Modern Warfare 3 goes for over $1700!? GAH!!

So, through numerous gaming sites, it has come to my attention that a leaked, early copy of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 went for $1,725 on ebay.

Let us have that marinade for a bit...





I'll give you a minute...





Just one more...





Okay.
REALLY!?  ONE THOUSAND, SEVEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE FUCKING DOLLARS?!  ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?
I thought it was nuts that people would spend something similar to that for the PS3 or XBOX 360 on their release.  Nope, the world has once again surprised me with its brilliance by letting a human being spend more than I make in a month on one, single game... 6 days early.
Yes, that grossly overpaid amount was given just so the idiot who paid it could play the game 6 days early.
I hang my head in shame at the thought that I share a species with this person.  Honestly, if you have the money to blow $1,725 on a video game then you should be doing something better with that money, namely for the people who can't even afford the game at its $60 release price.
Is this seriously the world that we live in?  I get wanting to get into playing one of the most anticipated games of 2011.  Hell, I want to be amongst those people at the midnight release.  But shelling out nearly 2 grand to do so?  Ugh.  That's just heart-breaking, people.  And we wonder why people are scrambling by trying to make ends meet on two jobs.
To the person who spent that money for a $60 video game... what the Hell is wrong with you?  Straight up.  If you have nothing better to do with that money then I guess you are a lucky, little bitch.  But you're still a fucking idiot.

Very Happy Holidays... To Those Who Can Afford It

Once again, it has come to my attention that I have a blog and I have been neglecting it, making it feel small and low about itself.  If I truly gave a damn about the feelings of an inanimate... Hell... intangible object, I might buy it something to forgive me.  Alas, I am not that kindhearted.  Yet, here I am, typing away.  So I guess acknowledging it is enough.

Anyway....

It has arrived!!  The Holiday Season!!  Or at least according to the advertisement companies it has arrived.  To me it still won't arrive for another 2-3 weeks, but whatever.  It's here and so are the games for which many a gamer have been pining.
Battlefield 3
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Assassin's Creed: Revelations

These guys are amongst the hot list for the console generations (and the PC guys who want to do nothing but drool at the Skyrim graphics) during the Holiday 2011 season.  You might throw Star Wars: The Old Republic in there, too (I know that I am going ga-ga over it since I've been following its development since the 2008 announcement), but with it releasing so close to Christmas (December 20th, worldwide) you might not be finding it being something that many will be racing to the stores to get at the last second.
For me, I find that this is such a cruel time of year.  Anyone who has read my previous ramblings will notice that I work sales... big money making is to be had there.  Therefore, I am not really in the market to be shelling out $60 a week on a new game, not to mention twice a week for dual releases (MW3 and Skyrim are releasing Tuesday and Friday, respectively, this week).
Seriously.  I would love to get my hands on all of these games; Uncharted 3 to complete Drake's quest, Assassin's Creed 4, to see how they FINALLY end Ezio's end of things, Skyrim... because I love the idea of spending hundreds of hours in a game and not even being close to done.  However, I cannot, much like many others out there.  And it sucks for us.  Those of us who would love to be classified as "Hardcore Gamers", but have to scrape by just to pay the rent, absolutely hate this time of year.  So many great games, too little time, and WAY too little cash to spend.
How long are we going to have to wait before we can actually find games, new games, for $40-50?  Are those days never going to reach us?  What about the days before Madden owned the rights to the NFL?  Remember when 2KSports practically gave out their NFL games for $20, brand new, and scared the pants off of the EA execs?  I do.  I miss that.  Not only did it make gamers feel like they could afford great, new releases, but it also made the market much more competitive.  But that's an argument for another day.
I guess my point is that this time of year, despite the Christmas music, lights and cheer that I love, I cannot help but feel low about my gamer status because I just cannot justify the spending of $60-120 a week for new games, just to keep up.  Please, gaming execs, I know you enjoy the heaps of cash that you may rake in from these releases, but please understand that we, the gamers, can't keep up with you guys.  It's maddening and saddening.  Emphasis on the saddening part.
I just want to be able to get paid a full salary for gaming.
Maybe I just need to win the lottery first....

Gamer cents, literally!!

HAPPY FOoooorrrrr not....
So, apparently, I suck at keeping up with anything when holidays come 'round.  It's true!  Just ask my family  O.O *ahem*
Anyway....

Admit it, your job feels like this...

I have finally reached what many would call a "weekend", which, to me, is just 2 days in a row in which I don't have to worry about showing up to work.  However, that usually ends up with me still showing up to work doing some meaningless bullshit service.  Today, it was just dropping off a prepaid phone from one store to another.  Joy!  Why should you care?  You shouldn't.  I just felt like letting you in on that small jewel of happiness in my life.

 *stews*..........


Speaking of happy.  You know what makes a gamer happy?  Buying cheap ass video games!!  Seriously.  I had the day off (as stated earlier, but in case you weren't paying attention it was stated again) and decided that I needed to go shopping for stuff for the relatively-new apartment.  Yes, Myriah and I are STILL trying to get the place spruced up with little knick-knacks (where the Hell did that term come from?) here or there.
I became increasingly depressed as my search had encountered no luck in finding something that was of decent quality for a cheap price or just not a piece of shit on four legs.  With this melancholy, I came across a GameStop, a Game Craze and a Target.  Inside these wonderlands of electronic, euphoric escapism (and Target) I discovered a great thing... deals can exist in the the video game world!!

Now, let's take into account the fact that NEW (as in brand-spanking new) video games are selling for $50-60 at retail.  That's pretty steep, and when you're paid minimum wage, it's easy to say, "HA!  You're crazy if you think I'm paying that.... unless it's a really cool game like Mass Effect... or Assassin's Creed.... or Gears ofDAMMIT!!"  But truthfully, I cannot find myself paying these prices anymore, so I'll take my elation where I can get it.

Squeeee!!

Today, elation was present when I was able to expand my collection for less than $8 bucks a game.  Yeah... that was awesome.  I was able to pick up Assassin's Creed for $7, Gears of War for $5 and Crimson Skies (the classic aerial shooter from the original XBOX) for $3.  Granted, these games are a bit old, and were purchased used, but they're still popular titles.  And any collector worth his salt (that's another stupid phrase I've never understood) understands that collecting can be expensive, so finding your right price is hard to do.  I'll take my victories where I can. 
Include the fact that I was able to pick up the ever-so-popular Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, brand-spanking new, for $15 at Target (cheaper than Gamestop or Game Craze) and I'd say that it was a good day to bargain hunt, especially for video games.

Total: $30 for 4 games that I love and highly enjoy.

Now, I've played all of these games before (except Oblivion), but I just wanted to have them on my shelf for the same reasons that people keep books on their shelves: it looks awesome to have the whole collection and to occasionally jump back into the story (or in this case gameplay) once in a while.  Can you fault me for that?  If so, I hope someone knocks you off your high tower.  Asshole.
So, to sum up, I'll just say this.  If you're a gamer that likes to get the gamerscore/trophies and you want to bolster your collection, only buy the games waaaaaaay after they've released.  Renting them saves you money and then down the line, when you're ready to add them to your collection, you won't have to worry about buying the games for a majorly over-priced... er... price.  Yeah.

To quote Myriah: "Yay! Monies!!"

L.A. Noire Review

Team Bondi's story sizzles and pops while gameplay fizzles and drops.

L.A. Noire has been out for nearly a month now, but that doesn't change the fact that it's one of the more popular games going right now.  Therefore, I see no reason why I shouldn't jump into the fray and share my thoughts on it, especially now that a majority of the "high" has worn off from the market hype.  And when you think about it, the hype really was what probably cost the game something... maybe.


When I first heard about L.A. Noire all I could think of was, "Holy Hell!! It's Grand Theft Auto but you're a cop! And, oh man, check out the graphics they're using to record faces for the interviews.  Sweet!!"  It was a high amount of hope that I was placing in Rockstar Games' endeavor to pass the developing torch to another group.  For the most part, I'd say it did well what it wanted to do (the interviews/story) but lost sight of nearly everything else.  Sadly, that's where I felt my hopes were not as well placed as I would have liked.


Let's start with the parts that really rocked, and were the major selling points of L.A. Noire; story and the tech that Team Bondi used for the interview scenes.  First, the story was pretty fantastic, overall.  I felt drawn in from the start and never really felt that I was confused.  The use of the random newspapers that helped to develop the back story were a great idea so that the player knew more than the main character, so it helped to drive some of the interviews that the player would later encounter.  A really smart way to go about making everything add up.  There were only two drawbacks that came about in the storytelling.  The World War II flashbacks that came up between cases were a bit confusing as to where they placed in the current story, especially the last one at the end of the credits.  Maybe I'm naive.  Maybe I'm a total dumbass. Maybe I wasn't really paying much attention after beating the game at 3am...  Then there was the ending all together... (I have yet to say this on my blog so forgive my enthusiasm...ahem) **SPOILERS!!!**  Seriously?  A semi-challenging shootout in the sewers that is left with the main character dead and a majority of the corruption left in the city?  GAHfdsiqongdjkalauy301298(*&&*%($*&#*#!!!  **END SPOILER***  It's like they didn't even try to finish the storyline with effort.
Now that's not to say that I hated the story.  I actually loved it and thought it was the best part of the game.  I honestly felt that the 1940s were happening around me.  It was completely believable and a solid performance was achieved by all the actors.  It seriously was a damned good story (you know... up until the end).


In addition to the story that did so well (for the majority of the game), Team Bondi used a new type of technology for their game that involved the game's voice actors being.... actors.  Seriously.  The actors got into make-up and hair designs and they performed their roles.  But, it was in a chair... and they were surrounded by cameras... and only their faces were the focus.  Why?  Because Team Bondi used both motion capture (that's the traditional stuff where little balls are attached to the body to use as points for scanning and making body movements) and facial motion scanning.  Yeah, they scanned faces for expressions and it paid off.  It was definitely an exciting thrill to watch the faces of people as you ask them questions and get answers.  Now you decide whether those answers are met with a "Lie", "Doubt", or "Truth" response from you the player.  Get it right and you're gonna know more.  Get it wrong and you're bound to look like a jackass, just so you know.  Definitely a great addition and well worth Team Bondi's money.


However, the novelty of the story and the facial expressions wear off over the 20-30 hours that you'll probably put into this game.  It did for me.  At some point in the Vice Desk, I started to realize that the story was driving the game, but the game wasn't really... fun? anymore.  It just seemed like I was more in a "choose your own adventure" book from my childhood.  But instead of choosing the next path, I just was choosing what answers were bullshit or fact from my Persons of Interest.  While that may seem like a nice thing to some, I felt that this game could have given more to drive away monotony of the game.
Eventually, you'll realize that it was the same formula over and over; get an assignment, get to the scene, look around the scene, question the people, chase someone on foot, shoot someone, fight someone, more scenes to check, ask some more questions, interview, charge, rinse and repeat.  That formula may change things up every so often with how those objectives arrive, but they still end up feeling the same.


Overall, I enjoyed the game for what it was, a great story-teller and a wonderful innovation in video games.  Game creation will probably never be the same thanks to this one.  However, like any good relationship, it's the small things that count and this time Rockstar and Team Bondi hurt our feelings by ignoring the desire for those small things.  Hopefully, they'll give us flowers, or some really nice DLC to make us forget about that little slip up.


Story: 9/10
Gameplay: 6.5/10
Replayability: 7/10

Overall: 7.5/10

E3, Stay Home...

Right now, it's a wonderful time of the year for everyone.  Blossoms are all over the place, the warmth is just right (unless you live where I live and the weather has bipolar syndrome), and the exercise nuts feel the need to be all over the place (especially the middle of the road when I'm on my way to work).  I feel like running down the street while singing "June is Busting Out All Over."  However, I don't think I'll be doing that, because, while all of those previous characteristics of June are pretty great, it isn't what I look forward to the most about the month: the Electronic Entertainment Expo!

"Booth Babes" are a rare species of female that only come
out during the summer months then disappear.

Yes, ladies and germs, June also means the start of the season of the Nerd, where every nerdy trend imaginable finds three to four days out of the year to recognize how awesomely lonely its participants are... unless you're a gamer.  Seriously, gaming is something that is getting sexier and sexier!  Awesome!  But that's besides the point...
Anyway...
Did I just hear "my hand wakes up when I do" while listening to the latest TOROcast? O.o  Still getting distracted. Sorry.

Okay.  The Electronic Entertainment Expo, better known as E3, is the biggest gaming event of the calendar year.  If you're a gamer and are all about the gaming news, not just the boxed products, then this is the event for you.  Nearly every developer and producer in the video game industry comes out to play and show off their stuff to make their stock holders either incredibly optimistic or insanely terrified of the next fiscal year.  Games that are coming out for release soon are having demos for people to play, betas announced and release dates unveiled (unless you're watching SW:TOR  >_<).  Basically, it's a big car show for video gamers, but you actually get to drive the cars that are on the show floor.
This year, E3 is happening in Los Angeles from June 7-9, with the main press conferences happening today, June 6th.  These conferences are where big heads from the different major players in the industry come forward and talk for around 1 hour about what their gaming system/company is going to be giving the gaming world.  I for one love the conferences because that's where you see the biggest releases.

Here's the list of the Press Conferences for today and tomorrow (all times are PST):
Today:

• Microsoft - 9:30am
• Electronic Arts - 12:30pm
• Ubisoft - 2:20pm
• SONY - 5:00pm

Tomorrow:

• Nintendo - 9:00am

Portable home gaming?  Hmmm... awesome? Yes!

Expect SONY and Nintendo to be the ones that people will be watching the most.  These guys have a lot riding on E3 this year.  SONY is going to have to give something awesome to destroy the lasting memory of the hack that left the Playstation Network down for about a month.  Perhaps that something will be focused around their new portable gaming system, so pay attention to that one.  Meanwhile, Nintendo will be the focus of a new gaming console.  "Project Cafe," as it's referred to, should be expected to get its proper name and details at the Nintendo Press Conference.

Overall, I'm pretty excited for the expo this year for a number of reasons, but mainly Star Wars The Old Republic (better known as SW:TOR) and Mass Effect 3.  I love the stuff that BioWare brings to the table for any of their games (Dragon Age II wasn't a complete failure, but it wasn't as well received as its predecessor) and am really anticipating both of these games' release.

Now, I know there's a lot more to E3 than what I've covered here, but life continues on outside of my blog.  So, I shall have more input later tonight concerning the conferences and their subsequent announcements.  Stay tuned.

Oh, and if you want to watch live streams of the Press Conferences IGN should have them streaming live.

You're Not Mature Enough!!

Could you even live to 50 in the 16th Century,
let alone be a badass Assassin?

Life is a grind, a pain in the ass, and takes hard work.  Sadly, that hard work can, and probably will, drive you nuts and there are few things in this world that make you feel better about having to accept that.  For me, I find release in gaming and reading about gaming.  So, after a long day of work and boring monotony I needed a lift.  Good news for me, I just got my copy of the latest issue of gameinformer (June 2011, issue 218).  I saw the cover that displayed what seems to be an aging Ezio Auditore da Firenze from Ubisoft Montreal's Assassin's Creed Revelations (I gave my thoughts on this recent game announcement in my previous blog post) and was instantly intrigued about this issue.  Regretfully, I didn't jump to that article, but decided to read from cover to cover (rare for me).  I only got as far as the reader feedback page.

Shut the Hell up and play your LEGO video games!!

Lo and behold, I come across the age old topic of "waaaaaahhhhhh, I'm 14 and I want to play Call of Duty: Black Ops and Grand Theft Auto IV, but my parents are meanyheads and won't let me play it because they think that I'm too impressionable, wwaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!"  This time, it was a parent's response that I was reading.  It was in response to a whiny child from 2 issues earlier.  I gotta say, I was impressed.  This parent, Jason, had some really solid points that I agree with: age appropriateness, gameplay time restrictions.  And he and his wife are gamers, so they understand the fun of gaming all around.

I guess it's just experience from my days as a Walmart cashier that makes me bitter towards the "Prayer of the Children" (music nerds might get that reference) when it comes to playing adult games.  I would constantly get parents coming up to the counter with what would seem to be a 9-year-old in tow.  And in the child's hands?  Anyone?  Anyone?  Bueller?   A copy of Grand Theft Auto IV or something to that tune.  The parent, fully involved in his/her cell phone, seemed completely oblivious to the ESRB rating on the game's front cover that stated "M FOR MATURE," meaning, anyone who hasn't had their voice cracking yet, probably isn't ready for this type of game.  I made a point of explaining to the child's parent that the game is full of theft, guns, sex, drugs, heavy language and all around adult mayhem and was really designed for a player around the age of around 16/17 and up, unless a parent feels their kid is mature enough to handle it.  Side note: if you have a 9-year-old and you think they're mature enough for this type of game, then you need to have a lobotomy.  This Walmart parent was in need of said procedure.  When I explained the game to her, she looked at me as though I had insulted her intelligence (which really doesn't take a great deal of effort in this case) and "explained" to me that I was nothing more than a clerk and didn't have the right to tell her what games her child should or should not be playing.  She bought the game, left and I got reported.  Happy time!!

Now, I'm not violent, aggressive, vulgar, nor, by any means, inappropriate in public.  Hell, you might say that I'm an all-around great guy.  But you give me a video game where the main purpose is to run around shooting the heads off of (usually) helpless digital victims, causing as much destruction and chaos, murder and mayhem while swearing and taking the Lord's name in vain... and I'm a kitten with a ball of yarn (without the adorable nature).  What does that mean?  Well, for one thing, it may mean that I have latent aggression issues that I only let out when I play video games and need some sort of psycho-therapy.  I don't know.  Maybe it could mean that, like a lot of people over the age of 18, I have a lot of stress in life that I need to vent, hence video games.  But it's the fact that even though I play games that are violent and vulgar, I still look at the news or movies like Saving Private Ryan and cringe about how people have to deal with REAL LIFE violence that exists today.  That means I am mature enough to know that while violent video games are fun and stress-relieving there is still real violence that people experience every day.  That's something I learned from my parents and from my friends that go through the real stuff.

Any questions?

Now, "maturity" isn't always reliant on age.  I get that and I understand that.  It is mainly dependent on how you act and/or react to certain situations.  But (as a once-education-major) I can tell you that your mind is most impressionable when it's in the early stages, aka before 18.  If you're below that age and doing incredibly horrid things with sticks to cats, dogs, llamas, birds, neighbors and your parents, then you're probably not mature enough for these types of  "M" rated games.

There's no fun left in playing "Cops and Robbers

 Your maturity level isn't based solely on your own interpretations of what maturity is.  It's based on your actions and how people view them.  That means, if you're thinking that you're mature enough for something and most people in the world can look at you and go, "NO! YOU'RE NOT!" then you're probably not.  Therefore, to this kid (dubbed "GI Issue 216," so I don't get sued or any of that crap) and all others that believe that their parents shouldn't be telling them what games they can or cannot play, grow up. Seriously!  Cry all you want and tantrum all you wish.  Parents get the final say.  And guess what... eventually you'll be old enough to buy these games, so get over it and deal.  Everyone else did.  Besides, if you're not mature enough to follow the wishes of your parents are you mature enough to handle a violent video game?  The Magic 8-Ball says, "Outlook is doubtful."

The Assassination of "Interesting"

For anyone who has played or viewed someone playing or, at the very least, has heard about the gist of the first two Assassin's Creed games there is has been an expectation for an "Assassin's Creed III".  Why?  Well, because most game developers, much like the cinema nowadays, are making trilogies, not stand-alone games (or movies).  Apparently, Ubisoft, the masterminds behind the Assassin's Creed franchise, are no different.  They're looking to bank on that as well.  Sadly, their banking has perhaps brought about the slow death of interest in Desmond Miles and his exploits through his lineage's dark history.

To quickly sum up, Assassin's Creed (2007) was the first game in the overall story.  We were introduced to Desmond Miles who has been kidnapped by Abstergo, an evil corporate entity (seriously, is there ever a loner bad guy fighting a good guy corporation?) with ties to the Templars looking towards world domination, and forced to lay on his ass all day while the Animus, a machine that accesses memories of long dead relatives,  makes him live out the memories of his ancestor, Altair ibn La-Ahad, an assassin from the 12th century, which he has somehow genetically inherited.  These memories hold the key for Abstergo to gain a powerful artifact known as the "Apple", a piece of Eden.  In the Animus, Desmond controls Altair, learning the ways of the Assassin, etc etc.  Eventually, the Apple is found, but shit goes down, Desmond wakes up to an attack on Abstergo, flees with the assistant Lucy (an Assassin all along) and leads off into number 2.

Assassin's Creed II (2009) is more of the same (story wise).  A hacked Abstergo machine (similar to that of the Matrix hacking machinces) gives Desmond access to the memories of another ancestor, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, an assassin in Renaissance Italy (late 15th century).  Again, Desmond is trying to learn more about the Apple and where it is.  More assassinating and roof-jumping occur, but in better format, which gains more praise to Ubisoft.  Game ends and leaves it open for the third game.  Were surprised?  No. The surprise came when Ubisoft decided to take a turn towards financial stimulation rather than linear story building by releasing Assassin's Creed Brotherhood (2010).

It starts immediately after the conclusion of ACII and continues the story of Ezio.  While that decision did put a lot of fans on edge of anger concerning the overall story, it didn't disappoint as it played well, gave a nice continuation of the overall story and, for the first time in the series, included.... multiplayer!!  Stabbing computer controlled enemies wasn't enough.  Now we have to do it to each other. Fun!  I honestly couldn't complain.  I did enjoy hunting someone who was hunting me, too.

That game ended and left the AC Series faithful with a question of when Assassin's Creed III was going to release.  Then I started to see hints on the web about upcoming information concerning the next Assassin's Creed.  "Ubisoft will tell us where we're headed to next!!"
Sweet! Was it, Russia, like in the recent comic book?  Would it be in America?  Would it be World War II Britain or Germany?  WHERE?!  We're all anxious to see how it all ends!!

Constantinople.  And it's not titled Assassin's Creed III.  Nope, it's Assassin's Creed Revelations.  So who would you guess to be the leading Assassino?  Yep, good old, worn out, over used Ezio.  Again.  Ubisoft loves him... or at least their wallets do.

Forgive my lack of enthusiasm, but I'm growing very tired of the corporate machine that video games are turning into and this lack of consideration for the fans.  Seriously, I'd be really surprised by anyone enjoying yet another Ezio story line.  We liked ACII because it was a new and more interesting place to roam around and kill in than Jerusalem was in the original AC.  That became the draw for the overarching series, "where will we go next? What time period?  What place? What character?"  All those questions are still floating in the air 2 years later as we see that Ezio still reigns supreme in the AC series as we head into 2011.

It says to me that it (the gaming industry) has become more about the money than it is about making something that wows the audience and makes them happy.  Ubisoft is showing that.  They're keeping around a tired character so that they can keep the series alive longer and make more money rather than complete the overall story of Assassin's Creed and give the answers that everyone is looking for.  Instead, with all these branch off games we're asking more questions and still getting no answers to them.  Gah!

Can you imagine BioWare doing something like that with Mass Effect?  They'd be shooting themselves in the foot if they did spin-offs based on the characters you've saved before they released Mass Effect 3.  Madness, I tell you.

Hopefully, I'm wrong about how this will play out.  I'm certain that I'll play Assassin's Creed Revelations  when it releases and I'm sure that the gameplay will rock just as much as the first three did.  But I'm still worried that the story is what's going to be crushed and people will start to lash out for something a little more fresh in terms of the Assassin's Creed storyline.  I really hope that I'm wrong.

Hear Me Roar?

So, I have been recently incapable of posting anything over the last few months.  Work and moving to a new city have pretty much occupied my life.  Hell, I haven't even been able to pop onto video games that much recently.  It sucks and I wish I was able to write in here more.

That being said, it recently came to my attention that I own the title of "Worst Gaming Blog on the Internet".  Golly gee.  I'm flattered.  People are noticing me.  I seriously didn't think people read this thing, let alone had an opinion on it.  With that in mind... I really don't care.  Like I said in my first post, "Whether or not you enjoy it is up to you." If you don't like it, don't read it.  It's really not something to make myself famous or what not.  It's just my spouting of inane gaming babble.

That being said, unless you're blogging about gaming too and recognized as better, don't spew your opinion that you can't back up.  It makes you look like a tool.

It Costs How Much!? Part Uno

I love gaming. I love how it gives you many things; an escape from the world around you, something fun to do with friends that are visiting, a way to make new friends, a deeper way of thought (depending on the game). All these things are what I get from an evening (or day on the rare occasion) of gaming. I love it so much that I really dive into the world of it, getting to know the developers, reading magazines, and trying out different genres to broaden my horizons. It really can be, and is, a lifestyle. And that's where it can be a problem, especially if you're without a career job...

Gaming can get extremely expensive, even more so of you're trying to do a blog on gaming. Most games, on the usual Tuesday release, are gonna cost you $60 (plus tax) a piece. That can be a real pain and fast. I average about $64 for a new game every time I buy one, which sadly is limited because my paycheck says that I can't afford that. Then I start to fall behind the times and am not up-to-date on anything. It can really suck.

To add on to the suck is the online multiplayer aspect. Now, if you're lucky and you got a PS3, then you're part of the world where your online multiplayer is free over Playstation Network. To you, I say, "Shove it." If you're like me and you have the slightly more popular XBOX 360 then you're paying a subscription for LIVE. That cost can vary between $8/month, $30/3months, $60/year. I was lucky and grabbed a deal for a year of LIVE for $37. They'll usually have those deals floating about when certain big name releases are coming out for 360. Be on the look out, otherwise your wallet may revolt.

Now, one might wonder, how in the Hell are you supposed to pay for all other costs of living when the gaming costs are so high? I'll tell you.

I counteract a majority of gaming costs by getting a Gamefly subscription. $22 bucks a month allows me 2 games out at a time, especially new releases. A lot cheaper than $60 bucks a week. Yay!! Only downfall is that their stock of new releases tends to fall short and you're left waiting a few days before they can get you the new one. Boo!!

Another good place to look is through your local used game store(s). These guys are awesome for two reasons: get a used game (from almost any system Nintendo and up) for a decent price, and you can trade in that piece of $@&# game you bought on Tuesday for credit towards that used one you really want. Joy!! Most people go through Gamestop or EB Games (are they even around anymore?) at the local mall. Otherwise, you can check out the newest gaming store in your area. They're popping up all the time. I have 2 in my town.

So, while the cost of gaming can be pretty extensive (not a typo), there are ways around it. You just gotta look for them.

Now computer gaming is a different story...

Gaming Vs. Relationships - Is the feud finally an alliance?

**POWER ON**

"So, I was thinking about the party tomorrow night... and what we...
Colin?  Colin...  Flim-flam...  Butt-monkies... Colin!!"
That is usually a statement that I get a lot from the lady of the house.


"Huh?"
That's usually my response.  This is responded to with an eye roll, head shake, mild laugh, or a combination of the three from said lady of the house.

No, this is not me and/or my girlfriend.

Anybody else get this?  If so, then you are in a relationship and you are trying to still be a gaming nerd.  Warning!
This is usually a bad and terribly difficult situation to be in and I would recommend a helmet, body armor and a powerful weapon.  No, the BFG is not powerful enough.  You're gonna need an arsenal of apologies, flowers, expensive dates, and promises of remission from your gaming addiction (yes, this applies to both sexes).  It's a terror zone that could very well end in your coming home to either a missing significant other, missing video game system and games, or both!!  FLEEEEEEE!!!

Now, if this was about 5-8 years ago, I might have ended tonight's blog with that.  Short, sweet and a fair enough warning.  But now we're into the year 2011 (which has me wetting myself with gaming anticipation, btw).  This means that we're at a whole new level of gaming and dating.  Now we're at the point where not only are we seeing more girls as gamers (Jessica Chobot anyone?), but we're seeing gaming couples.  Yes, my dear geeks!!  We are finally amongst the socially acceptable and we have hotties that want to play along!!
Hell, even the Koreans are accepting and embracing this.  In the largest computer-industry nation in the world, they have created internet cafes that Americans can only dream about.  Here, couples can even share love seats while they sit at computers and terminals to go on gaming dates.  Yes, dates. It's insane, yet so awesome at the same time!

Here at home (America), we're still trying to weed out the "your video games or me" approach to finding the right one.  Arguments over who gets too little time with what and how long is too long are still very present but it's a sinking trend as gaming is vastly growing into the social norms... especially on social networking sites (I still refuse to Farmville and Mafia War it up).
Look at me, my girlfriend, who never had a video game system in her house until she was 16 years of age never really considered herself a gaming nerd, but I was able to find games that the two of us really get into.  Maybe I have awesome amounts of charm.  Maybe I am able to see how I can manipulate her to the dark side of the social force.  Or maybe she just really loves me and wants to get excited about the things that I get excited about, too.
DAAAAAAWWWWWW......

This is not me and my girlfriend, either.

Either way, we can still play games together, and gaming is more enjoyable because of it.  Yes, we're going to have that occasional spat over the, "Um, we rarely get to see each other," or the "Can I play the system that you've been hogging for the last 7 hours," part of the gaming relationship.  Don't fret or worry.  Arguments and disagreements are all part and partial in relationships.  Sometimes gaming is the focus of said arguments.  We play on through.

Now, if you want to avoid the nasty villainy of the 'Gaming Vs. Relationship' conundrum either learn to properly balance the real world against the digital one, or find yourself a compatible other half that enjoys the gaming world as much as you do.  It's really that simple.  Or you could simply be a shut in and have a relationship with a person through... WoW... or something....

But if you're still trying to figure out how to even speak to a person of the attractive sex (hey, I'm just covering all bases here) then just stick to idolizing the nerd-girls we can never attain.  mmmmmm...... 

**POWER OFF**

Oops!

**POWER ON**

Before I hit you up with what should be the first of many weekly editions of Gamer Cents, I feel that I must come forward and explain my lack of appearance on the blog... life. Seriously.

I have found that life has been far more hectic than I anticipated when I started this whole shindig, therefore, I was forced to make myself look completely unorganized. To over quote myself, "Fail."

Hopefully, this will be rectified with tonight's soon to be post.

Go play something fun and I may have something nice for you patient kiddies when you return.

Thanks!

Colin

**POWER OFF**