Why Wednesdays Are So Important

I finally got a job. I've been "searching" for a job for the past few years. I use quotes because the search wasn't all that serious. I was taking a lot of classes so I wouldn't have been able to work much. Now, I'm not taking any classes due to financial aid not coming through. So I was able to get a job and I'm working 6 hour nights every week day except Wednesdays. Wednesday has now become the most important day for me because not only is it a nice break in between work days, it allows me to get other things done... such as blog... or game.

Speaking of which, my job is basically why I suddenly stopped blogging every day. For awhile I was able to keep up, picking a single topic to write about, and just going for it. Somehow that fell apart after about eight days. My hope is to pick it up again, writing about something before I leave. The problem is that I'm expected to do a lot of things at home before I go to work. This kind of limits my time to write (except on Wednesdays where I don't work obviously). Still, I want to write and get back into MyIGN. I've been absent for a week, barely commenting on posts and that gonna change.

The other thing my job has affected is my gaming habits. Since I work at nights, I get home at around 11:30 PM and completely exhausted. Oh and for those wondering, I work at a pizzeria taking orders at the register for six hours,. It's killer on the feet X_X. Anyways, because I'm so tired I tend to just check my internet stuff and watch TV before heading to bed. Now I know when a game I'm really excited about comes out, nothing will stop me from playing it. But getting through my back log, or even practicing StarCraft and Street Fighter, has fallen to the wayside. It's unfortunate, since I really love those games. I can't seem to get myself to do it now. Wednesdays are different though, and that's why they're important. Gaming can happen pretty much all day if I wanted it to. It's a liberating feeling. That said, I now understand how some people say they just can't game as much as they used to. It's definitely something I miss.

Of course my job isn't all bad. My bosses (it's a family run place so pretty much all members are bosses in some respect) are nice and willing to work with me on problems I may have. I don't make too much (about 8 an hour so far), but since I'm working so much it adds up quickly. The feeling of having money is a great one. I don't buy much, but having the ability to go out and do what I want is a wonderful thing. I don't have to trade in several games to GameStop anymore just to lower the price of a game so I can afford it. Now I can save up for a new phone and trips to places like PAX. Sure it may take awhile, but the point is that it can happen now. It has to, especially since my dad has retired from convention going, so I'm really on my own for these kind of things.

I'll be honest, I didn't really have a conclusion to this post. I was mostly rambling until I ran out of things to say. There are a few gaming related things I want to talk about, but I'll save those for future posts. Until then, fellow bloggers!

Sony's TGS Presentation Postmortem

Last night was Sony's Tokyo Game Show Press Conference. Now there were a lot of complaints about the pacing and way the show was put on in general. Considering the fact that this conference was for the Japanese market, there could very well be some cultural differences here. So instead of focusing on the conference itself, I just want to talk about the announcements made.

My favorite is easily the announcement of Final Fantasy X HD. FFX is one of my favorite Final Fantasy's and while it isn't a remake or anything, it'll be nice to have it on PS3 and the Vita as well. I'm not sure if I'm going to buy it on both systems, but I'll definitely be getting it for at least one.

I'm also really excited for the MGS collection. Chances are I will be buying both versions (PS3 and Vita) because I'm really into the idea of being able to transfer the saves. I'll probably go for Peace Walker on the PS3 as well. I was a big fan of the game on the PS3, but I took a break for whatever reason and totally forgot how far I got and all the organization I did. Oh yeah, and I lost my PSP charger =\ So that happened.

Continuing right along with the Kojima theme, I'm kind of excited for Zone of the Enders as well. I don't know too much about it, but I'm always down for some sweet anime cutscenes and mechs (I mean come on, who isn't?).

I'm gonna be honest with you here, I don't remember much else announcement wise. I know SFxT and UMvC3 were shown/announced respectively, but I'm more a hardcore fighting game player (which means using a fightstick or something similar like a pad, etc). Either way that means I won't bother buying the games for Vita simply because I won't play them. That said, I love Ono. The man is full of so much energy and humor.

I also heard something about a new Square RPG. Problem is, they wasn't any footage. . . So that's cool. There are a few screens available on IGN, but there's not much else to go on.

Sony proudly boasted that there will be over 100 titles during their launch window for the Vita. I just wonder what constitutes a launch window. Is it the first three months within a console's release date? If so, that's a bit impressive. Of course this is based around the Japanese market so that number may be significantly lower in the NA. The quality of said 100 games could also be lackluster.

Apparently 26(5?) of those launch window games will actually be available for purchase on the day the Vita comes out. Sweet. I mean, I'm already sold on a Vita, but it's nice to know there will be a selection on day one.

So all in all good stuff. At least I think so. It's nothing spectacular or groundbreaking, but it's still good news. What are your guys' thoughts on the system and Sony's conference last night?

MAX PAAAAAYNE!

Rockstar has finally begun sharing some details on Max Payne 3. I tend to keep an eye on all things Rockstar related simply because I find them to be an interesting company based on the projects they choose to work on. Max Payne is another one of those interesting choices. I've played both Max Payne games (finished the first, still working on the second) and I find myself to be a fan of the series, so I'm definitely keeping an eye on what Rockstar plans to do with the game.

While details are scarce so far, I still find myself asking certain questions about the game. For example: multiplayer... really? Now, I bought RDR on the PS3 so the multiplayer was... lacking in other people to populate the world. From what I heard about the 360 version isn't much different though. From the details given to us, the Max Payne multiplayer sounds a bit like Call of Duty. With traditional game modes and a rewarding leveling system how could it not? I'm not worried about it impacting the single player campaign though. If Red Dead proved anything it's that Rockstar focuses a lot (maybe too much?) on their single player campaigns.

Speaking of the single player campaign, I'm wondering if Rockstar will keep some the classic presentation elements of Max Payne. In both Max Payne 1 and 2, cutscenes were presented in the form of narrated comic book pages. I rather enjoyed this way of telling the story. The art for the comic pages was a haunting style akin to some of the darker Batman comics. I really hope they keep this approach to storytelling.

Another thing I wonder about is the bullet time. Considering it was a major part of Max Payne's draw, I can't imagine them doing away with it. My only fear is that the shooting mechanics will not be up to par. Red Dead had some of the most boring gun play I've ever seen. I suppose only time will tell.

Speaking of time, we only have to wait a little bit until the first trailer is released. I'm hoping this will clear up some of the questions and fears I have about this game. What about you guys? Are you looking forward to Max Payne 3? Have you ever played the games before? Thoughts on Rockstar taking over the character?

Things Are a Changin' in the Land of Nintendo

Yesterday saw the "announcement" (I believe it was leaked magazines scans that tipped everyone off) of the expansion "boat" for the 3DS. The boat will add on a second circle pad to the 3DS. While the attachment is damn ugly, it does give off the sense that Nintendo is listening at least a little to feedback. I have no doubt that this makes many developers sigh with relief. Now they don't have to worry about camera constraints and first person shooters will work just as well as they would on the Vita.

My only question is what happens to those who don't buy the expansion. Will some games only be playable with the boat plugged in? Also, as Rich mentioned in his editorial on the second circle pad, will this allow Nintendo to port Gamecube games to the system? Personally, I'm hoping this isn't the reason for the expansion. We're two N64 ports in and I'm already tired of it. How about we get some real games on the system?

There's also been some talk about problems with the Wii U development. While what Rich says in his article is true - there are always going to be problems in hardware development - pushing the Wii U back may give rise to bigger problems. For example, what is Nintendo going to do about the Wii? As it is their last big game is coming out in November. How does Nintendo keep the momentum going until the launch of the Wii U? Will Nintendo fully transition over to the 3DS until the Wii U's launch? Is that even a feasible option?

Nintendo is an interesting position at the moment. They have a dying console - and by that I mean there is only one last big title for the system, then nothing - and a faltering handheld that they're rushing to keep afloat. I have no doubt that eventually the 3DS will find its footing, but how long until then? This expansion boat is probably one way of making sure that happens, I simply question how well it will work. System add-ons are a weird thing that could wind up splitting your audience.

Another point in Rich's article on the Wii U was the possibility of Sony and MS announcing their new consoles. While it might still seem too early by June 2012, it's certainly a possibility. What does Nintendo do then? All of a sudden they're back in the same position they were with the Wii. They're at a graphics disadvantage with a weird control scheme that will only result in poorly made ports from the higher end systems.

Of course this is all speculation, but I think there are some valid points to be discussed here. What do you guys think Nintendo will do to keep the Wii going until the Wii U launches? What happens if Sony or MS (or both) announce new systems before the Wii U is even launched? What about this expansion "boat... thing" for the 3DS?

Comfort Gaming

And now it's time to return you to your regularly scheduled posts. Hope you all had a great three day weekend and Tuesday (I totally forgot to post yesterday, my apologies).

Have you guys ever had a really stressful day and just wanted to bury yourself in a game? Of course you have, who hasn't? Escapism is one of the biggest reasons I play games in general. I love disappearing off the face of the earth and not even bothering to think of my friends, facebook, twitter, etc. Usually when I've had a bad day (such as Tuesday was), I'm able to deal with it fairly well (see my post on how I deal with stress). Occasionally though there are times when something slips by and it actually winds up affecting me. To deal with that, I game.

When such a thing happens, I migrate to the newest game I've bought. Two weeks ago, that game was Deus Ex. I managed to finish that one in three days. So then I turn to StarCraft 2, the game I keep gaming after it's already been gamed (wtf?). StarCraft 2 is a multiplayer game though and some days I don't want to deal with people. The question then becomes: which game to I go to? I turn to one of my favorites.

I tend to choose between one or two games. Silent Hill 3 and Resident Evil 4 are usually those games. I've beaten RE 4 more times than I can remember. I know the game like the back of my hand and it's fun to rip through some zealots and kill some crazy bosses in two hits with a broken rocket launcher. I love that game pieces (and am eagerly awaiting the HD rerelease on PSN).

Silent Hill 3 is one of my favorite games of all time. It was the first of the series I ever played and for that it holds a special place in my heart. It's also a game I know really, really well. I haven't beaten it as many times as RE 4, but it's also a much longer game. Silent Hill also makes me think. The puzzles are challenging in the best way possible. They take my mind off of everything else so I can focus on the task at hand.

Do you guys have a game you immediately go for when feeling stress out?

The Complicated Relationship Between Halo and I

HaloFest was a few weeks ago (or maybe just a week, I'm not sure anymore) and during HaloFest 343 Industries gave out some details on the new Halo games. The "biggest" of which was that Halo 4 was the beginning of a new trilogy of games. Are we honestly surprised though that this was the beginning of three more Halo games? It seemed like a no-brainer considering the series keeps making money. It's also one of the few major exclusive series Microsoft has left.

Oh, and they gave it a name too. It'll be called the "Reclaimer" trilogy. As far as most people can remember, the only tie to the lore this has so far is that Guilty Spark referred to Master Chief as the Reclaimer. Otherwise no one knows what the hell it means. The name of the trilogy doesn't really mean much to be though.

My life with the Halo games is a complicated relationship. It dates all the way back to the original Xbox. I had bought an Xbox to play Halo, Halo 2, and KOTOR. I'd heard a lot about Halo from friend and wanted to check it out. Plus, I really wanted to own all three major systems. As it turned out, Halo was only okay and I sold my Xbox to pay for a new PS2 when the laser died (it was old). KOTOR was amazing though, as you should all know by now.

A few months down the road another friend of mine (who didn't have an Xbox) wanted to try Halo. So he bought the PC version. He thought the campaign was alright, but that the multiplayer was where it was at. This friend and I were big into PC multiplayer games so I picked up a PC copy for cheap. I installed it and never looked back.

Halo 1 had amazing multiplayer. Not only was the pistol the greatest thing of all time, there were so many mods. Low gravity, flying vehicles, teleportation points, and so on. It was a fantastic time. My favorite thing was to go into a flying vehicle server, grab a warthog with my friend, and take to the sky. I'd be the driver ('cause I was the craziest of my time) while my friend would be the gunner. Together we'd rain bullets down on the poor helpless noobs on the ground below. This would continue until one of two things happened: 1. we get shot down by a rocket launcher, or 2. we get cut in half by a flying ghost. Both of which have happened before!

Halo 1 was also a time for great gaming stories. There were so many random moments that happened during my time with the original Halo. My favorite of which was a CTF game we were playing on Blood Gulch (the best Halo map). I had the enemy's flag, but was being chased and our base was being assaulted. To prevent myself from getting killed, I hid in a little pocket in the corner of the map (both sides have this). When I crouched behind this, I couldn't get hit. So my friend and I (who were communicating via phone) were trying to clear a path long enough for me to reach our base and we could score. A problem has arisen though: the enemy had our flag.

It was a long wait and see game with my friend constantly moving from cover to a warthog, killing some people, then getting killed. This went on for a little bit. Finally, a path had been cleared and our flag reclaimed. I was ready to move and my team was ready to score. I don't remember the score or how close we were to timing out, but either way it was time. I stand up, take one step forward... and get shot in the head by a sniper across the map. . . . Thankfully my friend was able to pick up the flag and score so all was well.

After Halo 1 was phased out by most people due to the fact that Halo 2 had come out, my interest in Halo began to decline. I played Halo 2 on Xbox and while its campaign was fun, it was short and I didn't play online. After that I stopped caring about Halo in general. Until recently, I've never owned a 360 so I never bought Halo 3 when it came out and I still haven't. The closest I've come to continuing to play Halo is ODST. ODST actually had a really good story (I thought at least) up until the end where I just forgot about it and stopped playing!

You guys may be reading this wondering why I'm not in love with its multiplayer. Considering all I said above, I can't blame you. The problem basically stems from two things. The first is the lack of mods. The biggest draw of Halo 1 on PC was all the modding. There's none of that in the other Halo games (there may be in the Forge mode, but I think those are for custom games only right?). The second is the lack of LIVE. I refuse to pay for it and I know if I did I would barely use it. I know there are tons of Xbox users here on the blogs that I could play with, but I'm just not that interested in playing Halo multiplayer on a console. I'll definitely play with a few friends who are all int he same place (loser passes the controller style). That's also great for some laughs.

While I'm a fan of the split-screen experience Halo gives me and my friends, my interest stops there. The announcement of Halo 4 only garnered a sigh from me. It was the most predictable announcement from MS's E3 conference, along with that of the Halo 1 remake. Which, by the way, still seems utterly pointless. It's only been ten years guys. It's not as if you can't find the game any more in used bins or on the internet for cheap. Another ten years and I could see it. My video game cyniscm is staring to creep in so I think I'll bring this post to a close.

I hope you all enjoyed reading this one. I don't know if all my posts will somehow wind up being as long as this one (it wasn't planned to be, let me tell ya). I would like to read your thought on Halo as a series, and any great multiplayer stories you'd like to share (or even videos if you have any).

Dealing with Stress

Everyone deals with stress in different ways. This is a rather obvious fact, right? Right. I thought that today I would share my way of dealing with stress. This doesn't stem from being particularly stressed today or anything like that. In fact was watching Day[9] do his daily about fifteen minutes ago and he was talking about how he dealt with stress. I figured it would make for a good topic for tonight's post.

So when I get stressed, it usually causes a type of meltdown in my brain. I don't mean like tearing my room apart or breaking things (though God knows I've wanted to). I simply mean I withdraw into my brain and become very quiet and depressed. It's a weird shell I used to get my mind trapped in, and still do on occasion. Despite that, I've learned that stress is pointless. At least mine is. Nine out of ten times I'm freaking out over nothing. I was a social hypochondriac. I'd say something to someone, think about that thing afterwards, and then wonder if it was taken the right way or not. This used to happen to me all the time. I swear there's probably a hole burned in my stomach somewhere that I haven't found out about yet from all the times I've worried over the most pointless of conversations.

Nowadays, I've learned a few ways to deal with that type of stress. One way I've learned is to just stop caring in general. I realized that if something I said was misconstrued and the person I said it to was offended, I'd learn about it eventually and deal with it then. Until that moment in time, I wouldn't care at all if I happened to accidentally offend that person. I could even interact with this person again and not even think about what I may/may not have said to that person.  This may sound crass and make me out to be a jerk, but the truth is I was overreacting almost every time. As for the times I wasn't, it was dealt with rather easily and the person realized it was a misunderstanding and we moved on.

This is just one example obviously. There are many things in life that deserved to be stressed over, such as "legitimate" drama with friends (I use quotes because most drama with friends is never legitimate). Again, I stop caring. Such little things usually happen with people I'm not too close to, so I don't fret over it too much. If it was someone close to me, that I actually wanted as my friend, I would definitely do my best to fix it. Trust me.

This approach of "not caring" works for many emotions, not only "worry". I've adapted this strategy to fit most negative emotions. Fear, worry, sadness, boredom, and for the most part: anger (although sometimes I find myself seething and need to nip that in the ass as quickly as possible). I have for the most part - taught myself to close my mind off from feeling this way. It doesn't work all the time unfortunately as I do wind up feeling these things sometimes. These types of emotions are a natural part of life though so I suppose I'll never be able to fully cut them off. Either way this form of coping has worked out rather well for me overall.

Such a feeling of not caring has also helped me along with other parts of my life. Instead of fearing the people's reaction to something I want to do, or worrying about whether I'll do it correctly etc etc, I just go for it. I put my foot forward and go full steam ahead. It doesn't always work out in the end, but what in life does? At least I won't be wondering "well what if I had?".

The reason I taught myself to cope like this was because I was becoming emotionally exhausted. I was tired of being stress over things. I would wake up certain days and just not want to do anything, ever. You ever get that feeling in your brain like something like broken inside? Not like you're going crazy or anything like that. It's just a little warning bell telling you that you need a break. Fast.

And here ends my story. What about you guys? How do you cope with stress? Whether it be something you should be stressed over or something completely insignificant in the great scheme of things. Do you shut yourself off like I do? Share your stories, I'm curious. I hope you've enjoy my rather long tale.

P.S. I wanted most of these posts to be gaming-related, but there was nothing worth talking about today. Maybe tomorrow?