Monday, January 10, 2011

Big Game Releases of 2011


I got this from this article of IGN: http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/114/1140235p1.html

Everyone in the industry is saying that 2011 is going to be a HUGE year for games...I'm not seeing it.  Let's go down the list and see what games I will probably be buying this year.  And some big name ones I won't be.

January
DC Universe Online (PS3): Just bought it.  I'm not a huge fan of MMOs but its the DC Universe and I get to create my own damn character...that sounds awesome.  I got the Collector's Edition that includes a sweet ass Batman statue.
Little Big Planet 2 (PS3): Pass! I enjoyed playing the first one but I don't think I got my money's worth.  The game is super cute, but I had absolutely no interest at all in making my own stages.
Dead Space 2: No thanks.  The first game was pretty dope but I'm too chicken shit to play it.  I hate games that make you jump.  I'll watch my buddies play it.
February
Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (Xbox): Hell yeah.  Even though I suck at this series I am really looking forward to using some of the new characters: Super Skrull, Deadpool, X-23, Zero, and Dark Phoenix...count me in.
Killzone 3 (PS3): Pass.  I haven't played any of these games, as of now I don't plan to play part 3.
March
Dragon Age 2 (Xbox): Just pre-ordered it! I enjoyed the first game even though it had some major issues but its got two things going for it: it's made by Bioware, and they said they addressed the problems from the first one.  Can't wait.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution: No thanks.
Fear 3: Nope.  See explanation for Dead Space 2.
Spring 2011
Mortal Kombat : No thanks. Not a huge MK fan but we'll see how this reboot does.
Pokemon: Black & White: I think yes.  Gotta catch 'em all right?
Team Ico HD Collection: Hellz yeah bitch! HD versions of two of the most overlooked games on the Playstation 2: Ico and Shadow of the Colossus.  This is going to be great.
LA Noir: Maybe.  I'll have to see more but this one looks pretty cool and everyone knows Rockstar Rocks.
September
Resistance 3: No thanks. Despite one of my best friends working on the first game I still am not a fan of this series.
Rage: We'll see.  I've heard a ton of good news about this game.  I'll have to see more before I make a decision though.
November
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception: Oh hell yes.  The best franchise on the PS3 is back in 2011.  I cannot wait for this one.
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: You know...maybe.  I didn't play t he first Elder Scrolls but I did play and love Fallout 3.  So we'll see.
Fall 2011
Mass Effect 3: The sound you just heard? That was the sound of me wetting myself.  Mass Effect 3 in 2011? I don't think it'll happen but if it does you can bet I'm buying it.  My favorite game franchise of all time concludes.
The Last Guardian: F yeah! From the makers of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, this one is bound for greatness.
Batman Arkham City: Yes please. I was blown away by Arkham Asylum.  Now I get a whole a city to roam around in? It's on.

Okay maybe this is a big year for gaming.  I have nine games that I am surely going to buy and three that I might.  That is not counting the random game that comes out and wows us.  Alright 2011 bring it on.  I need to start saving up.

Friday, January 7, 2011

2010 The Year that Was: 2011 Resolution Edition


Resolutions.  I have never been able to keep them.  I think most people can't.  That doesn't mean we shouldn't make them.  I think it's great that we continue to make New Years Resolutions, because we strive to better ourselves.  We rarely complete these resolutions though do we?  If we really wanted to do these resolutions we wouldn't wait for an arbitrary date like the end of the year.  Sometimes we go half the year before we forget or give up on our resolution, sometimes we go two days.  But that's okay.  We think that we can leave the past behind us and make a better life just because we changed our calendar.  It'great.  That's why I'm doing it here.

1. Lose weight.  I bet 95% of people who make New Years Resolutions have some form of this one on their list.  I actually followed last year's resolution to "Exercise More."  I was pretty consistent in 2010.  I didn't lost much weight, not enough to throw a party over, probably due to my love of food, and eating.  I'll make a concerted effort this year.  Losing weight has always been and will always be a problem for me.  I think this year will really be different.  Here's prayin'.

2. Write more.  I'm going to get serious with this writing kick I'm on.  That means more Yelp Reviews, more Flixster Reviews, more Blog posts, and hopefully more work for Vincit Magazine.  I was thinking about finding a writing gig full time and leaving my current job.  But from talking to people it sounds like writing jobs aren't the most fruitful.  So I figure I'll stick with this low stress, well paying job, and write on the side.

3. Read a book. This is what one might call a softball of a resolution.  I'd say its a pretty big one for me.  I've never been much of a reader.  As a matter of fact I can only recall reading one book for pleasure in my life: Have a Nice Day by wrestler Mick Foley.  I've read, and its been suggested to me, that if I want to be a better writer I should read good books.  It's always been hard for me to sit down and read a book, I usually feel like it takes away from a good time: I could be watching some form of television or playing a video game.  Even though the resolution is to read a book, I'm hoping that finishing the first book will lead me to other books.  I've actually cheated a bit on this one as I started reading a book at the end of December and I finished it on January 2, 2010.  My first book: The Portrait of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.  Very good book, I was actually hooked for quite a bit.  Started off super slow (and super homosexual) but picked up toward the middle and then really ramps up at the end.  I'd recommend it.

4. Go out more.  If I recall this resolution was on my list last year, pretty much failed that one.  I went out a bit, but I don't think enough.  My money crunch really played a big part in this though, but that was just the most legit excuse I could use.  The whole point of going out is, of course, to meet my potential Mrs. Joel Samson.  If I did go out it it wasn't really at places with opportunities to meet new people.  This will probably be my toughest resolution.  But because its on this list I hope it pushes me to try harder this year.

5. Learn to be more independent.  This is a resolution you'd most likely find on a 19 year old's list.  But this is something I need to work on.  If nobody can hang out with me I often don't go out.  Sometimes I need to go out and get something, like some new clothes or stuff for the house but I hate going alone.  It's just something I need to work on.

6. Get my website going.  I have an awesome idea for a website.  Me and my brother were working up the particulars and realized that our ideas were a little too ambitious for two people to handle.  This put a slow down to the production of the site.  This year I know that my financials will be a lot better, so I think I can get the website up and moving.  I don't expect to get it fully functional by the end of the year, but I do want to get it at least to beta.

7. Spend smarter.  If there's one thing I learned from living alone it was how to save money.  With the majority of my income going to my house I had to scrap for everything, sacrifice on some wants to get needs, and sacrifice some needs to get wants.  Living alone taught me that I'd still be happy if I didn't buy a new BluRay release every week.  It taught me to always keep a can of spam handy for when I run out of frozen pizza.  I learned that I can live perfectly fine off of the internet and basic television channels if I cancelled my cable.  I hope I can continue my spending habits this year, maybe improve them.

Those are the big ones.  Let's see how I do come 2012.  Let me know what you think, or what Resolutions you have on your list.  Good luck on your 2011 Resolutions!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

2010 The Year that Was: Review Edition

"On to the next one..." - Jay-Z

Of all the years I've ever lived 2010 was...one of them.  2010 has not been what one would call a banner year for me.  Selling my condo.  Still being single.  Issues with friends.  Breaking of traditions.  Money troubles.  These things all weighed heavily on me this year.  I'd say of the past few years, 2010 has had the most ups and downs.  I think I feel that it is worse because most of the down moments are happening as the year closes out.

But let's not dwell on the negative, let's look at the positive.  A lot of good stuff happened this year too.  I'll try to do this as chronologically as possible.

Joel's 2010 List of Awesome:
1. My little brother got married.  The two part event started with the wedding in February and then the reception a few months later.  It sounded kind of weird then, but it turned out to be one of the funnest times in my life.  The reception was so cool because it was such a family effort.  The majority of the family came early to help set up, partied it up, and then stayed late to help.  It was also the first time I had to learn dance choreography and subsequently perform in front of people.  It was nerve-wracking, tiring, and exciting.  I also got something I've always wanted, a sister.
2. Kara & Ariel are born.  This is a bit of a cheat because Kara was actually born in 2009, but whatever it was the end of that year.  Anyways the first babies of our little group were finally born.  Definitely a milestone moment for our little crew.  These little ladies have brought joy into our lives like you wouldn't believe.  It's awesome to see them grow, every time I see them they're in new stages in their development: teething, walking, talking.  Can't wait to see them grow up and take over the world.
3. I take my writing more seriously.  First it started with wanting to become a better Yelp Elite.  Every time I went to a restaurant I went with the intention of writing a Yelp review: took pictures, analyzed the service, critiqued the food in my head.  After about 50 or 60 reviews I finally became a Yelp Elite.  It was an awesome honor.  This led me to write even more reviews and then it led me to want to just write.  Thanks to my homegirl in Japan, Marilou, and a new friend I met through my other friend, @Koolaye, and their blogs, I started a blog of my own.  I believe you are reading it now.  Writing a blog led to getting an article published in Vincit Magazine.  That was awesome, truly an achievement, and hopefully will lead to bigger and better things.
4. Hello and Goodbye to good TV.  This year more than any year was a year of discovery for me.  I opened my eyes to new shows that I've heard were good but never gave a chance to.  Some old and cancelled, some new and kicking.  Breaking Bad, Arrested Development, Nikita, The Wire and The Walking Dead are some standout shows I watched this year that I just love.  We also said farewell to one of televisions best shows: Lost.  2010 was a very good year in television for me....well almost, are reality shows still around?  They are?  Damn...maybe they'll be eradicated next year.
5. Movie screenings galore.  2010 was the  year of movie screenings.  Thanks to a co-worker, I discovered GoFobo and FilmMetro, two sites that offer free movie screening passes if you are a) lucky enough to get some b) dedicated enough to keep checking the site and c) patient enough to wait in line for 2+ hours.  I love movies, I love seeing them early, and I love getting to watch them for free.  It almost turned into a hobby for me.  The thing you start to notice while attending these screenings is that there is a culture around movie screenings.  You start recognizing the same people, and it seems like everyone knows each other.  I don't know if they do it, but as soon as I watch a flick I immediately go on Flixster and write a review.  I figure thats the reason for the screening: to get early buzz, so I oblige.  There were a ton of movies that I saw a screening of that I loved: Inception, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Going the Distance, Mega Mind and Losers to name a few.  There are also a few movies that I did not enjoy: Jonah Hex and Nightmare on Elm Street come to mind.
6. You want a podcast, I got a Smodcast.  This was the year I really started listening to podcasts.  Daily I would listen to Fantasy Football podcasts during the season, Fantasy Focus Football is always entertaining.  I also discovered IGN Girlfight.  An all-girl podcast from the women of IGN.  In my eyes nothing is hotter than chicks talking games...especially when the chicks actually know games.  But the podcasts I have been listening to mostly are on Kevin Smith's Smodcast network: Smodcast, Hollywood Babble-On, and Jay and Silent Bob Get Old.  These podcasts have really helped me get through some boring days at work.

And honestly that's all I can think of.  Like I said, a mostly uneventful 2010.  Well stay tuned for my New Years Resolution Edition coming up shortly.