Dear GS Homeslices,

I hope everyone is having a good weekend. I'm doing pretty good myself. Congrats to @FojMohsin and @fend_oblivion.

While bsing around on Youtube, I was trying to find an old episode of The Outer Limits (season 6, episode #29), called "Zig Zag". I wanted to shoot the link to a friend. Unfortunately, it's no longer available on Youtube. Fortunately, I still own the Amazon Video download of that episode, and intend to raid Amazon for the season 6 DVD box set in the near future. It's worth the treasure hunt.

Zig Zag was an awesome story told in over-lapping chapters, a' la Tarintino. Zig Zag was cyber-punk with a twist in a time when cyber-punk was still very experimental in its subject matter. Of all of The Outer Limits' episodes, a series that has a crapload of great episodes to begin with, Zig Zag is a show stealer.

On the internet, Zig Zag has garnered a bit of a cult following. Some people actually use the name "Zig Fowler", the mysterious 'villain' of the story, as their username! Some draw references to some of the dialogue in the story. Some cite certain aspects of the story as allegories for real world issues (as do I). I was amazed at how many people love that episode as much as -if not moreso than- I do.

One such fan gave Zig Zag some of the absolute best advertizing I've ever seen. This person actually made a music video for Tears For Fears' classic, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" on Youtube featuring snippets from Zig Zag. Damn good song, damn good video that perfectly fits a damn good story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2UY5l8ZWlM

Take Care & Enjoy the Awesomeness

-nate1222/hare1222 on Steam

Dear GS Homeslices,

I hope life is going well for all of you. Mine is moving along just fine. Enjoying my downtime before Fall Quarter begins.

Well, I'm now at Level: 42 Karnov. Named after a fun yet rather redundant 8bit NES game starring a boss from Bad Dudes. Given my lack of blogs, I probably inched my way toward level 42 via all the little comments in some of your blogs and the GS news articles.

And, as usual, ol' Glitchspot is as glitchity as ever. My avatar rarely shows up on my page these days, and my banner is rather off-and-on as well. At this point, I'm not even bothered by it. Things are still functional enough to read, blog and comment. Asking for more than that might be pushing my luck.

As of a week ago, I've responded to two (2) of GS' little surveys on "Ways we can improve this site". So far, none of the questions asked nor (multiple choice) answers offered regard anything we give a s___ about. It's all "age", "gender", "How often do you visit this site?"... Again, the machine is concerned entirely with marketing data.

Recently I've been hammering away at KotOR (Steam), Torchlight -with modded custom character classes, Giants Citizen Kabuto and Neverwinter Nights Diamond. All damn good games by the way. Need to get back to Ys OiF and Jedi Outcast. Recently wishlisted Urban Chaos, a GTAIII-ish game that came out two years before GTAIII, on GOG ($6). My laptop has been getting a workout.

Even as I type this, I have yet to step beyond the 6th gen. Giants and KotOR are actually the PC versions of two of my favs from the 6th gen. Neverwinter Nights is a western RPG PC game from BioWare that launched -during the 6th gen. And Torchlight has a rather 6th gen dungeoun crawler vibe with very 6th gen-ish graphics. Aside from my DS (which has a retro heavy library), Fallout 3, Oblivion and Far Cry, I have yet to even embrace the 7th gen...yet the 8th gen is right around the corner.

The coverage on Nintendo's Wii U, which doesn't look like a bad console (and this is coming from a non-console gamer), has become hate troll bait. Ironic that so many gamers are hating on a console that actually addresses the issues we've been at odds with. Me? I'm just done with console makers' rackets. The Wii U looks awesome, but it's arrived too late to win me back.

If it weren't for your blogs, GS would lose me. Danny's "Escape From Mt Stupid" is now on Youtube. Everything else is 7th gen and 8th gen stuff and industry insider crap I don't care about. So the reasons for reading GS' news coverage are dwindling.

Well, gotta bounce. Gotta get back to lazing around, gaming...and just enjoying my downtime.

Take Care & Game for What You Like About It -industry heads and hater trolls need not apply

-nate1222/hare1222(Steam)

Dear GS Homeslices,

I hope all is well as some of you head back to school. I'm doing pretty good; enjoying the few weeks off before I head back to College for Fall Quarter.

To the topic of this blog...

Finally got my new banner up -after about three days. Its cut from a screenshot (F12 key) of my current character on KotOR, via Steam. I'm gonna leave it there permanently. Both because it's a pretty good banner and changing banners is increasingly a pain in the ass.

The unions seem to be inaccessible anymore. That in itself has pissed off quite a few of us. Word around the net is that GS is planning to transition everything to "Fuse V2".

Candidly, I think GS is gonna use Fuse V2 in order to become a subscription based site. They'll probably make things a pain in the ass for those of us who have non-paying accounts until we either pay or get pissed off and leave. The lack of access to unions seems to be the first steps in that direction.

Also, Brendan Sinclair and John Davison recently left GS. Not a surprise either. Brendan and John both did articles expressing their discontent with Sony and Microsoft's next gen plans: blocking used games and no bc. Brendan also did a scathing article in which he said he now buys used games, "as a matter of principle", due to his discontent with mega publishers' practices.

Because of these types of articles, GS probably made things so crappy for Brendan and John that they got pissed off and left. Here in the States, employers tend to do that when you critique their business partners. Regardless, I share Brendan and John's feelings about the industry of late.

Just like the bulk of the console industry, GS is going further into the toilet. Gaming is going to be okay. It's the console scene and the AAA crap that's on its way out. To be honest, I don't really miss it. These clowns were allowed to racketeer one of my favorite entertainment mediums for too damn long as it is. And, just like mainstream media, most of gaming media has become too chummy with big business. They both need to go.

Take Care & Game for Yourself -not the Industry

-nate1222/hare1222 (Steam)/nate1222 (GOG)/nate122275 (Gamersgate)

Dear GS Homeslices,

I know it's been a stretch since my last blog. And, the way things are going with GS moving toward "Fuse v2", my blogs will probably be fewer and further between. Core Box on facebook still gets regular activity from hush404 and myself, though. So, if you've got a facebook account, you can find me there pretty regularly.

Since Steam and I have kissed and made up (due to many of Steam's games now having OFFLINE DRM), I've picked up activity with my old account. Though I'm not a big Star Wars fan, I do like some of the games from that universe. KotOR being chief among them. So Steam got $10 off of me, well earned.

Yesterday's purchases:

Jedi Outcast, Steam $10

Bastion, Gamersgate $15 (and DRM-free)

Torchlight, GOG $7.50 (50% off and DRM-free)

Purchased over the past 2-3 weeks:

Knights of the Old Republic, Steam $10

...and Ys The Oath in Felghana, Steam gifted to me by raahsnavj

So over the past few weeks I've made quite a haul. Yesterday was quite a day for hitting up my wishlists and cleaning house. Instead of getting everything from just one site, it really pays to have multiple options.

I'm well aware that Bastion and Torchlight are also on Steam. But GOG carries Torchlight DRM-free and Gamersgate carries Bastion DRM-free. Jedi Outcast and KotOR, like virtually all of Lucas Arts' catalog, are only on Steam right now with no change in sight. When given the option to go DRM-free, I leap at it without hesitation. But some games just ain't there (GOG or Gamersgate) yet. Thankfully, Steam now uses offline DRM, which makes it tolerable.

Ys OiF is an amazing remake of the SNES/Genesis classic "Ys III Wanderers From Ys". Had raahsnavj not gifted it to me, I may well have erronously overlooked it. While I'd prefer for XSEED and Falcom to bring it to GOG or Gamersgate DRM-free, the Steam version will suffice. Ys Origin is now on my Steam wishlist. XSEED has also stated that they'll be localizing (translating) the entire Ys PC series (all originally in Nihongo/Japanese).

Anyhow, that's all for now. I'm enjoying my downtime between Summer and Fall Quarters. By September 24th, I'll be back at Seattle Central hammering away on courses and interning downtown. Wish me luck.

Take Care & Explore Your Options

-nate1222 (on GOG)/hare1222 (on Steam)/nate122275 (on Gamersgate)

Dear GS Homeslices,

I hope life is going well for all of you. Mine is moving along quite smoothly. Summer Quarter at Seattle Central ends this Friday, and it has been a very interesting and enriching learning experience for me. Human Sexual Psychology and Biological Anthropology have both been very liberating and re-affirming fields of study.

On to the topic of this blog's title...

After several fruitless attempts to access Retro Vault, Relax Chill & Shoot the S___, and Off Topic Federation Union, I've come to the realization that either the Unions have been wiped out, moved to Fuse V2 or are on their way out. I attribute this to GS' attempts to funnel their users into Fuse V2. I also feel that GS will eventually make it damn near impossible for non-paying subscribers to even use Fuse V2, and that these are the first steps toward that future. The absense of, or difficulty in accessing, the Unions are just the first steps toward a fee-based subscription service.

It's not really a surprise. GS has recently been aquired by a major media conglomerate. And, like most corporate powerhouses, media conglomerates despise "low hanging fruit"; things that are easily accessible to the common person: it negates their control over things. Like communism and socialism, capitalism is about small groups of elitists controlling the bulk of the population.

It's really a sad irony too. Because, over the past few months, GS' journalists have been going up to bat for gamers and everyday folks on a swath of issues. From dlc rackets to blocking used-games to the absence of bc on Sony and Microsofts' next-gen consoles, the journalists have empathized with our discontent. So I'm not blaming them at all. In fact, I both applaud their efforts and worry about their careers: GS' new corporate masters might just get pissed and fire some of them for speaking up.

Nonetheless, I'll still be on GS until they start charging subscription fees or become totally inaccessible -in attempts to extort their long-time users. I'll occassionally blog when I feel I have something relevant to contribute to thought. I'll still read your blogs and drop the occassional comment. As long as GS is still 'accessible', I'll still be around in some form. Hopefully, the rest of you will be too.

Take Care & Hang In There

-nate1222/hare1222 of Steam/Nathan Jennings of Core Box on facebook

Dear GS Homeslices,

I hope all is going well for all of you. I'm enjoying my Summer Quarter courses at Seattle Central. I've also been enjoying your blogs and some of Gamespot's more interesting shows of late (Quoted for Truth, What If Machine).

I recently hit a new level, 41 "Thunderforce" (title of an old Sega Genesis game). Took long enough to break outta 40 "Abobo", with that three week long glitch in which none of our levels would go up. Nonetheless, I'm cool with it.

Gamespot has been a real pain in the ass over the past two days. Since about noon yesterday, every time I'd try to access Gamespot it'd show the dreaded "Page cannot be displayed" message. Ironic, considering that all my other frequently visited sites pop up just fine. So it sure as Hell ain't my connection. Thus, if I ain't on as often, I'm not abandoning GS nor my friends and unions -it's GS' little tech issues.

I swear, all of these advertising dollars -and probably a bit of bribing from the mega-publishers- and GS still has hang ups. This is on top of the fanbaby trolls who flood the forums. If it weren't for friends and unions, I'd just stick to Core Box on facebook anymore.

Porn sites don't put people through this type of s___! And they're flooded with watermarked ads and chicks howling fake orasms in rented Mcmansions :P

Well, I gotta bounce. If you wanna friend me on Steam, I'm: hare1222.

Take Care & Best of Luck with the Glitches :P

-nate1222

Dear GS Homeslices,

Just today, I read the Gamespot interview with Peter Molyneux. Despite the excessive hype the guy has gotten, I found myself in agreement with him on some things.

Of course, the hate-boys came in droves to dis him. And, while I fully agree that Molyneux is hyped to all Hell, I also found it rather distasteful that the comments mentioned nothing of any of Molyneux's better points. As if they didn't even read the interview and just went straight to the insults. Some going as far as slander in regards to comparing Molyneux to Steve Jobs.

NEWS FALSH: Steve jobs made his millions of dollars off of the backs of Chinese sweat shop laborers. Jobs was practically the modern equivelent of an 1800s southern cotton plantation owner. Nothing Molyneux has ever done has been remotely as horrendous. Just thought I'd clear that up.

While I do feel that Molyneux gets too much hype, I also acknowledge that his most groundbreaking years weren't very hyped at all when they were happening. I also acknowledge that the "hype" started with his move to Micro$oft because M$ hypes everything attached to their brand.

As a creative person, I found myself agreeing with two (2) of Molyneux's remarks:

(1) Authorship is authorship. There are stories and games and books and songs that I have felt let down by. But, I wouldn't go and tell the creators "You better make YOUR creations MY way!" At that point, it stops being "their" art and becomes "my" product. At that point, it stops being art.

And, as an American, I'm fully aware that the bulk of complaints [ME3], come from these very whiny, spoiled, entitled, "consumer cultured" Americans. People who treat everything like a product that they should dictate. We want games to be taken seriously as art. Yet we play right into the idea that they are merely consumer product. Roger Ebert probably rolled his little fat ass on the floor laughing in victory when he read about the ME3 situation. And victorious you all made the arrogant little twit. Thousands of, primarily American, gamers validated his snobbery.

(2) I don't feel comfortable in a highly controlled, corporatized environment either. Everything becomes about "absolutes" and nothing is left to chance. And I do mean nothing is left to chance. If M$ cranks out Halo -you're expected to do something equally as financially ambitious.

In that environment, the desire for creative risks needed to break ground or experiment becomes nullified. Even if they don't pressure you...you're still gonna feel excessive amounts of pressure and you're gonna end up bending your work in the direction of your peers. At that point. it stops feeling like art and begins to feel like a very expensive assembly line.

Take Care & Try to be Objective in Your Judgements

-nate1222

Dear GS Homeslices,

Remember back a few weeks ago, when Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver came to GOG? Remember how some of us were delighted? Remember how some of us drooled at the prospect of its sequel coming to GOG? Well, Soul Reaver 2 has finally come to GOG...for only $6 (US dollars) and, as always on GOG, DRM-free. Woohoo!

The hardware requirements ain't bad either: 1.8GHz (single core) CPU, 512MB RAM, 2GB hdd, and a 128MB (DirectX 7) GPU. It probably supports USB gamepads as well, the first Soul Reaver does.

I've already wishlisted it. At only $6, it's an even bigger steal than its predecessor. Damn, the retro PC scene just keeps getting better.

Take Care & Enjoy the Retro Awesomeness

-nate1222

Dear GS Homeslices,

Like some of you, I recently watched the video interview between Tom McShea and Greg Goodrich of EA, titled "A Matter of Authenticity". Like many, I left my two cents regarding my sentiments on military FPSes and the US military's company culture and ongoing wars for profit. Probably to the dismay of many a brainwashed fanboy.

While I'm as suspiscious of Tom as I am any journalist, he did make some damn good points. Particularly in regard to the very unrealistic nature of so-called "war" games and EA's claims to "military authenticity". Of course, Greg felt "disrespected" and all the little military FPS fanboys came out in droves to dis Tom. Being a vet, from a combat MOS (Infantry), I found myself siding with Tom.

Greg gave the redundant speech that, as a vet, I've heard until I can puke: "...they're laying it all on the line for my freedom and so that I can play these games..." (buuurrrgggllll!)

For starters, Greg is trying too hard to validate a highly contrived piece of work. Micheal Bay himself could stand in awe at how much effort and money goes into creating this slickly produced bs.

Secondly, the US military hasn't been involved in a "necessary" war since WW2. The US military has spent the last 60+ years and almost 50% of federal tax dollars invading 3rd World countries and propping up puppet governments: US military "liberates" people (blows up their home), replaces government with puppet government, puppet government cuts off necessities to the peasantry and sets up sweatshops...rinse and repeat. The Pentagon is Wall Street's best friend.

If any of the military themed games were "authentic", you'd be pretty put off by actual military life. You'd spend far more time cleaning your M4 than firing it. You'd find yourself in a company culture of sameness that borders on fascism. And you'd answer to very bullyish "leadership" under autocratic rule. Most enlistees only do a single term, because the company culture is so very wonderful.

Bare in mind, I joined at 32 out of desperation for employment during the peak of the "great Recession". At 19 or 20 I may have been just as brainwashed as anyone else. But, at 32, I'd been in the real world (civilian adult) long enough to know bs when I see it. Thus, I took care to not let Stockholm Syndrome settle in.

Greg claims that actual vets and service members took part in creating these games. This much I can believe. Some vets would take part in something like this -but for very selfish reasons. Let me explain:

(1) These games allow vets and current service members to experience military life the way they wish it was. The vast majority of them did their 3-6 years with nothing to write home about. As I described, military life is pretty damn miserable. Even in a non-combat zone. These games allow these guys to have the Hollywoodized Micheal Bay-like experience they signed up for -but never got.

(2) Many of these vets and service members are gonna spend the better part of their lives as civilians skating by on "veteran" status. From VA benifits to VA programs to employers hiring vets for the fat tax right offs. If the military company culture looks good, than the vets look good. It's in their best interest to make sure that military company culture is portrayed as altruisticly and heroicly as possible. Cameras present while gunning down kids in Afghanistan not withstanding. So anything that romanticizes it wins cool points with many a vet.

Take Care, Treat the Hype Like What It Is & Don't Buy Into It

-nate1222

Dear GS Homeslices,

The "homeslices" part is a term of endearment. The "GS" part? Not so.

Of course, virtually all of you know, and even share, my discontent for this site. As I've stated before: it's the users who keep me coming back -not the site itself.

Today, I attempted something I hadn't done since 2007 (back when GS was worth a damn): I actually attempted to vote on the E3 showings for 2012. I say "attempted" because I eventually said "f___ it" and ditched.

Reason for my ditching the vote? Obvious vote funneling. "What is vote funneling?", you may ask. Vote funneling is when you are forced to vote between the same candidates multiple times until you choose who the officals want you to choose,

As I clicked through the games, picking ____ vs ____ and selecting "skip" on the choices between games I didn't care for either way, I noticed something: GS kept lining up the same choices multiple times. Pitting Halo 4 against Scribblenauts four (4) freakin' times ain't gonna make me vote for Halo 4! There was also New Super Mario Wii U vs CoD Black Ops 2. Then, there were selections in which I selected "skip" only to be asked to choose between them again...multiple times. And those are just the ones I feel like taking up page space informing you all of.

GS was quite blatantly vote funneling. Probably as a result of being bribed by the publishers of certain games. I eventually just gave up and clicked on my profile and decided to write a blog giving you all a heads up. Some of you have probably already encountered this crap.

We all know the mainstream media is bought out like all Hell. The same mega-corporations whose lobbyists bribe politicians via extravagant "campaign contributions" also fund mass media. It's a commonly known fact of America's (and a growing number of countries') political reality. Now, even gaming media is not only bought out -but blatantly so.

Take Care &, as raahsnavj once put it, Game Your Way and Not the Hyped Way

-nate1222