E3 Prediction Videos

Microsoft's conference is in just a few minutes.  Hey - just enough time for a few more speculative predictions/wishes.  What would I like to see to make this E3 the best possible?  Watch these videos:

Part 1: Microsoft

Part 2: Sony

Part 3: Third Parties

Part 4: Nintendo

Super Mario!

I've been working on a series of videos exploring the 2D Super Mario games.  The idea is to get through them all before the Nintendo Direct on Tuesday morning.  Here's the most recent couple, I've got another coming today and then one more tomorrow.  Enjoy!

Xbox 1 Online-Used-Game-Restrictions Are Bull Sh*t

Yesterday the full details of Microsoft's restrictions on used games were revealed.  They completely suck.  I made this video about it, without any preparation.  It was completely extemporaneous.  So I apologize for rambling a bit and not making my points as articulately as I'd like... but I think my passion makes up for it, right?  Anyway, enjoy:

Support "The Untold History of Japanese Games"!

I recently discovered a new kickstarter that all the hardcore gamers should support.  I made a video about it:

And here is the kickstarter page link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1748556728/the-untold-history-of-japanese-game-developers?ref=home_popular

Until next time paisanos!

Insert Coin to Continue

Kachink, Kachink.

That was my 50 cents.  You know what I could stand to be better at?  Managing all the different digital output I create, so that it all ties together in any coherent way.  Case in point: this blog.  I have been very remiss, letting my blog languish without an update for 6 months.  Let me explain how that happened:

First I started writing a couple of lengthy, complex articles.  These articles are still in progress even now.  I bit off a bit more than I could chew though, relative to the time I had to work on them.  Feeling a bit discouraged about that I decided I should start writing shorter, faster paced articles commenting on current events in gaming.  The idea was that these articles could keep the blog from stagnating while I worked on longer, more abstract essays.  Problem is, even that I couldn't do.  I'd start writing on a topic and it would start losing relevancy as days went by, so then I'd try to fold some new events into it to make it all seem a bit more current, and that would delay the article even more and so forth.  Several aborted editorials about current event type topics exist on my hard drive.

Then, unrelated, I decided to start making videos of me playing and discussing some games.  These I posted on YouTube.  These videos are faster to make than the articles I was writing, but even then I had trouble keeping up with just the video output I expected.  The problem is my job and my school were keeping me pretty busy.  I barely had any extra time for the blog or the youtube channel.  Carving out even just a few hours a week for that was difficult.

Hey you know what would have been smart?  Posting the YouTube videos I was making here.  Why didn't I think of that for months?  I have no idea!  But I thought of it a few weeks ago and now I'm getting around to doing it.

Similarly last week I decided to start recording commentary videos to cover my reactions to current gaming events.  Currently these videos are both a bit too long and a bit too low quality, but I'll be trying to improve them over time.  So I'm posting those here too.

This is the backlog of YouTube videos I've made.  I have a couple of written pieces I'm ready to post here as well.  Beyond that, this is what I'm thinking right now for this blog going forward:  I'll continue making videos, both commentary and gameplay, but I will now post those here as soon as they go up.  This should result in a more steady output to this blog.  Additionally I will continue posting lengthier essays/articles here, but those will be relatively infrequent (as they are now).

Anyway, hopefully that explains what's been going on.  Without further ado, here is my YouTube backlog:






Okay so that's that. Now, here are my commentary videos.  Only two so far.  I've had some issues with audio/video syncing that I'm trying to resolve.  For now though, enjoy my radio-ready voice and unrelated but delightful facial movements.

Okay, that does for now!  Until next time.

'Twas the Night Before Quest-mas

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring... 'cept me and my mouse!
My wireless logitech USB mouse click-clicking without pause or fail,
And the reason I'm clicking so late in the eve?  Why else! A super Steam Sale!

While others are sleeping alone in their beds
I've visions of Indie games up in my heads!
Plus no time for X-mas eve sleeping or naps
When my Super Meat Boy demands so many fa - ...I mean.... Moving on!

When out from the Chimney arose such a clatter
A red jelly thing hit the ground with a splatter!
Comprehension was dawning - I trembled with fear -
For the text read as this: "Santa-Slime Draws Near!"

"Oh shit man I'm screwed! Man I'm just level one!
And I don't have a sword, shield OR armor - nope, none!"
Think quick! For a shield grabbed the seat from the sofa,
For a sword I just snatched up the iron fire poker!

We battled like that for five minutes at least
As I tried hard to slay this red Santa-Slime beast!
But my health slowly dwindled and I grew truly pissed -
Santa-Slime's high evasion meant I constantly missed!

And I thought to myself "Man this just isn't funny!
I might wake up in the church but I'll lose half my money!
Not cool! Specially when the Steam sale is on -
My chance at these sweet deals will surely be gone!"

But just when it looked like hope truly was lost
My front door exploded in fire and frost!
In stepped two mages and thief and - who's that?
A knight in red armor was leading the pack!

Yes his armor was scarlet and as the smoke cleared
I saw too his red hat and bushy white beard.
He seemed ready to party - Slime Slayin-O-Rama -
Plus he looked to've been drawn by one A. Toriyama!

And they worked as a team, Santa-Slime stood no chance.
The thief picked his pockets though the slime wore no pants!
The mages cast spells of great power and might
And the slime was struck dumb by a blow from the knight!

Santa-Slime took flight when the knight's sword landed
And bounced to a rest where, still startled, I stand-ed.
The fiend was quite dazed - it was my turn to strike -
A sharp blow from my poker thus ended the fight!

Santa-Slime went "Kapoof!" - I had vanquished that devil,
And with all this XP, boy I just gained a level!
And he left behind monies! Enough I proclaim
At the current exchange rate for just one more game!

"You saved me Red Knight, when my health was near zero -
who are you?" He smiled, "They call me Santa-HERO."
Then he turned to depart but I just heard him say,
"Merry Quest-mas to all; now game all night and all day!"

A Quick Update

I haven't updated this blog in a while.  Possibly no one has noticed because I'm not sure if anyone comes here except form links to certain pages that I post in various places.  But even so, I wanted to post a little update here just to say that I have not abandoned this blog.  I have simply become incredibly busy with school and work and also the next post I was writing (the second part of Understanding Nintendo) has proven more difficult than expected.  However, that article is almost done and soon I will post it.  Yay!  And after that, I want to post some of my thoughts on art (fine art I mean, especially painting), and that will wind up tying itself back into gaming.  Anyway, just a quick update in case anyone wanders by and wonders what is going on.

Until next time paisanos.