games out of the console market.

In a way, I'd like to say that to own a Wii, one must have a vast knowledge of gaming in order to hold one in their house. Because of its direct approach to catering those who don't know how to play a videogame, a lot of developers out there seek the opportunity to exploit that blissfulness. Without question, the Wii's first party titles are the strongest, with a few exceptions regarding third party publishers. But quality is so limited in that department, that if anyone wants to stay current in the gaming trend, they have to own another console.

It's rather heartbreaking...I hear all the time on how kids call themselves gamers just by owning a Wii alone. It breaks my heart because they obviously have no idea how advanced Sony and Microsoft have become while Nintendo is stuck a couple of generations behind. In a way, I feel pity: I'm here, enjoying the newest game I just bought, knowing it's a masterpiece, while they inadvertently bought shovelware disguised as a movie game, or innovative disaster I already knew was horrible just by looking at the box art.

But just like last year's washed up movie star has the potential to rise from the ashes, Nintendo can restore their image to something worthwile in the eyes of gamers. I mean, let's face it: casual gaming is the new trend nowdays, and companies are jumping on that bandwagon. Like it or not, aside from each hardcore game, the systems themselves will cater to people who want their consoles to do more than play videogames. And with the Wii's absence of console capabilities of the last generation, what will it be, another face in the crowd that doesn't keep up with the times?

Alas, I'd like to thank my friends at home on letting me experience first hand just why the faithful Nintendo loyalists are sour about the Wii. Although I don't feel that Nintendo is ruining the gaming industry, rather that the directions Nintendo is going is getting stagnant very quickly. And in the end, what would the majority of non-gamers prefer: a machine that plays a meager selection of worthy titles, or will they stray away from gaming altogether?

I just finished Gears II, which, in terms of my arrival, was GAY I say in terms of my arrival, because I usually play my 360 once a week, and I popped it in and beat the game five minutes upon my arrival here. Heh...talk about a buzz kill. The game itself is awesome, except for the ridiculously easy final battle. I guess it is better than that stupid ass RAAM fight, in terms of cheap boss tactics. A lot of epic moments, no doutbt I'd love to share, but I don't want to spoil anything. Just take my word for it: Gears II is awesome for a reason. Well, let's just enjoy the game, and pray Gears III won't pull a Halo 3 and release on the next Xbox five years later.

Now, I'm starting the game over on Insane mode, which is really kicking my ass...I've been stuck on the Derrick mission for the past hour. You know why they call it Insane mode? Because you gotta be insane to play it alone. Damn...Well, take care, people.

Call it genius marketing or just flat out fan favorite, the 360 is everywhere. From TV commercials to shopping centers, there's always someone there attempting to scarf one down your throat. Honestly, I'd call it a smart move on Microsoft's behalf, advertising this machine in every possible way, chopping the price so that even pre-teens surviving on their parent's allowances can afford one, and even nabbing former exclusives into multi-platform titles, much less siphoning exclusive downloadable content for major titles.

But...this is where Microsoft, from a gamer's perspective, has become more of a sellout than any other gaming platform: on Live, the first thing you'll see is something being advertised, be it a game, car, or movie. Hell, the only downloadable thing that is free nowdays is a theme or gamerpic of a Ford car or some movie being released in theatres or a phone network.

True, it is a smart strategy to get every little thing you can get your mitts on, but is Microsoft trying to monopolize the gaming industry? With 360s being dirt cheap, the competition's sole identity is the scant exclusives they have left, and the fact that they own a community so large, they actually have a calendar to remind you that you can play with Paramore (or some other band or developer) tomorrow.

Which...is kind of ironic: the Xbox was labeled as a hardcore gamer's machine, and now it carries more advertising and spotlight than today's rap stars. I'm not bashing on the system, hell, I love my 360, but I have to admit: what's going on is just making Microsoft's ameturish tread on gaming more obvious. From the Game With Fame to buying out a hell of a lot of companies, it feels more like a social toy than a serious entertainment machine.

But by sheer brute force, the Xbox 360 wants to be champion...and who doesn't? But just like how I like to see a fair fight in the boxing ring, I'd like to see all three systems duke it out using their brand of power instead of relying on dirty tricks like copying one another, paying out the ass to ensure the same game has exclusives on one system, or watch Kobe Bryant make an ass out of himself playing Guitar Hero and seeing that 360 loading screen at the end...I mean, where's the imagination in that? And aren't videogames supposed to be our imaginations come to life?

Whilst the competition for videogame supremacy becomes increasingly fierce, each company struggling to find an identity of their own: Nintendo making gaming easier and catering to those who know nothing about gaming, Sony playing the role of the monk, teaching us patience while we wait for their promises to come in effect, and Microsoft wowing us with stockpiles of games and expanding the social network of gaming with celebrities and new features catering to those who basically want their games to reflect their lifestyles...it's more intense than the presidential elections.

Nowdays, I still find it akward how I'm no longer labeled as a dork for playing videogames, but rather, another face in the crowd. And the only thing that will make or break my newfound image is what gaming console I pave my glory with. Hell, if I make it known that I own both a PS3 and a 360, I'm not a fanboy as if I were to own one, but rather someone who doesn't know a thing about gaming, and just someone jumping on the bandwagon. So...I guess in a way, gaming has reached their glory if little kids as well as 30-year old Koreans are telling me this.

I've owned a 360 since launch day years ago, and I've seen it grow from the first next-generation console I struggled to get in my grasp before Thanksgiving, to this machine becoming as common as a household pet. I'm not one to complain that gaming has come a long way from primitive one-button consoles to multi-billion dollar franchises as a bad thing, I'm just saying that the more casual oriented you make it, the less of our favorites will exist if the media doesn't find themselves attracted to it. And I've waved goodbye to more than a lot of old games I hold dear to this day.

I'm just saying, Microsoft is appearing to become a conglomerate, trying to take out the competition by acquiring everything unique about them. Which hurts me as bad as if you were to see your favorite liquor store shut down because of Wal Mart. I've been with Sony and Nintendo a long time, and I don't want to see either of them go down this way. While I still do enjoy my 360, I don't want it to dictate my gaming preferences by becoming the only choice available. As such, it hurts me real bad to see them driving themselves into the ground, and having me worry about the future of videogames going the way of Hollywood.

Yeah, I just started playing Dead Space...currently, I'm on stage 5, and damn...I never thought I'd feel a mixture of dread as well as action. You know, this game should win an award for most memorable moments: the ripper has to be the most sickenly disturbing weapon, the enemies themselves knock my favored enemy, the zombie, down a peg, most unique use of a HUD, and most original (well, it does beat infected city, for once.) levels.

But you know what really scares the crap out of me? The damn physics. lol. Everytime I kill an enemy, I tend to walk over it, and my character kicks it in the air, and I swear to god I always think it came back from the dead. Jeez, it gets me everytime. Well, I'll be tweaking on this game for a while. Take care, friends.

Nowdays, I hear a lot of talk about disappointing games. True, this is the era of brutal competition, and every company is taking their own ideas to better find an identity: Nintendo is catering to the casual crowd, Microsoft is nabbing exclusives left and right, and also signing deals for exclusive content for their third party support, while Sony is banking on fanaticism of their first party support, as well as offering stellar games still in the making. Of course, this is all in my opinion, so feel free to disagree.

Thing is, games now are controversial: either over hyped disappointments, too short, graphics not living up to ridiculous standards, basically, a complaint towards any game that comes out. Even a game with a perfect 10 will have disagreements to some. But I guess the one flaw in everyone's eyes is how a game is judged by length alone is what really bugs me.

If a game is six hours long, people complain, whereas if a game is twelve-thirty hours long, it is an outstanding experience. I can argue all day about how an RPG can clock in over 24 hours, and can say I didn't enjoy every minute of it, whereas I can play Gears of War for an hour and say I enjoyed every second of it. For example, I can say a half hour long Live Arcade download gave me more thrills than sitting in my room for hours level gridning in an MMO, a game that will never end. Sure, it's a long trudge in gaming, but I'm bored out of my freakin' mind.

Also, I can say with confidence that not everyone here will agree when I say something like Gears was a masterpiece, because it does have its flaws such as a short time lengh, not much to do in the game besides take cover and shoot things, a non-existent storyline, and everytime someone talked, it sounded like the overexaggerated tough guy voice. But still, it was a blast to play. It's more of a quality VS quantity debate. I'd rather have my fun in an hour than sit through eternity with fragments of joy. But hey, that's just me.

There are games that are long and fun, like Saints Row II, which I poured over thirty hours into it, and I enjoyed every second of it. Hell, at the expense of zero realism and a comical story, I owned a game that I still play even though I beat it hours ago. Thing is, I don't expect anyone to enjoy what I do, much less enjoy it as much as I did, but if people are going to dismantle something just because it did not live up to their unfulfilled expectations, then developers should take note and release their products under the radar...it's the only fool proof way to satisfy the fans and the haters. I mean, you can't possibly hate something that you've never heard of, right?

Honestly, with four gaming machines to choose from, there is literally something for everyone, and I do not believe in the hardcore scene being judged solely on skill or dedication...I mean, who are we to judge a twelve year old that enjoys Halo but lacks the reflexes to score a kill? I'd say mission accomplished, because he appears to be enjoying himself. And I can say that I have fallen into the casual crowd five years ago, solely because I don't have all the time in the world to pour into a video game like I could when I was 18 years old. So I basically play for fun rather than competition.

Point is, games are games. You're not going to call a UFC match horrible if the guy knocked out his opponent is under a minute, right? Much like when I watch a boxing match, and I sat through all three rounds...solely because both boxers are dancing around the ring the whole time. Neither is a bad thing, I mean, we all got our money's worth watching an epic knockout, I'm just saying, not everything that is short is necessarily a bad thing.

This is a toast to all the things I hate, and another toast that they've finally crashed and burned...and another toast to that they stay in their shallow graves.

Boy Bands: Need I explain? Because I know that parents just adore the idea of a group of scrawny pretty boys singing a bunch of songs too mature for the twelve year old girl fanbase that is the backbone of their careers. And in the end, they all end up admitting their homosexuality when their band is disantled...how's that for freakin' irony?

Emo people: This may differ where you guys live, but I haven't seen these creatures for almost a year. You know, the skinny dudes in black that make it their divine purpose to have you, as well as the rest of the city, know just how much these guys hate their lives. Because writing this crap in a diary is just not worth the expense of looking like an ass to the general public who doesn't give a crap anyway.

Cigarette ads: Even though I do smoke, I always hated the idea of reading my favorite magazine while seeing that supid camel just smiling in your face while handing you your own death...or that cowboy who tries to look cool with a cigarette in his mouth, just beckoning, "you can be cool like me, if you only smoke." Word of advice: if you want to make smoking look cool, have...you know, actual cool things to back it up. Jeez, as if being known as a billion dollar corporation funded by the deaths of millions wasn't such a burden, making ads like that is just begging to be assassinated.

Sharper Image: Another one I'm not sure about where you live, but here, they're all gone...mostly because they sold inventions of stuff I'd be too embarassed to own anyway, and looking at the price tag, it would be equivalent to me selling my soul to eat a barrel of oyster pudding...in other words, this store wants me to spend my retirement fund on a futuristic lawn chair that squeezes my balls.

Hummer cars: because the only thing more insulting than an eighty thousand dollar vehicle that has four miles to the gallon is the dealerships trying to sell these babies during the age of the high gas prices. It's like if I were to take a dump in a public restroom, only to realize I have two options: my left hand or a wad of sandpaper.

Lil Jon: I must say, being a millionaire just by saying three words repeatedly in other people's songs isn't a bad way to make a living, I still compare him to the annoying guy that shows up uninvited to your parties: he steals your beers, scares the women away while telling the repeated lame joke that was never funny ten years ago, and you only know him because he's a friend of a friend that you've never heard of.

Immature Celebrities: When we were kids, anything that pissed off adults was cool. When little kids piss us off, they think it's cool. But when adults try to piss off other adults, you get Tom Green. You know where Tom Green is now? Hiding in shame after he realized that his life's work consisted of making Carrot Top look cooler than him. And when you're a thirty year old man that is even lamer than the freshman year prankster, I gotta say...he shouldn't have dropped out of elementary school. Hell, Tom Green pees sitting down. He's the World Wildlife Fund's sexual predator. Tom Green gave birth to Bam Margera to continue the legacy of pissing the world off to an extent until the world just stopped giving them attention. Now they both lick cat's asses and kick each other in the groin together, because they're the only ones left in the world that find it funny.

Well, today has got to be the most awkward Halloween of my life. Nothing bad, it was a beautiful day, just one of those "what the hell..?" moments. For instance, I ran into my ex from three years ago at my workplace, dressed up as Speed Racer's woman, (read: really HOT woman in miniskirt) and we talked for a while until she got the supplies...because she works in the resturant next to me.

Anyway, after the day's work, I had the bright idea to say to myself, "hey, I got balls. Why don't I pay her a visit, this woman I haven't seen in years, and ask her if she wants to hang out tomorrow." And here I am, after talking to her on the phone until 3 in the morning, writing this blog, still contemplating if I still got the mack skills or if this is really just a well thought out plot to catch me off guard at my weak point and break me in pieces. heh...just kidding. Well, I'll know by tomorrow.

For all you Dead Space fans, the animated prequel the game is out, and I must say, even if you aren't a fan of the game, this is a must-see. It's interesting to see how it all started, and does have a lot of those "intense, alien zombie infection" moments. I don't know, I'm just still tripping out that EA, of all companies, have made one very fine game on their first attempt...and now they can say they've made one fine cartoon.

On another note, just picked up Little Big Planet and Fallout 3, and as usual, I'll be playing it on Thursday...after work. Then again, it doesn't seem I need ask anyone if Fallout 3 is good...Gamespot giving it a 9, GameStop being crowded just for that game, just about everyone on my friends list on both here and XBL owning it...although, even after owning, researching, and asking about it, I still don't know what the hell LittleBig Planet is. lol. Granted, I haven't played it yet, much less why I bought it, (okay, a GameStop employee insisted I get it) I guess I'll just have to play it to find out...after Fallout 3, though.

I just finished Saint's Row II, which is an awesome game, but it does have its consequences: story starts off as straight gangsta, then later on turns into something you'd expect from a Tony Hawk game, a lot of B.S. moments that are cool, but very ludicrous. I'll be writing a review on this one whenever I have the time.

The worst thing I can say is that this game has kept me up from after I finished work until ten in the morning. Either I am a chronic, or this game is just that damn good. Ironically, I wasn't that tired at work...just really hungry. Well, stay in touch, friends. My review should be up in...at least a week, by the most. Laters.