Prepping for NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo is nearly upon us, good people of earth. For the confused, National Novel Writing Month is a month long "event" where the goal is to write a 50,000 word novel... in thirty days. Many have tried (including myself) and many probably don't make it all the way (including myself). Despite the fact that I have a job, I really want to try again. I've got an idea that my mind spawned a few nights ago and I've been slowly adding to it throughout the days. My hope is to have a decent idea of the characters I want in the story as well as the general direction I'll take it in.

Of course the biggest problem is the day-to-day labor of actually writing the damn thing. If you were to continue until the very last day, you'd have to write 1667 words per day. That may not seem like much, but motivating yourself to continue is tough. This is especially true when you've gotten stuck for whatever reason. This happens to me most when I can't figure out where else to take the story. I've hit some sort of snag and the story has stalled out. My hope is that I can flesh out this idea enough that I won't have that problem.

No way to tell though until I try (again). Only one more day! Geronimo! 

Thoughts on Dexter, Homeland, and Warehouse 13 *Spoilers*

It says it in the title, but I'll say it again here. There are *SPOILERS BELOW* enter at your own risk.

The fall season has begun! While there are still a few shows that haven't premiered quite yet (by the end of October, all the fall season shows should be on the air), most of the biggest shows have begun. At the same time many summer shows are coming to a close. I just wanted to post my thoughts on three of them and see what you guys thought as well.

The first I'll touch on is Dexter. Fun fact, I didn't watch the fifth season at all. Say what you will about it quality wise, but I don't have Showtime and that's the reason I didn't get to watch it. Now, I have a friend who has Showtime and we're watching the new season together. Thankfully because I don't care about spoilers all that much, I knew most of the big details going into season six.

I enjoyed the premiere quite a bit, simply because it's good to have Dexter back. I love Dexter's thought process and his views on things. I'm not afraid to say that sometimes they match my own. But in the sense of story, I'm enjoying the direction so far. I'm a big Edward James Olmos fan from Battlestar Galactica, and to see him play the big bad on Dexter this season is something I'm really looking forward to.

Deb and Quinn though... Really? I mean, I knew it had happened in the last season, but she really needs to stop dating coworkers. Or just dating at all haha. It's never gonna work out for her. I suppose they have nothing better for her character to do right now though... except maybe find out that Dexter is a serial killer?....

I also hope that this season doesn't wind up being Dexter's fault. Now I can't speak to last season (though from what I read I don't think this applies), but almost all of the problems that arise for Dexter are his own fault. I'd like the villain to stand separately from Dexter, instead of say, Dexter letting them live so he can learn from them. If I'm not making any sense I apologize, it's a weird thing to try to and put into words.

If the coming attractions are anything to go by it does look like this villain will be working on a larger scale than the others have before (aside from Season 5 of course). Granted, while Jordan Sparks used his speaking to drive people to do his villainy for him, it was always private. I wonder if Olmos' plan is a more... public sort of villainy (for lack of a better phrase)? What do you guys think?

Speaking of Showtime shows, I finally watched the pilot for Homeland. The premise is definitely interesting and the pilot itself is well done. The question I have is how do they keep the tension going? How do give enough info to the audience while keeping the main character in the dark and not have them seem stupid or foolish? It's a hard thing to balance. I also wonder how they will keep the show going after the first season. The concept definitely seems better suited for a miniseries so far. We'll see though. I'm definitely going to keep an eye on it.

So, I'm a big Warehouse 13 fan. I know that it's not the best show ever, let alone of the Syfy channel (that honor goes to Eureka so far). I still enjoy the characters though and occasionally the plot holds together well enough to make an overall enjoyable episode.

That is, until the third season finale. This is what a TV finale should be. First off, it was two hours. All TV finales should be longer than a normal episode. It gives the last episode seem more epic and more important in the eyes of the audience. LOST understood this, Battlestar understood this, etc etc. It's a great way to end a season.

Second, the finale changed a lot. While I don't know how much of this will stick in season 4, it's at least trying. Change is one of the most important things a finale can do for a show. A lot of big stuff happened though, with Steve, H.G. Wells, and Mrs. Fredrick dying and the warehouse exploding. It was well... shocking in a really good way. Of course Artie has that damn watch and I'm afraid they'll just rewind time and fix everything immediately. That... would be awful. There's nothing worse than a TV show doing something amazing and impactful, only to reverse it because they were afraid of how the audience would react. For now, I'm still happy that they're at least giving it a shot. I think the writers are going to use this time in between seasons to figure out how people are reacting and write their opener from there. If people react well, I imagine they will build upon last season. If not, I expect a retcon of massive proportions.

I have no idea how many (if any) of you are Warehouse 13 fans, but if you are what did you think of the finale?

And for the rest of you, what did you think of any of these shows? What are your thoughts on where Dexter is headed? Thoughts on Homeland so far?

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?