Otaku Mom

QQ - World of Warcraft's 7th Anniversary

2011-11-20T23:43:00.001-10:00

When World of Warcraft celebrates an anniversary, you get an Achievement and a gift if you log into the game during the week or so that they celebrate it. Aside from logging into the game, this achievement requires no work on the player's part. That's why this post is tagged with a "QQ." Yes, I'm whining.

The picture shows a little "W" icon and the corresponding tooltip when you hold your mouse over the icon. This year it feels like the anniversary gift is an afterthought. It's as if the developers suddenly realized, "Oh crap! The anniversary is coming up! We need to think of something and quick!" In 2008 and 2009, the anniversary gift was a critter (non-combat) pet. In 2010, they decided to reserve those kinds of "celebratory bonuses" to only the "most notable milestones." I logged in for 2010 and all I got was the achievement and a letter in my in-game mailbox from the developers, thanking me for playing.

This year, there was actually a gift attached. (I'm guessing that a lot of people complained last year because they didn't get anything.) Honestly, though, given how lame this gift is, it would have been better if they hadn't given us anything at all. Here's my reasoning:

First of all, look at the icon. It's the (old) World of Warcraft icon. It's not even the current icon that's used as a shortcut on your desktop, but an old one. And, really? They couldn't come up with something other than a W?

Second, it requires the 7th anniversary to use it. This year, the anniversary runs from November 20th through December 3rd. Once the 7th anniversary is over, the item is no longer usable, so the experience and reputation bonus is only good for two weeks. To be fair, two weeks is actually pretty good, but that's assuming that the bonus itself is actually useful...

And that brings me to my third complaint. Who the hell needs this item? While I realize that there ARE still people who haven't reached level 85, that number is pretty low. Most people I know have all or almost all of their characters at max level already. Not to mention, once the next patch (4.3) is released, they will be decreasing the amount of experience necessary to level from 70 to 80 by 33%, so you're best off waiting until then to actually level from 70 to 80. Well, what about the reputation gain increase then? This may be slightly more useful, although it isn't something that I am likely going to utilize. The reputation (and experience) gain is only from kills, not quest turn-ins. The only places that have reputation gain on kills are dungeons and raids, which I don't do.

Like I said, I'm just whining. However, it bugs the hell out of me that I have this item on my characters and I don't have any opportunities to use it.

A New Look

2011-11-08T22:01:00.001-10:00

I feel compelled to give this blog a makeover... To do this, I need to do a couple of things. First, I need to decide what I really want to write about. Once I do that, I need to make a promise to myself that I will post X number of times during some set time duration. Then I can figure out what I want the damned thing to look like. I have a Japanese Linguistics exam tomorrow morning, so this will have to wait. For now, enjoy the pretty bamboo background and default color scheme. I promise to get back to this at some point. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is coming out on Thursday night. Perhaps I'll write about the game over the weekend. That will be my motivation.

Nintendo 3DS

2011-08-02T11:23:00.005-10:00

This post is not about the price cut. I don't feel betrayed by Nintendo. I'm always an early adopter when it comes to game systems. The risk of price cuts or discontinuations is part of that choice.

This is about my Nintendo 3DS being sent to Nintendo for repair for a THIRD time...

For some reason, my 3DS powers off during Sleep Mode. It's not an issue of the battery running out of juice. The indicator shows a full battery. On top of that, it even happens while it's on the charging cradle. I don't know how many hours before it powers off, though, since I only really notice it overnight or if I've been out all day. I tried resetting the system software to see if maybe it was some kind of weird software glitch, but that didn't work. So I sent it to Nintendo. Thankfully, Nintendo Repair is a free and easy process, provided your system is still under warranty.

The first two times I sent my system to Nintendo, when I got it back, there was a sheet of paper included in the box that said they had replaced defective components. That was as specific as it got. It honestly makes me wonder if they did anything at all.

So now I'm about to send it off for the third time. Hopefully, they either really fix it this time or they send me a new one. I don't really care. Thankfully, I'm not playing any 3DS games right now since I'm waiting for Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked. I still have my DS Lite, so I can play my regular DS games on that for now. But when Shin Megami Tensei comes out, I want to be able to play it. Bad voice acting and all... (And it's REALLY BAD!) >_<;

Phantasy Star Online 2 & Game News

2011-07-26T12:01:00.012-10:00

I have been quite remiss in blogging lately. Sorry. I'll try to be better about that. I'm currently in the process of attempting to memorize all 2,136 daily use kanji in the Japanese language. I'm trying to study at least 5 per day. I'm also trying to catch up on playing games. Within the past month, I've actually played and completed Dragon Quest VIII on PS2 (77 hours) and Dungeon Siege III. Dungeon Siege III didn't have an in-game counter for hours played, but I finished one play-through in 4 days. I liked it, but not enough to play through it again with the 3 other playable characters.

Anyway... Two items piqued my interest today while I read through various game news sites today. The first was a new trailer for Phantasy Star Online 2:

As someone who played the original Phantasy Star Online on the Dreamcast obsessively, I can't help but be excited for this game. And the more I learn about it, the better it looks. As much as I have enjoyed the Phantasy Star Portable games, they have been quite different from the original PSO. PSO2 looks like PSO, but nicer. This trailer includes some new information about the game. Of note are multi-party areas that can accommodate up to 3 parties or 12 players. I guess that would be like a mini-raid? Also, if you're playing a Ranger, the controls are Third-Person Shooter style. In other words, it looks like I'll be sticking to being a Force or a Hunter, since I suck at TPS (and FPS) control schemes. It looks like character creation is much more robust than all previous Phantasy Star Online/Portable games. I will admit to being amused by the few seconds spent on altering breast size. The last major item is that players can now jump. Personally, I have never felt the need to jump in Phantasy Star Online, Phantasy Star Universe, or Phantasy Star Portable games, but whatever. Jumping in online games puts images of World of Warcraft rogues jumping all the over the place just to be annoying in my head...

The one thing that I'm concerned about, however, is whether or not this game is going to have a pricing scheme. The best part about the original PSO on SEGA Dreamcast and even the Nintendo GameCube version was that it was free-to-play online. I'm hoping that PSO2 will follow suit, but I'm not holding my breath. If I have to pay a monthly fee, I'm not sure that it would be worth it. I wouldn't be averse to free-to-play with micro-transactions, though, as long as the stuff you could buy in the cash shop didn't give players advantages over people who refused to spend their money. If SEGA were to charge a monthly fee for the game, it would have to be a LOT more robust a game than any of its previous incarnations.

The second thing that got me thinking today was a post on Kotaku (yes, I still read Kotaku news, sadly), asking its readers to "Like" their Facebook pages for both their main site and its individual editors. As I scrolled down the news item in Google Reader, I was reminded that all the regular contributors are still all male. So I looked at all the other game blogs I follow: GameLife, GiantBomb.com, Rock, Paper, Shotgun, and RPGamer. RPGamer was the only site that had women listed in their Staff Bios section. GiantBomb has two User Profiles listed as Staff, but I have no idea what that means.

It frustrates me that the most comprehensive video game news sources on the internet are staffed almost solely by men. I was recently talking to a friend about Kotaku and he asked me if I had read some article on their site. I told him that I only read their headlines because almost all their articles are imbued with their writers' opinions and since their writers are primarily men, these opinions don't interest me much. Their posts very often objectify women no matter how strongly they claim to believe that women are real gamers, too.

Against my better judgment, I did a search in Google for "gamer girls." (5 years ago, I ranted about the term "gamer girl." I am a woman, not a girl, thank you.) So what did I find? Well, I didn't really find any game news sites. At least, not any good ones. I found places for women who game that often had anti-men undercurrents. I'm not a fan of what I've always called Femi-Nazi's or women who go to the opposite extreme by saying that women are better than men. I believe that men and women are different. Neither is better than the other. We need both for the human race to survive. Sites that are like a "Girls Only" club are just as bad as the male-centric sites that I currently read. No thank you. And then I found Hot Gamer Girls. Really? Here is a site where women can perpetuate male chauvinism by objectifying THEMSELVES. Women love to bitch and complain that men don't take them seriously as gamers. By showing yourself off as an object, what the hell do you expect?

So it looks like I'm going to have to continue just reading headlines to get my game news. There is a lot of debate right now about whether games can be art. I like to believe that yes, games can be art. Wikipedia defines art as "the product or process of deliberately arranging items (often with symbolic significance) in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music, literature, film, photography, sculpture, and paintings. The meaning of art is explored in a branch of philosophy known as aesthetics, and even disciplines such as history and psychology analyze its relationship with humans and generations." Such a definition implies maturity and sophistication, which the video game industry and community are clearly lacking. If we can't get past gender differences, and I mean LEAVE THEM BEHIND ALTOGETHER, we'll never be sophisticated enough for games to really be art.

Just a Thought about PSN

2011-04-25T21:16:00.003-10:00

So in case you're living under a rock or you don't care about video games, PSN (Playstation Network) is down. Aside from the credit card info *possibly* being compromised (and I've already contacted the credit card company for the card I have attached to PSN), this doesn't affect me. At all. The majority of the games I play on my PS3 are offline, single-player games. And right now, the end of the spring semester at school is so royally kicking my ass, that even if I WANTED to play online with other people, I wouldn't have the time. What little gaming I've been doing has been on my PSP (Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity - JPN Import), my 3DS (Samurai Warriors and Nintendogs + Cats), and my PC (Rift).

I've also gone out to dinner with my husband, had a family dinner, gone to my weekly shodou (Japanese calligraphy) lesson, taken a few walks, and worked on homework.

My life is not ending. I don't think Sony owes me anything since I don't pay for PSN. There are other things I can do with my time. I agree that it sucks not to be able to play online when that's what you're into, but seriously, you can't go less than a week? Really? I hope I never get to be that pathetic.

I guess people really HAVE forgotten how to actually interact with other humans face to face. Otherwise, why else would they be so afraid to go outside? Only fear and insecurity would make people THAT upset...

Am I being unfair? Maybe. Am I being a bitch? Yeah. Do I care? Not really. I feel that in order to properly function within the confines of our stupid society, I am expected to know how to behave and interact with others in public. And if I have to do it, so should everyone else.

お久しぶりだね～！

2011-01-10T19:12:00.003-10:00

Long time no see. I didn't realize it had been THIS long since I posted anything. I haven't blogged since July. I blame Japan. I went there during the summer and it brainwashed me into laziness or something. Okay, not really. I've been extremely busy with real life.

I was thinking, though, that since it's the new year now, I should say something. To all two of my readers. ;-) Happy New Year~!

I'm trying to decide if I should pick up DC Universe tomorrow. I participated in the beta and LOVED it. However, I'm still happily playing World of Warcraft. Not to mention, I have real life responsibilities.

As for console games, I've actually been quite diligent in getting through my backlog. I'm currently working on White Knight Chronicles. I like it, but I wouldn't say that it's awesome. Nothing seems to be awesome lately. I actually think it's kind of sad that the quest and storyline overhaul that happened to WoW when Cataclysm launched has managed to make me feel more involved than a single player game. Of course, I tend to limit myself to JRPG's, so it can be argued that I'm missing out on other games by western developers that have awesome stories. However, I hate western gameplay. I can't seem to get over that. Maybe I'm being stubborn, but I like what I like. (There are exceptions like Dragon Age, Baldur's Gate, and The Elder Scrolls series.)

Japanese game developers used to tell great stories. When combined with typical JRPG gameplay, I'm in heaven. Now it seems that western developers are telling great stories, but I just won't play them. So I end up playing games with gameplay that I like that are pretty boring. When I want to enjoy myself, I dig out some older game like Wild ARMs or Xenogears. But I've played those before and end up not finishing them.

And then there's Squeenix (Square Enix). I actually still like their stories, for the most part. However, with the exception of the Dragon Quest series, they seem to think that they need to make western games. Problem is that they REALLY SUCK AT IT. Those of us who love Square Enix, love them BECAUSE they're a Japanese developer. /sigh I wish I could go to their office and give them a piece of my mind.

So I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. I can either play games with good stories that I hate playing or I can play games that have boring stories with game play that I like.

DC Universe is looking more and more appealing now that I think about it. I really have the hots for Batman. And if all else fails, I'll just buy a Kinect and start using my 60" TV and surround sound for exercising and dance games. ;-p

Game Reviews

2010-07-28T12:51:00.005-10:00

If you're a gamer, you probably know that Starcraft II was released yesterday. I think people have been anticipating this game since the late 90's. Honestly, I'm not sure. I don't like strategy games. Period. I can't play them because for me, there is no such thing as acceptable losses. If I can't get through a mission and keep EVERY SINGLE UNIT, I'm not going to play. (Yes, the Suikoden games have been a challenge for me, but I would restart as many times as I had to.)

But this post isn't really about Starcraft II. It's about game reviews. There is a decent amount of grumbling in the gaming blog community right now about the fact that websites were all forced to WAIT UNTIL THE GAME ACTUALLY RELEASED to review it. The result: game critics are frantically trying to finish the game as quickly as possible so that they can hastily write about the game. In theory, this is going to cause the reviews to be poorly done. That's probably true, actually. However, according to game news, more than 800,000 copies of Starcraft II were preordered, so it's not like there was a huge need for validation before buying. It's true that just because a person preorders something doesn't necessarily mean that they're going to buy it, but this is Starcraft II. People have been eagerly waiting for this game since Starcraft I.

Personally, I haven't paid attention to game reviews in ages. I think about 95% of game reviewers fall into a demographic that isn't mine. I also have my own unique tastes and ideas about what I think is fun. I am also adept at looking at screenshots, trailers, game play footage and then determining with pretty decent accuracy whether or not I'll like a game. I think more people should learn to do that. Even without full reviews, there was so much Starcraft II footage on the internet, I could determine that strategy games still aren't for me and probably never will be.

Have we become so incapable of thinking for ourselves that we need someone else to make or at least validate our decisions? Yuck. I don't want to have any part of that. I pride myself on making my own decisions and not just following the mindless masses when it comes to what I watch, play, or listen to.

But back to the gaming blogs... Game reviews drive readership, which in turn drives revenue because readers click on ads on the sides of the page. (In fact, even if they don't click on them, they at least SEE them. This alone is enough to distract the human brain.) Blogs want to write good, thoughtful reviews so that they can make more money. Maybe they care about their readers, but personally, I don't think so. They want to make sure that their unique site visits number remains high so that they can keep getting high profile companies to spend money on banners and advertisements.

Yes, I'm being rather harsh, but that's the direction the internet is going. It's not just gaming websites, either. The internet is turning humans into mindless ad-clicking zombies that can't make their own decisions because their brains have been mushed by an inundation of data. It's like when you have a baby and you want him to go to sleep. Take him into a grocery store with lots of sounds and colors. The over-stimulation of the brain will cause a shutdown that leads to a sleeping baby. I'm not kidding. It worked wonders when my son was an infant. That and the sound of the vacuum cleaner (white noise).

Oh, there's probably one other reason why these bloggers are complaining: They actually have to WAIT like the rest of us lowly mortals and they don't like that. ;-P Playing games ahead of time is fun. I've gotten to experience it a few times. It makes you feel special. Blizzard just told them all that they're not special. They're just like everyone else. And guess what? They ARE just like everyone else. We should keep that in mind when we read their reviews. They have their own ideas, opinions, likes, and dislikes. They're human, too. Personally, I think this is a good reminder for them.

More on Anonymity

2010-07-13T11:47:00.005-10:00

This started out as a comment on my last post about Anonymity, but it got so long, I decided to give it its own post:

It's difficult for me to put my finger on exactly why I don't want my first and last name spewed out to thousands of people. You're right that publicly listing my first and last name wouldn't really make me any more vulnerable to fraud and exploitation. I misunderstood your comment and blended that kind of security with the security that exists in my mind having to do with my personal freedoms and (supposed) freedom from Big Brother.

Employers are already scouring Facebook when people apply for jobs, often making hiring decisions based on what someone "Likes." I'm not necessarily saying that's a BAD thing. It's just that people were able to keep their personal lives personal more easily before the internet. Now we can see if that nice guy down the road is serial killer, but we can also deny a perfectly decent human being a job because he loves Star Wars more than we think he should on his own time.

It's one thing when employers and other humans make judgments like that. But what about when the government starts doing it? Who will police that? All that needs to happen is for one court case to set precedence and that's the end of that. I'm totally okay with being held accountable for my actions, but I do NOT like the idea of Big Brother watching every little thing I do, listening to everything little thing I say, etc.

Our personal freedoms are already suffering because of things like the Patriot Act and this whole immigration thing going on in Arizona. Checking someone's resident status just because they LOOK like they might be illegal? Can you imagine if they tried that in Hawaii? The cops would be so busy checking people's ID's, that it would be easier for us to start wearing gold stars on our clothing. The younger generations are so far removed from Nazi Germany because they've never even MET someone who was alive during that time. Most of their parents were barely alive when Hitler was busy trying to turn the world into a perfect Aryan society. They have no concept of what it means to have your freedoms taken away.

On the other hand, I think that non-anonymous posting on the Blizzard forums would have been an excellent start to making people accountable for their online behavior. I really do believe that we should be held accountable for our actions. It all comes down to the fact that there needs to be some kind of balance between accountability and personal freedom. It's never been so difficult to find that happy medium than in today's online society. The internet gives people a place to express themselves in a world where being an individual or having your own opinion can come with heavy costs. We're living in a society where people want the freedom to express themselves. This doesn't mean they should be allowed to verbally attack others, however. Therein lies the problem. Where do you draw the line? And who draws it?

Anonymity

2010-07-08T20:45:00.002-10:00

Obviously, I'm a fan of anonymity on the internet. I post as "hatsumi" pretty much everywhere I go. That name is often taken, so I'll add numbers to it or use different shortened versions of it, but I'm essentially "hatsumi" wherever I go. I'm not keen on people knowing my first and last name. But to be fair, this doesn't just go for the internet. I won't even give them my first name at Starbucks when I order a cup of coffee.

Blizzard's recent announcement to force people to use their real names on their forums has a lot of people in an uproar. Personally, I don't post there, so it doesn't concern me. There are aspects about the decision that I agree with and aspects that I don't. No policy is ever perfect. That's the nature of policy. I do believe that internet anonymity has turned our once (barely) civilized society into a giant herd of raging assholes. That's why I don't post on forums. Because I don't feel like being trolled, flamed, insulted, or whatever simply because I have a differing opinion.

I was raised to treat other people with respect, regardless of whether or not I agree with what they think. It's a free country last time I checked. I may not agree with your views on politics or parenting style. You may not agree with mine. But that doesn't give us the right to spew out racial slurs or comments on each other's sexual preferences. Even on the internet, I do not attack people in that way. I wouldn't be able to look at myself in the mirror if I did.

As for Blizzard's decision, I have my views and everyone else has theirs. It's not for me to determine whether or not they are right. With opinions, there is no such thing as right or wrong. They're OPINIONS.

The one thing that amuses me the most about the people freaking out about others knowing their first AND last names is that they're all saying how easy it will be to find them. Well, well, well... Aren't we a bit egocentric. Do they honestly believe that other people who read the forums have nothing better to do than go searching for them? Do they really think they're that important and that other people care about them THAT much? They really believe that the world revolves around them, apparently. Guess what. It doesn't. Even I have to remind myself of that sometimes.

I do want to point out that there ARE crazy people out there, so I'm not suggesting that privacy/safety isn't an issue at all. I'm simply pointing out that people are exaggerating their self-importance to a ridiculous extent. As for what I think about the policy, I'll say again that I can see the merits of both sides of the argument. Since I don't post there, I'm not concerned. And the fact that I post here anonymously is probably an indication of how much I prefer my anonymity. However, I do believe that I am responsible with my anonymity. Even without my first and last name, I say things that I'm okay with being held accountable for. I don't call people names.

I do get angry and I swear sometimes, but hey, I'm only human. ;-)

Blizzard Customer Service UPDATE

2010-07-08T14:35:00.002-10:00

So here's proof that Blizzard's PHONE customer service is completely different than their E-MAIL customer service...

My husband called the phone number we were given (not a toll free number, but an actual phone number) and talked to someone who understood immediately what he wanted. The woman who helped him was American and was extremely helpful. After answering a couple security questions (one for his account, one for my son's account), she unlinked my son's WoW account and attached it to my son's battle.net account. There was no arguing, no confusion, and it was done fairly quickly.

Given the time of day that we received e-mail responses, I'm guessing that their e-mail support is outsourced. Their phone support is not.

So I am very happy to report that the issue has been resolved to everyone's satisfaction. I do think, however, that the road to get there was too long, winding, and full of potholes.

Blizzard Customer Service

2010-07-07T11:32:00.011-10:00

First, some basic information: When you sign up to play World of Warcraft, you create a World of Warcraft account. This account is then linked to something called a battle.net account. Battle.net is a service that encompasses Blizzard games so that you can manage all your Blizzard games in one place. It's quite handy, actually.

Recently, Blizzard implemented a new service with battle.net called RealID. Using RealID, you can friend people and be able to communicate with them cross server, cross faction, and even cross game.

Right now, I have my two WoW accounts linked to my battle.net account. My husband's battle.net account has my husband's WoW account and my son's WoW account linked to it. Before the advent of RealID, this wasn't really an issue. It was slightly annoying since my son would have to call my husband at work for an authenticator code from his iPod app, but that was no big deal. Now if my son is playing, it shows to any of his RealID friends that my husband is on. My son is not my husband. So my son can't really RealID friend HIS real life friends because then they'll be attached to my husband's RealID. I'm sure you see the issue...

So I searched their support website and the forums on how to resolve the issue. I had to call them. Okay, no problem. I called them and got a recording explaining that due to high call volume they couldn't take my call. They also said that I should visit their support site since almost all issues could be addressed there. They also said that I could use the e-mail contact form on the website. Fine. We sent an e-mail through the form. I explained that I wanted to remove my son's WoW account from my husband's battle.net so that he could attach it to his OWN battle.net.

It took over a week to get a response:

Thank you for contacting Blizzard Account and Technical Services.

This is a common issue now that Real ID identifies the player as the account holder only. Being that your son is still a minor, certain rules still apply. You can deactivate Real ID within Parental Controls. If you feel this does not resolve your issue, feel free to email me back directly.

There was more stuff after that about how RealID enhances the user experience, etc.

So here is our reply (with account names edited):

I want my son to have his WoW account on his OWN RealID account. Not mine. I currently have both ACCT1 and ACCT2 attached to MY battle.net/RealID. I want to remove the ACCT2 account from my battle.net account. Then my son can attach it to his OWN battle.net so that he has his OWN RealID. I apologize if I was unclear in my original message. We feel that he is old enough to have his own battle.net account.

I thought that was pretty clear. Apparently, it wasn't. Here is the reply:

Thank you for contacting Blizzard Account and Technical Services.

It is not in our power to alter a minors account name. I understand what you would like me to do, but my hands are tied for security purposes. We do not change Battle.Net account names from an adult to a child's unless the child is 18 years of age. If you have any more questions regarding this issue, I would suggest you call our Accounts and Technical Support number at x-xxx-xxx-xxxx.

We did not ask anyone to change any name or anything. Simply to unlink the WoW account. My husband will be calling them after he finishes work today. He has a 30 minute window of time between the end of his day and when Blizzard supposedly closes. I am not optimistic about calling, although this is a different phone number than the generic support phone number.

I'll post any updates.

"Extreme Gamer"

2010-06-03T11:44:00.008-10:00

So NPD has a classification of gamer known as "Extreme Gamer." An Extreme Gamer is a gamer that spends 48.5 hours a week playing games. When I read about it on Kotaku and then when I read about two such extreme gamers, it didn't seem like that was THAT much. Then I actually thought about how much I actually play games every week. Here's what I found:

MONDAY - THURSDAY

6:30 PM - 12:00 AM
Generally playing World of Warcraft, Star Trek Online, or some random JRPG on my 360 or PS3.

12:00 AM - 12:30 AM
Lying in bed, playing DS, GBA, or PSP games.

6 hours per day or 24 hours

FRIDAY

6:30 PM - 3:00 AM
Generally playing World of Warcraft, Star Trek Online, or some random JRPG on my 360 or PS3.

3:00 AM - 3:30 AM
Lying in bed, playing DS, GBA, or PSP games.

9 hours

SATURDAY

11:30 AM - 3:00 AM
Generally playing World of Warcraft, Star Trek Online, or some random JRPG on my 360 or PS3.

There is generally 2 hours during that period of time when I'm eating or walking for exercise, so I'll subtract 2 hours.

3:00 AM - 3:30 AM
Lying in bed, playing DS, GBA, or PSP games.

14 hours

SUNDAY

12:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Generally playing World of Warcraft, Star Trek Online, or some random JRPG on my 360 or PS3.

There is generally 2 hours during that period of time when I'm eating or walking for exercise, so I'll subtract 2 hours.

12:00 AM - 12:30 AM
Lying in bed, playing DS, GBA, or PSP games.

10.5 hours

TOTAL HOURS: 57.5 HOURS

48.5 hours a week? That's nothing. It's important to note that I work full time right now and am not in school. Also, although I am married with a 16-year old son, our family time is playing games together. Sometimes that's WoW on the PC or White Knight Chronicles on the PS3. (Husband gets left out of that since we only have 2 PS3's... Sorry, honey! He just does Wintergrasp or something instead...)

It probably helps that money is tight right now, so we don't go out much. Not that we really go out much, anyway. We prefer our entertainment at home. Naturally, there are occasions where I don't play over 50 hours a week, but it almost never goes below 40.

And in case you're wondering... Yes, I have friends. Yes, I got out with them once in awhile. And no, I do not have a big "L" for loser tattooed on my forehead. I'm happy this way. It works for me.

Phone Irresponsibility

2010-02-20T15:50:00.003-10:00

I have been watching the 2010 Winter Olympics lately. (To be honest, I'm really only watching the figure skating.) And they've been showing this AT&T commercial a lot:

Do you know what I think whenever I see it? I think something along the lines of the following:

Whoever is holding that phone needs to pay attention to where the hell he or she is going. !@#$ing idiot.

Maybe I'm being a little harsh, but this is very likely subconsciously encouraging people to keep looking at their phones while they're out in public. I don't know how many times I see people so intently looking that their phones that they are completely unaware of anything going on around them. This behavior can be incredibly dangerous in a worst case scenario and just stupid or inconsiderate in others.

I don't believe that people consciously watch this commercial and think, "Oh yeah, I think I'll do that." It's totally subconscious. It's like how kids mimic their parents' behavior without really being aware of it. When I watch commercials like this one, it serves to reaffirm my belief that companies are willing to completely disregard basic human safety and decency just to make a profit. Disgusting.

(By the way, I'm not picking on AT&T specifically. Their commercial is just on my mind since I'm watching the Olympics right now.)

Too Many Games

2010-02-10T20:04:00.002-10:00

I read this post on GameSpy today:

Dear Videogame Industry, Please Stop Making Games

It made me chuckle. But it also drove home the fact that I, too, have this ridiculous backlog of games. And I mean ridiculous. We're talking stuff on the PS1 and PS2!

Earlier this week, I was thinking about the games that I bought only recently and how I haven't had the opportunity to even START them, yet. THEM! It used to be that I would start A game, not many. Since the holidays, I've picked up Borderlands, Final Fantasy XIII (Japanese), White Knight Chronicles, Star Ocean: Last Hope International Edition, and Dante's Inferno. Oh, and I started playing Star Trek Online. I'm only level 7 because I have limited time to play and I'm trying to play my console games, too. (Not to mention, go to work, go to school, and do my homework.) My husband is now level 11. I'm jealous.

I'm afraid of what would happen if I actually typed out a LIST of all the games I need to play/finish. The ones that I can think of off the top of my head are Magna Carta 2, Demon's Souls, Dragon Age: Origins, Blue Dragon, Star Ocean 3, Final Fantasy X-2, Dragon Warrior 7, Wild ARMs 3, a bunch of Shin Megami Tensei, Suikoden 3... It doesn't help that they're all JRPG's and they actually require more than 15 hours to complete.

I suppose I should feel lucky that I get seasick when playing FPS games, so that knocks off the Bioshocks, Modern Warfare, and whatever else off my list... I leave those games to my son and my husband. And although I have no doubt that Mass Effect 2 is all kinds of awesome, I just don't enjoy shooting games.

And it's not like I don't have anything else to play... >_<

The Star Trek Online Lifetime Subscription

2010-01-22T23:16:00.005-10:00

If there's one thing that I love more than video games, it's probably Star Trek. My favorite is Original Series with DeForrest Kelley, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, etc., although I've enjoyed everything Star Trek I've watched. When I was a little girl, I wanted to marry Spock. Really. My obsession with all things Star Trek was one of the first things that my husband and I talked about when we first met. I knew I had found the right man when I could talk about dilithium crystals, T'Pau, warp cores, or Romulans and he not only knew exactly what I was talking about, but could actually hold conversations with me about those things, too.

And when it comes to video games, I love MMO's. I've subscribed to EverQuest, EverQuest II, Final Fantasy XI, Age of Conan, City of Villains, World of Warcraft, and Aion. So when they first announced a Star Trek Online, I knew that I would play it. No matter what. It could be the worst game EVER, and I'd still play it.

Sometime during late fall, I got into the closed beta test for Star Trek Online. What little I got to play, I enjoyed, although it seemed excessively buggy for a game that was supposed to be coming out in a few months. Closed beta was only for a few hours at a time on a few days a week, so I didn't get to play much. However, when the game worked, I had fun.

Open beta for Star Trek online started on January 12th. Anyone who preorders the game gets a key to play the open beta and it's on 24/7. It's running much better than it was during closed beta, but it's still not polished. Personally, I really wish they would delay it for a few months and polish it. There are too many little things that make it feel like certain details were just glossed over. Regardless, I'm enjoying it and I will play it.

For a limited time, you can opt to buy a lifetime subscription to the game for $240. Am I going to pay that? Absolutely. No question. At first, I felt like spending all this money up front for me AND my husband was a bit extreme. Here's a breakdown:

My collector's edition copy of the game - $80
My husband's collector's edition copy of the game - $80
Collector's edition to send to my friend in Japan - $80
Regular edition for my son - $50
Regular edition for me in order to have a Tribble - $50
My lifetime subscription - $240
My husband's lifetime subscription - $240

TOTAL = $820.00

Seems crazy, right? Here's my justification. (You knew that was coming...) One lifetime subscription is the equivalent of paying the normal monthly fee for 16 months. Given my MMO history, I will play this game at LEAST that long. When I added all this stuff up, I wondered, "How much did I spend on WoW for my family and me?" I spent a total of $3050 on World of Warcraft. Of that amount, $2610 was in subscription fees. The rest was paying for the actual game and its expansions. So in order for us to spend the same amount on Star Trek Online as we did on WoW, my son (for whom we're paying the monthly fee instead of the lifetime subscription), would have to play for over 12.5 YEARS. Yeah, that's so not happening.

The nice thing about this is that I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE. One of my friends here already bought his lifetime subscription and I've read a few blogs and commentaries on the internet from people who are doing it, too. There's a part of me that wonders if this puts me in a different class of freak. Maybe. But that's one of the reasons why my husband married me, I think. ;-)

Dragon Age Update

2009-12-13T21:43:00.002-10:00

So it's now the 13th and I finally received a reply:

Thank you for writing to Electronic Arts customer support.

Please accept my apologies for any delay in responding to your query. Due to the release of this popular game we are receiving more contacts than usual. Though we are trying our level best to get back to all of our customers as soon as possible a few delay is inevitable.

I would like to inform you that I have made necessary changes to your account. Please download the latest EADM to access your soundtrack: http://store.ea.com. Once you have logged in, you can locate the soundtrack as a sub-heading of the Dragon Age entry.

Note: You may need to expand the Dragon Age listing using the down arrow button if they can't see the content.

If there is anything else we can help you with please let us know.

Thank you,

So, it took me one or two minutes to figure out what the hell EADM is supposed to stand for: EA Download Manager. Sure, this may be obvious, but since I have never bought a PC game through EA and I was asking about something for my PS3 version, this didn't occur to me right away. I found the link for the download manager and installed it. Then I logged in and under my account tab, it was totally blank. There is no Dragon Age entry. So I've sent them an update to my original question because there's nothing for me to download and even included a nice little picture of my blank download manager. Maybe I'll get a response in another 13 days...

PS3 Dragon Age: Collector's Edition Frustrations

2009-12-08T19:44:00.002-10:00

If you follow video game news obsessively like I do, you've probably read about the mp3 on bluray snafu on the collector's edition of the PS3 version of Dragon Age. While the PS3 is perfectly capable of playing mp3's, it is NOT capable of reading said mp3's from a bluray disk. So if I want to access the soundtrack on the bonus disk, I have to put the bonus bluray into a bluray drive on a computer. I don't have one of those. Quite frankly, aside from this Dragon Age thing, I don't see why I need one yet. I do believe that I'll want one later, though...

Anyway, over a week ago, Kotaku posted that there was a fix of sorts: e-mail customer service using their form at http://help.dragonage.com.

I sent my help e-mail on November 30th. It is now about 8pm Hawaiian Standard Time on December 8th. I have heard NOTHING. I've checked my question on the site, updated it to include my PlayStation ID and e-mail address, and still nothing.

Now I could easily find the soundtrack on a torrent site or something, but that's not the point. I paid extra money to have the soundtrack. I want to be able to access what I paid for. This is not unreasonable. According to their site, average turnaround time for e-mail inquiries is 24-48 hours. Considering that this problem probably affects ALL PS3 CE owner's, I'm okay with doubling that time frame. However, 9 days is just stupid.

If I don't hear from them by Thursday (my day off), I think I'll see if there's a phone number I can call... Any other suggestions? I shouldn't have to pirate something I legitimately paid for. I also don't think I should have to spend $200 on computer hardware. Plus I have better things to do with my time than sit on hold with some kind of useless customer service representative. Like maybe play some Dragon Age.

More Comment Spam

2009-11-18T15:18:00.004-10:00

Just to let my few readers know...

I've added that word verification thingy to the comment thing. I'm really get sick and tired of having to reject comments about drugs and genitals...

Adventures in Customer Service

2009-10-03T17:01:00.003-10:00

On Thursday, my husband and I celebrated five years of marriage. That day was also the release date for the PSPgo. We thought that would be a nice anniversary present for ourselves. A little pricey at $250, but I had traded in some games to reserve it at Gamestop and I had a few more games to trade in toward it when I picked it up. I had four games to trade in: a DS game, a PS3 game, and two copies of Pokemon Platinum.

When I went in to pick up my system, the sales associate informed me that she couldn't take two of the same game on the same transaction. I said, "Are you fucking kidding me?" She said that it was company policy. Okay, okay, fine. So I asked her if I could trade it in on a different transaction. "No, I can't take in two of the same game on the same day." Excuse me? At this point, I'm starting to get actually irritated. I asked, "The same transaction or the same day?" She said, "The same day." So I said, "So, if someone else came in before me today and traded in Pokemon Platinum, I wouldn't be able to trade in my game?" She said no and said that she couldn't take in two games from the same person. I said, "So, three people in my house play Pokemon Platinum so that we can trade Pokemon with each other and if we were all done playing with them, we can't trade them in on the same day?" She told me that I could come back to tomorrow and trade in my game. In other words, let's pretend that I'm my mom and have three kids. And then let's pretend that my three kids all want to trade in their Pokemon Platinum for Pokemon Soul Silver or Heart Gold. The woman at Gamestop wouldn't let me. Imagine how upset my kids would be.

At this point, I was angry but I had decided that I would have my husband trade in the other Pokemon game since we were going to reserve NBA Live 2010 that day, anyway. So I asked her, "Can someone else trade in this game for me, then? It's a different person and a different transaction, right?" She said that technically I could, but she wouldn't let me because she's not allowed to take in more than one of the same game from the same person on the same day. Apparently my husband and I are one entity, not two. I was FURIOUS at this point. If my son was there, he would have been probably telling me to calm down. Amazingly, aside from my first "Are you fucking kidding me?" comment, though, I never once swore at her.

I asked her what else I had on reserve: Demon's Souls Collectors Edition, Dragon Age: Origins Collector's Edition, and Tekken 6 with Fight Stick. I told her to cancel all my pre-orders and apply them to my PSPgo. I paid for my system and stormed out.

So yesterday (Friday), when I went to trade in my old first-generation 360 for the Elite so that I could hook it up via HDMI, I went to a different store. The guy helping me there was very nice and very helpful. He was a total gamer nerd, too. :) I mentioned what happened at the other store on Thursday. He said, "Oh! I heard about that!" I told him that there was no reason why my husband shouldn't be allowed to trade in the other copy of Pokemon Platinum. And he agreed. I know the manager of this location, so I told the employee to let the manager know that I was the one to canceled all their reserves at the other store and that I would be shopping here from now on. :)

I have to say, I'm really amused that the guy at the second store heard about what I did at the first one, though...Haha.

My Xbox Live Gamertag

2009-10-03T03:22:00.002-10:00

I wanted to upgrade the connection between my 360 and my TV to HDMI, so I traded in my old 360 and picked up a 360 Elite. More hard drive space is always a good thing, too. I don't really have any downloadable content to worry about, so I was content with just recovering my gamertag. Problem is that I have no freaking idea what e-mail I used to create my Xbox live account. So I called customer service. I know what my gamertag IS, so all they would need to do is verify my identity and they could give me the e-mail address.

Well, apparently, their system is down for an update. I asked when I should call back. The guy said, "Maybe 24 to 48 hours."

MAYBE?

/sigh

It's not Xbox Live maintenance or anything. I'm guessing it's an internal thing. I tried sending an e-mail through the form on their website. "There was an error in sending your request..." Okaaaaaaay...

I am SO writing down this information somewhere safe in case I have to deal with this kind of thing again. I'm totally kicking myself for not keeping track of this shit in the first place. ><;

$#@! (Profanity)

2009-09-07T11:24:00.002-10:00

I read a really interesting post on Kotaku today. A word of warning, though... If you plan to read it, it's LONG:

Stop Telling Me What To Do!

I think it brings up interesting points and I have to agree that there are many times that I wish I could turn off tutorials in games... Particularly the ones that assume that I'm a complete IDIOT.

Anyway, this was the first time I'd read anything by this particular author and I enjoyed it quite a bit. He seems intelligent and clever, which can be hard to come by these days when sifting through all the garbage on the internet. But something bothered me as I read it: the profanity.

Now, most people who read this know that I "swear like a fucking sailor" at times. I don't find swearing offensive, in general. I do believe that there are places where it is more or less appropriate. And in my opinion, when reading something "intellectual," swearing doesn't really have a place there. It makes the arguments less valid because swearing just doesn't sound intelligent. In the case of this particular article and topic, I'm guessing that the writing was geared to the audience. This saddens me greatly. As fans of video games, we are constantly complaining that no one takes us seriously and we get angry when people think we're a bunch of socially inept losers sitting in our parents' basement, playing games. Well, look at how we express ourselves to the outside world! It's no wonder people think we're like that. (And I'm not even talking about commenters... That's a whole different issue.)

The thing that boggles my mind the most is that gamers, especially the hardcore ones, really think they're smarter than everyone else. They're the ones that hack their portables, write mods for games, write programs, and all that stuff. So what gives? Maybe I'm expecting too much of people. I do that a lot and it often gets me in trouble...

I'm always very wary when linking articles from other blogs here. They've got people who trackback and all that. I want to point out that I'm not using the Kotaku article to point fingers or insult the author. On the contrary, like I said earlier, I really enjoyed the article and thought it was intelligent and witty. I'm only using it as an example BECAUSE it's so smart. When I was younger, my dad used to tell me that with an intelligence as high as mine, I should be able to find much more intelligent and creative ways to express what I'm trying to say than using four letter words. When I'm hanging out with my friends, I swear and say whatever. But when I'm trying to express an opinion and I want people to actually LISTEN, I'm very careful about the words I choose. It doesn't matter how smart you are. If you come across as an ass or use unintelligent words, no one will listen.

Gamestop Text Messaged Me! :)

2009-08-24T18:41:00.003-10:00

If you know me, you know I hate Gamestop. But you also know that I still reserve my games there. Convenience and the ability to get what I want when I want it are powerful, powerful things. Anyway...

I hate when the Gamestop Reservation system calls me. It's got this overly cheerful sounding girl named Ashley telling me that my game is coming on a certain day and that I should bring in games to trade in. Her voice is ANNOYING.

There are three games coming out that I pre-ordered this week. Yesterday, two reservation lines called me within the span of 10 seconds. I was listening to the first one while the second one made a little beeping noise. The second one left a voice mail.

Today I got a text message that said:

GameStop:Your Prof. Layton Diabolical order avail Tue PM. Bring game trades to reduce price. Store phone is XXX-XXX-XXXX. To end txt msgs reply STOP

I was absolutely ECSTATIC. I hate talking on the phone and listening to voice mails. I love to do all my communicating (aside from in person) via text or e-mail. My family pays $20 a month for unlimited text messaging. We sent and received about 12,000 messages last month. (Keep in mind that we have a 15 year old boy in our family.)

I absolutely need to find out if it's possible to let GameStop know that they should ONLY and ALWAYS contact me via text messaging. If I find anything out, believe me, I will post it here. ^_^

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

2009-08-21T23:04:00.003-10:00

So in case you're living in a cave in the middle of nowhere, Blizzard announced a new expansion for World of Warcraft. They're doing all kinds of stuff to the game. I'm not going to talk about whether I like these things they're doing or not. I figure there are enough people bitching about things they don't like or raving like rabid fanboys/fangirls about things they do...

Basically, the world of Azeroth is being torn asunder by Deathwing, a fierce badass dragon. Lava is erupting from the core of the planet and the entire world is getting all destroyed.

So I just have one question:

WHY THE HELL ARE THE ALLIANCE AND HORDE STILL FIGHTING EACH OTHER?

Seriously, (as much as I dislike the Alliance), I have always felt that the stories and lore involving both the Horde and the Alliance indicate that the two factions have at least some wits about them. Hello! News Flash! The entire planet is crumbling from the inside out because of an ancient evil! Band together and do something about it, for crying out loud. Thrall and Jaina Proudmoore can work together when necessary. They realize that Azeroth's hope lies in setting aside differences and working together to save things. But, NO... Everyone is too stupid.

Maybe I'm too Star Trek, but to me, this just makes every citizen of Azeroth look like a complete idiot. After learning about the new expansion, I'm really glad that I've found a new game to play. Quite frankly, I've always been proud to be part of the Horde, but this is just embarrassing. I'm not going to continue fighting a pointless war when my efforts should be focused elsewhere.

2 New MMO's

2009-08-20T22:50:00.004-10:00

I'm sick of WoW. Like really sick of WoW. Not to mention, I feel like Blizzard doesn't care about its game anymore. Riding at 20? Flying at 60? For a lot less gold than what I paid for it? Why don't they just level your character FOR you? Or better yet, just create your character and start at level 80... /sigh Anyway, I pre-ordered Aion and was able to play the last 4 beta events. And open beta for Champions Online started, so I tried that out, too.

AION

This game is beautiful. I can create pretty male characters. This is important to me. I hate having to play female characters just because the male character models are so ugly. Aion is originally a Korean MMO. Asian character models are very effeminate. Just look at Final Fantasy heroes. It IS possible in Aion to make male characters that are masculine, though, and if you're willing to take the time, the character creation can be extremely detailed so that your hero can look however you want him to. Still, if you're turned off by Asian character design, this game may not be for you.

As far as game-play, it's pretty standard MMORPG fare. I do like that there are certain abilities that can only be used in chains. For instance, you may only be able to use a shield-bashing move if you've blocked the last attack. Or you can only cast a certain spell if you've preceded it with a certain other spell. It makes the game a bit more reliant on reaction, but it's not so fast paced that you might miss it if you're not paying attention. There is also aerial combat. Once you reach level 10, you "ascend" and get your wings. You can only fly for a set period of time before having to recharge, but as you level, this duration increases. Fighting monsters or other players in the air definitely adds a new dimension to combat. This is especially true when you consider that if you're up there too long, you'll fall, possibly to your death.

One of the things that Aion does really well is make the player really feel like part of what's going on. During the game are cut-scenes that involve your character. The only other game that does this well in my opinion is Final Fantasy XI. It seems like Aion takes it a step further by having your character involved in action sequences and not just standing in the same room with the NPC's who are talking. I like feeling immersed and Aion does a great job of that.

Finally, I messed around with the crafting system for a bit. You can take every profession but only master one. I didn't get even close to mastering ANY of them since I was mostly just trying it out, but I liked how the crafting system works. You can actually level up by doing work orders, so you don't have to spend time collecting materials. You can receive a work order and buy any other materials like thread from a nearby NPC. No gathering required. At least not for leveling up your crafting. Keep in mind, though, that if you're using this method to level up, you'll be spending money on stuff like coal or thread and you'll have nothing to sell back to the vendor to make up for your money. You CAN just level on making stuff out of materials that you gather. It just might take longer. It's certainly cheaper. You'll still need to buy your thread, but at least you can sell what you make back to the vendor and get some money back. I have a feeling that when the game goes live, I'll be doing a combination of both.

I'm looking forward to playing this when it goes live. It's a lot of fun and it's something different. I really need different.

Champions Online

I want to like this game. Mostly because it's by the same people doing Star Trek Online and I really don't want STO to suck. The problem is that Champions just isn't doing it for me. It's fun, but I can't see myself actually paying monthly for it.

Character creation is AWESOME. I could spend HOURS just creating characters. There are so many options to mix and match. I saw a lot of people create characters that looked just like their favorite super heroes, but with all the choices, I would think that it's way more fun to make your own.

Game-play is much more like an action game. Although there was auto-attack, I felt like I was playing one of my son's games. I had to block, charge up attacks, and run around. I prefer my games to involve more thinking and less reacting. I also found the power-up system horribly confusing. Although the game tells you what stats to focus on when you're choosing your initial power-set during character creation, I couldn't find any information IN GAME on what different stats do and which ones I should be focusing on for what kinds of abilities. Buying powers in the Powerhouse felt very much like rolling dice and hoping that I was picking something useful. I think part of my problem is that I'm used to games that you pick a class and they can do certain things. In Champions Online, you can custom create your hero and what he or she can do. Want to combine psychic powers with brute force? Go for it. I guess I need more structure...

I am also turned off by the players. Granted, this is open beta which means that any moron with a computer and an internet connection can play. Still, I got sick of clearing out an area so that I could get to a Villain or Super Villain without a million henchmen adds, only to have some asshole kill the Villain or Super Villain. So I'd have to wait until everything respawned and I'd have to try again, only for some OTHER dipshit to do it. This happened a LOT. Even WoW wasn't that bad. Seriously.

As for the crafting system, I found that it wasn't explained very well. I even clicked on all the Information bubbles that the NPC's had, which supposedly explained it. I still didn't really get it, so I just gave up. I love crafting. It's an important part of MMO's for me.

Other Thoughts

There is one thing about both games that I absolutely LOVED. When you have a quest, you can use some kind of feature to know where to go. Aion has a tracker that can locate NPC's on your map. Champions Online had circles indicating where to go for certain quests. Maybe I'm just lazy, but I like to know where I'm going.

So I'm going to be playing Aion and not playing Champions Online. Both games are fun, but Aion is more for me. I'm hoping that it will keep me occupied until Star Trek Online, Final Fantasy XIV, or Star Wars: The Old Republic comes out. I have school starting next week, so it's not like I have a lot of time to play games, anyway... ^_~

Insert Name Here Dislikes This

2009-07-16T11:51:00.001-10:00

Sometime yesterday I opened up iGoogle and visited Google Reader. I noticed that you can now "Like" articles. As a regular user of Facebook, I like this. :) (Groan.) It's fun to see how many people are interested in the same things that you are. And when you can "follow" these people and see what else they're reading, you can get turned on to some new and interesting things. Granted, it's also possible to end up clicking on a whole lot of crap, but it's easy enough to filter stuff out.

Well, I want to DISLIKE things. And it's not because I'm a contrary bitch. Well, that's part of it, but I think it could be a good thing...

In the context of Facebook: When a friend has a bad day or if something really crappy happens to them, you can either "Like" their status or comment on it. I don't like it when my friends get hurt, but I may not want to make a comment, either. Being able to "Dislike" their status would be a nice way to acknowledge their post in a more subtle way. Sort of like a digital hug or smile sent their way. Certainly it can be argued that this would allow people to be absolute jerks on your wall. If your friends are really your friends, I doubt this would happen. And if it did, well, you'd know who your real friends were, wouldn't you? Friends can already say whatever they want on your wall (assuming you have it set that way), so letting them "Dislike" things wouldn't change things much. And you can delete stuff you don't like, anyway.

In the context of Google Reader RSS feeds: A lot of news is BAD. I don't want to "Like" something because I find it interesting or important if it's about some disaster or a murder or something. However, readers may want to acknowledge something important like a shooting and its effects on a community or an industry without saying they "Like" it. Again, this would give people the ability to show any biases or bigotry, but the ability to comment on most news sites these days allows that to an even greater extent, so what's the difference? I also think it would be useful to be able to "Dislike" something if you think it's something that isn't worth the broadband being used to host it. It would give people more insight about what their website's readers like to read about and what they don't. They can utilize this information as much or as little as they want. And for users, it would allow them again to be able to follow someone with similar dislikes, thus possibly being turned on to something new and interesting.

It's okay to dislike things. It's part of human nature. They say it takes all kinds, right? ;-)

International Shipping

2009-06-25T21:23:00.002-10:00

So there's this new, free online service that helps you stay on top of buying your household goods like toilet paper and razors. They apparently search the internet for the best price for your preferred brand and you can order it through them and they'll send it to you. It's called Alice.com and it looks pretty cool. It's still in beta stage and only offers their service to US customers within the continental United States. Since I live in Hawaii, I can't use their service. I'm not surprised or annoyed by this, really. I'm used to it. They had a contact form, though, so I sent them an e-mail asking if they were planning on extending their service to Hawaii. Just curious, you know? I received the following reply:

Hello,

We currently do not ship internationally. We only ship to the Continental U.S. Our team is working hard to provide the service internationally and will keep the public posted when changes occur via our blogs & the alice.com homepage.

Thank You.

Internationally? Are you kidding me? You work on the internet, which has flattened the world, and you think shipping to Hawaii is international shipping? I could have accepted a response like that if I had called a 1-800 number 10 years ago or something. This was the first time in a LONG time that I actually encountered one of those misconceptions about Hawaii. It used to be pretty common. You know, stuff like people being surprised that I speak English or wear clothes. But it has been YEARS since I encountered anything like that. So, being the snippy bitch that I am, I e-mailed a reply:

Hawaii is NOT international shipping. =/ Just because we're not part of the continental US does not mean that we're "international."

Anyway, thank you for your reply.

Mean? Yeah, probably a little. Still, I couldn't help myself. I wouldn't want their customer service department to remain under a bizarre delusion that Hawaii is a foreign country.

On a side note, however, Hawaii really can FEEL like you're outside of the United States. Sadly, and much to the chagrin of many Hawaii residents, we are becoming more "mainland" every day. I hope we can keep our other-worldliness.

ST:TOS on bluray

2009-05-05T21:32:00.001-10:00

OH MY GOD.

Star Trek: The Original Series on bluray is AWESOME. Buy it. Buy a bluray player. Watch it.

Period.

Final Fantasy XIII Demo

2009-05-05T21:23:00.002-10:00

My Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete finally arrived in the mail on Saturday. It had shipped on the 15th of April! I was beginning to think that someone stole it from my mail box just to deprive me of FF... Okay, not really. I'm exaggerating a little...

Still, I'm happy I finally got to try the FFXIII demo. It seemed a bit short, but it could be because I'm such a Final Fantasy fangirl. Who knows. I certainly enjoyed it, but from what I've read, the real battle system has a lot more going on and is much more complex. So it's impossible to tell from playing the demo whether the new battle system is any good.

The game is certainly pretty and there was a little baby chocobo. I love chocobos. I love cute things. I enjoyed playing the demo and I look forward to playing the game. However, I don't feel that I really got a taste of what's to come.

Oh well. Honestly, it doesn't matter. I'll play it anyway. I'm a FF fangirl, remember? =P

Is Hawaii really that far away? I guess it is...

2009-05-05T21:07:00.002-10:00

It's a rare day that you read any gaming news that has anything to do with Hawaii. We're not exactly known to be a mecca of video games or anything like that. We're known for white sand beaches, sunshine, and rainbows.

So today I read on a couple of sites about the fact that Mayor Mufi Hannemann will be signing a law that prohibits handheld device use while operating a motor vehicle. Smart, really. I don't know how many times I've seen some idiot on their cellphone run a stop sign or something. With the new law, people can still use hands-free devices, so it's not THAT big of a deal.

Anyway, one website stood out to me: Joystiq. And I swear, I'm not picking on them. Here's the link to their post:

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/06/honolulu-mayor-bans-mobile-electronic-devices-while-driving/

Now here's the part that stood out to me:

So, if you're looking to game and drive to the beach, head on over to Kailua. The beaches are better and there are far fewer tourists to inattentively run over.

Yes, I realize the author is being sarcastic, facetious, or whatever. That's not the issue. But if he's going to make a funny like that, he needs to use a different city. It's true that Kailua is a separate city from Honolulu. It's also true that it has nicer beaches and fewer tourists. Only one problem: Mayor Hannemann is the chief executive officer of the City & County of Honolulu. The ENTIRE island of Oahu (which is where Kailua is located) is the County of Honolulu.

I'm not complaining that the author didn't do their homework or anything. I just never really thought about how far away we are. Oahu being the County of Honolulu seemed so obvious to me, but it's actually not obvious at all. I think the point that I'm trying to make is that although the internet has shrunk the world to the point where someone halfway across the world is accessible as though they were next door, we are still so very far away.

I've really grown accustomed to this internet technology. It's brought me closer to things that were so out of reach when I was a kid 30 years go. So sometimes I forget how far away people really are.

I guess it was just a shock to me that I had adapted so much to the internet that I actually forgot about reality.

George Takei, Adolf Hitler, and Me

2009-04-20T13:36:00.003-10:00

So I turned 35 today. For some reason, today just doesn't feel like a birthday. I don't really have a problem with my age. No one thinks I'm this old, anyway. ^_^

I've always really liked the date of my birth because it's an interesting day. Adolf Hitler was born on this day in 1889. Not that this is someone I like or respect in ANY WAY, but no one can argue that he left an indelible mark on the history of the world. Kotaku has a post today about game where you can kill him:

Celebrate Hitler's Birthday By Killing Him In These Games

I was amused. =) It's interesting to read the comments, though. I often get the impression that people are trying to erase his existence in a way instead of remembering what he did so that we don't ever do the same thing in the future.

But enough serious crap...

Today in 1937, George Takei, famous for being Sulu in the original Star Trek series, was born. I love the original series. It's absolutely my favorite. Oooh...that reminds me. The bluray for season one comes out next week! Need money...lol.

MMO Bitterness

2009-03-16T15:32:00.004-10:00

I haven't played original EQ in a few years. I just don't have time. I enjoyed it quite a bit and still consider going back to it. But none of my friends play it. They all play WoW. And they almost all play Alliance. Yuck. So maybe I should go back to EQ. I'd be by myself either way, right? ;-P

Anyway, today on Kotaku, they ran a very short news bit letting the gaming community that today is the 10th anniversary of EQ and there was much celebrating. It was very short:

So I Guess Everquest Turns 10 Today [Kotaku]

Here's the part that irked me:

EverQuest went live March 16, 1999 and rose to gamer fame over the next decade, spawning 15 expansions and a full-blown sequel that still feeds on the souls of the unwary MMO gamer.

What's with the bitterness? Seriously. When I played, I maintained a healthy relationship, was able to parent my child, and even went out with my friends. EQ never had the subscription base that World of Warcraft has now. But articles written about just about any MMO often ring with this same sentiment. But being so into Halo that you paint your game room green is totally fine. Or decorating your bathroom walls with Mario. Or painting the entire Legend of Zelda world map on your car. Those people's souls seem to be unsucked and just fine. That's such a double standard.

MMO gamers are not all pimply losers anymore. MILLIONS of people play them, but I don't see society going to complete shit because people aren't showing up for their jobs in order to raid. Yes, there are exceptions: people who play so much that they have seizures or flunk out of school, for example. Most of the people I know who play MMO's are working, responsible adults. Sure, they spend a lot of their free time in front of their computers, questing, raiding, or whatever. But I really don't see how that's SOOOO different than some guy sitting in front of his TV and Street Fighter IV, trying to master all the special moves for all the characters so he can kick ass online. When I see my friends doing that, I actually think their souls have been sucked far deeper than mine. I take breaks. I do other things. I work. I go to school.

So, yeah, I'd really appreciate it if journalists would stop stereotyping us. Especially the gamer ones. They should know better.

OMG a Human~!

2009-03-11T19:44:00.002-10:00

I pre-ordered the Resident Evil 5 Collector's Edition from Gamestop. I really hate Gamestop, but I'm one of those people that simply won't wait for games to be shipped to me. I want to be able to pick it up THAT DAY. I can't help it. It's just how I am...

So when you pre-order something from Gamestop, you get a phone call reminding you that the game is coming out. I think I wrote a post once before about the dead chick calling me, right? They had a recording who always identified herself as Aeris. You know, the girl in pink that Sephiroth kills in Final Fantasy VII. And if you get all pissy at me for giving you spoilers, tough shit. If you're a gamer, you know about this already. It's one of those "holy shit, omg" moments of video gaming. And if you didn't already know about it, then you probably were never going to play the game anyway, so who cares? Sorry... Tangent. But yeah, it totally creeped me out that a dead chick was calling me.

Eventually, she was replaced by a voice who identified herself as Ashley. Although she doesn't creep me out, I think I hate her just as much. She sounds like one of those really bouncy cheerleaders that you just want to punch. Super happy, annoying, and ohmigod-flipping-the-hair bouncy.

This evening, an ACTUAL EMPLOYEE of the store I pre-ordered from called me. And he was calling me from the store. (Cell phone caller ID FTW...) He said all the same stuff that Ashley normally does: that they're having a midnight launch tomorrow night and that I should bring in games to trade in toward my purchase because I'll get an extra 20% of trade in value. Honestly, I was so stunned that a HUMAN called me that I forgot to give him a hard time. I give all Gamestop employees a hard time...lol. :-) They know me there, so I can. I'm not mean or anything. Just rascally... Anyway, I just said "Okay" a few times and "Thank you." Yeah, that was really weird. A human...

Dell Customer Service [RANT]

2009-02-24T11:51:00.003-10:00

This isn't my week. Seriously.

I need a laptop for school. I saw the VAIO P and considered buying it, but I'm choosing to wait for the less processor-hungry Windows 7. So in the mean time, since we have almost $800 of credit with Dell, we decided that we'd buy a Dell and if/when I buy the VAIO P, I'll just give the Dell to my husband.

On January 24th, I went to Dell's website and customized a laptop. Including tax, shipping, and all that, it came out to $929.84. So I told it to put it on my Dell account and it told me there wasn't enough space, at which point I specified that I wanted to put $750 on the Dell account and the remaining $179.84 on my debit card for my checking account. The computer I was on was not connected to the printer, so I didn't print out my confirmation page. We had split payment up like that before without issues and I have to admit I don't always print out confirmation pages, especially when they send e-mail confirmation to your e-mail address. Dell's confirmation e-mails do not include any payment details, though, but I didn't really think about that at the time. My laptop was supposed to arrive around February 4th, but it got delayed 3 times. Three times we got an e-mail, explaining that there was a back-ordered part and they had to ask us if we still wanted the laptop. Three times we said yes. Two days ago, on the 22nd, we received an e-mail saying that it shipped. Yay! I was very happy.

Then yesterday late afternoon, I was talking to my husband about money. I don't remember what it was that he wanted, but I told him I had to look at the account to see where we were at. So I logged into my checking account and found a negative balance. When I clicked on the details, I saw that Dell had charged my debit card all $929.84! I was furious, not to mention totally panicked because there were still items that hadn't cleared the bank, which meant that for each thing that hit my account, I was going to get a $26 overdraft fee.

We tried calling customer service, but they were closed already. We called the bank and explained the problem and they said that as long as Dell was willing to fix the billing and the bank saw that they refunded the money, then any fees incurred would be waived. I was somewhat relieved since I thought Dell wouldn't give me any trouble with that. I took several deep breaths and tried to keep myself from having a total meltdown. It worked. But...

I WAS WRONG.

After almost an hour on the phone with Dell Customer Care in Bangalore, India, being transferred from person to person, they told us that there was nothing they could do. According to their records, we didn't use our Dell Preferred Account and since I didn't print out the confirmation page, I have no proof to show them otherwise. The laptop is scheduled to be delivered by FedEx today. I'm not even going to open it. My only option is to return it and according to their website, they may deduct up to a 15% restocking fee and they won't refund the original shipping and handling.

I have so far incurred 9 overdraft fees. My checking account is somewhere around -$550. Since we're returning the item and Dell isn't FIXING things, I don't know if the bank will waive my fees now or not. This was the first time in my life that I had more than just what I barely needed in the bank. Not like it was a huge amount, but a few hundred dollars is a major improvement over living check to check. Now it's gone and I honestly don't know what to do about it. I found the snail mail address for Dell's headquarters in Texas and I can look for the names and titles of the executives on their website, but I wonder if writing to them is going to do me any good at all. And now, not only am I going to be out a lot of money. I still won't have my fucking laptop.

You know, I almost never cry anymore, but I feel so defeated, frustrated, and upset that I just can't help it.

Edit: I forgot to add. There are still two outstanding items that haven't cleared my checking account. So, my balance should be decreasing by another $80 or so. Obviously I can't use my debit card now. Nor can I buy anything. I have some space on my credit cards, but if you think I'm going to use those now, you're CRAZY! lol

Greedy Credit Card Company Bastards [RANT]

2009-02-21T14:20:00.002-10:00

I will be the first to tell anyone who asks that I don't have a good credit score and that I really wasn't able to make smart money decisions when I was younger. However, I have learned from my mistakes and over the last few years have been taking steps to improve my credit score and decrease my debt. About three years ago, my husband and I realized that we were getting in over our heads, so we decided to do something about it. First we put almost $10,000 of credit card debt into consolidation. Yes, I know that's not the greatest thing for your credit score, but being unable to pay our bills at all would have been worse. Second, we halted all use of the cards that we didn't consolidate and paid more than the minimum payments so that we could bring the balances down. (Unfortunately, when my husband lost his job last year, we were forced to use them again, which essentially brought us back to where we started, but at least it was just a few cards and not thousands of dollars.) When my husband found a new job, we stopped using the cards again and have been paying over the minimums to bring the balances down. In addition to all that, we've cut down on our video game purchases, almost never buy Bluray movies or DVD's, and stopped buying action figures and other collectible toys. We buy cheap food in bulk at Costco and Sam's Club, eat at home more often, and bring home lunch to work. (I cheat for school, though, and eat in the cafeteria, but it's pretty cheap and that's only 4 days a week.)

So, in other words, I have been busting my ass to stay on top of things. I'm current on all my bills, the repo man hasn't come for my car, and I even have money saved in the bank! So imagine my fury when I received notices in the mail for all our Capital One credit cards letting me know that any of my cards with limits higher than $350 are going to have an interest rate increase to 22.9%!!!! I'm so angry that I don't know where to start! They gave me the option to decline the increase and close the accounts, but closing credit card accounts hurts your credit score and I'm trying to raise it, not lower it. My credit score isn't high enough for me to transfer my cards to another bank that isn't screwing their customers. What the fuck is Capital One doing with that $3.5 billion in TARP, anyway? Giving it to their senior executives? They receive government help and now they're screwing their customers even MORE? And that law or whatever that the White House is supposed to be making to keep credit card companies from doing exactly this isn't going into effect until 2010 or something.

There are people out there who are behind on their mortgage payments, car payments, and credit card bills and they're going to be getting help from the government. These people are in a way worse place than I am, and although there is a part of me that feels bitter than I'm not getting any help, I think that the help they will be receiving could help our economy overall. I'm not so upset about not getting help, but I am upset that in addition to not getting help, I'm getting even more screwed. (Yes, I know the screwing is coming from the credit card company, NOT the government. I'm just MAD MAD MAD!)

Why the hell have I been trying so hard? My hard work isn't making anything easier or better for me. It's just getting worse. I'm so sick and tired of feeling like things are getting better and then all of a sudden something comes from out of the blue and punches me in the gut. I can't travel back in time and make better decisions. I can only move forward from here. I would really appreciate it if life wouldn't keep putting brick walls in my path.

Facebook

2009-02-06T15:25:00.003-10:00

So I'm really pissed. Okay, maybe just really irritated. As part of my current endeavor to obtain a BBA in Management of Information Systems and International Business, I have to take a class called Information Systems for the Global Business Environment. The topic we just finished is based off a book by Thomas L. Friedman called The World is Flat. It's a book about globalization and how the way we live and do business is changing because of information systems and technology.

Anyway, for this topic, we had a two-fold assignment. First, we had to create a Skype account (if we didn't already have one) and chat with classmates. Then answer some questions about Skype's business model, whether it was easy to use/setup, and whether we'd use it again. The second part of the assignment was to create an account on Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter and then answer more questions.

I have managed to go a LONG time without being on social networking sites. I am on LinkedIn for work, but that's about it. I only made the exception for that site because it's used primarily for business networking, not social networking. I hate mySpace. I see my son's page and want to put a fist through the monitor because it's got so much ad crap on it and looking at it makes me feel like I'm hanging out at a mall, surrounded by teenagers. I hate social networking sites because I don't like being found. If you type in my name into Google, MOST of the hits that come up are NOT me. I've worked very hard to keep things this way. So being forced to create a social networking account really upset me.

But I made one. I had to choose between the 3 and since mySpace seems to be populated by mostly kids and sex offenders, I chose Facebook. (I didn't know anything about Twitter except that some of the writers at Kotaku use it or used to use it and I don't really like the Kotaku writers that much.) In a matter of hours, friends were sending me messages, saying stuff like, "It's about damned time!" I found old friends that I hadn't seen or heard from in years.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that I LIKE Facebook. I certainly don't understand how people can be so ADDICTED to it. My dad is obsessed with it. He found out that I got on Facebook and as soon as he finished eating his dinner, he hopped on his computer, wrote on my "wall," sent me a message, commented on my marital status, and invited me to chat. I was two rooms away in the same house! I was talking about Facebook with one of my bosses at work and she described it perfectly:

It's like you and everyone you know are all walking around in the same building or hallway. You run into people in the hallway and say hi and ask what they're up to. They respond and you say a little something and then you both keep going on your merry way. But instead of being in a physical place, it's all on a screen.

Since I am working toward becoming a businesswoman, networking (professional, social, and technical) is crucial for that goal. I've kept my Facebook profile for friends only since I really believe that you should be careful about what any Joe Shmoe can find out about you on the internet. But in our current global world economy, anonymity is only going to hinder me.

Obama's Bodyguards Were Watching Me Eat Sushi

2008-12-30T12:37:00.005-10:00

I think I've mentioned before that I LOVE sushi. It's one of those foods that gives me a feeling of ecstasy whenever I eat it. Someone once told me that when I eat it, the look I get on my face makes it seem that I'm imagining something naughty and indecent. Yeah, I LOVE sushi. My son recently discovered that he likes raw fish. (FINALLY!!! I was seriously wondering if he was really genetically mine...lol) So last night, we went out to Sushi Bistro Shun (my favorite sushi restaurant) with my parents. They don't have a website. I've found that most of my favorite places to eat don't. You can just Google their address if you're ever in Honolulu and want to eat there.

Anyway, Sushi Bistro Shun is across the street from Alan Wong's Restaurant. (They DO have a website.) And Barack Obama was having dinner there. So there were cops all over the place. Gawkers and video cameras, too. I just wanted to get into the damned parking lot. I finally did. I went into Sushi Bistro and sat at the sushi bar. (No self-respecting sushi fan would sit anywhere else.) We were eating and drinking, having a good time. The problem was that EVERY time you could hear a siren outside, this large group of Japanese tourists (?) would run outside and see if anything was going on. So irritating.

And it was apparently irritating enough to the people OUTSIDE that they sent two bodyguards into Sushi Bistro. (We had been spared this for the first hour or so of dinner.) One was dressed all in black, looking very intimidating (at least he's good at his job). My son and I decided that he looked like a bad guy from a Die Hard movie. He ordered take-out and waited at the entrance, watching everyone. You know, it's kind of unsettling trying to eat when you feel eyes on you. I realize that the man was doing his job, but I hate that feeling. The other guy was dressed more normal, I suppose. He went into the back of the restaurant and looked around. Then he sat and ate at the far end of the sushi bar. (At least he knew where to sit for the best food!) He was much more subtle, thank goodness. When the other guy left with his take-out, it was a relief.

Overall, it didn't diminish my sushi experience that much. The atmosphere, for the most part, was the usual: hectic, happy, with shouts from the awesomely talented, demanding sushi chef. But I have to admit, I wanted to leave sooner than I normally do. There's a small part of me that thinks it would be really interesting to meet famous people, but the sensible side of me wonders what I would say in order to not come across like a blathering idiot. Whenever the president or, in this case, the president-elect visits Hawaii, it helps tourism a LOT and I totally appreciate that. On the other hand, it really screws up traffic and a myriad of other things. A few hours of inconvenience is a small price to pay, but I just wanted to REALLY ENJOY my sushi, you know? Eating at Sushi Bistro is something I do only a few times a year. It's special.

I'm sorry for complaining. Really. I'm looking forward to seeing what Obama is going to do for our country over the next four years. Honest. I just feel like my sushi experience was lessened a little and it makes me bitchy. Hahaha...

Consoles vs. Computers

2008-10-29T22:42:00.002-10:00

I've always preferred to play video games on consoles instead of my computer. There are two reasons for this. First, games work on consoles because they're MADE for them. You don't have to worry about settings and whether or not your hardware is compatible, etc. Second, DRM (digital rights management or copy protection) issues.

So I picked up Fallout 3 yesterday for the PS3. Console game, right? Before even completing the prologue I encountered a bug that stopped me from continuing the game. After trying to get past it twice without turning on the living room computer to look and see if there was a workaround or something, I quit the game, shut off the PS3, and let my husband have the TV to watch sports highlights. I was really irritated. I went to Bethesda's forums for the game and found that this was a common bug. I also learned the workaround, so I'll try it another day. The PS3 hardware and software issues forum had quite a few posts on it.

My first thought was that maybe I should have bought the 360 version instead, but then I browsed the 360 forums and discovered that there were many bugs being reported there, as well. So much for that idea. And then I thought about it and realized that this was not an isolated incident. More and more games are being released on consoles that require patches and fixes. Off the top of my head, there's a bug in Fable II where you can't continue the story if you don't stand and listen to some guy's whole conversation. Games for consoles are getting to be more and more like computer games, except that everyone has the same system for the most part, so there really shouldn't be compatibility issues.

During the reign of the older systems, such as the PS2, Dreamcast, or GameCube, you could just pop in a game disk and the game would work. If it didn't, it meant that you had a defective disk and replacing it with a new one solved the problem. This is not the case anymore. Honestly, if it wasn't for DRM issues, I'd be seriously tempted to start gaming on my computer instead of my consoles when given the choice now because I have a pretty powerful computer. And if I'm going to have to deal with bugs and problems, anyway, I may as well have two monitors and be in the comfort of my air conditioned bedroom, you know?

Wii Music and the Wii Update

2008-10-26T11:42:00.003-10:00

Just to let you know... Playing Wii Music requires you to have the latest update on the Wii. Honestly, there's a lot of other stuff you're missing out on by not updating your Wii at this point, too, but I have so far been able to live with that simply because there hasn't been anything released lately on the Virtual Console that I absolutely have to have. I understand the logic behind the updates, but it's still irritating.

I like to play Japanese games. The PS3 allows me to play North American and Japanese games. The Nintendo DS and Sony PSP are region-free. XBox 360 software is sometimes region-locked, sometimes not, although it's rare that there's a 360 game that I want that's Japan Only.

I write (as a hobby) for an import gaming website. So now I have to save up $400 to buy a Japanese Wii so that I can play Japanese games. In addition to the money, there's the issue of SPACE and inputs on my television set. I have an up-scaling DVD player, a VCR, a Wii, a PS3, a 360, PS2, and a cable box connected to my TV. Ddaydj had to make a little spreadsheet so that we could keep track of video input settings and shit like that. Adding yet another piece of hardware is just stupid. I'm so irritated.

For now, I'm not updating my Wii. However, I don't know how much longer that's going to be a feasible option. We'll see, I guess...

Why is this at Tokyo Game Show?

2008-10-08T23:16:00.003-10:00

Eternal Sonata, also known as Trusty Bell: Chopin's Dream in Japan, was released on the PS3 in Japan in September. I realize that was only about a month ago, but if they're going to have an official TGS trailer, it should be in Japanese, not English.

I'm just using this game as an example. I've come across a LOT of "TGS Trailers" since the Tokyo Game Show began earlier today that are clearly for audiences outside of Japan.

I guess this is proof that Japanese gaming is going the way of the dinosaur. Since there are more game dollars to be spent by consumers OUTSIDE of Japan, video game development companies are focusing on Westerners as their demographic. From a business standpoint, this makes perfect sense. I can't fault their logic at all. People are in business to make money. That's the way of the world, although I don't have to like it. The fact that the Tokyo Game Show is being tailored more and more for the Western media really disappoints me even though I understand why.

I'm not saying that things should just revert back to how things were when the gaming industry catered to a niche market, although sometimes I wish it would. I'm just saying that the Tokyo Game Show should focus on Japan, NOT the United States. Given the Japan-centric nature of the country, it's actually impressive that they've changed so much. I don't remember seeing nearly this much English stuff last year.

Oh well, I take my hat off to the industry. It's managed to encourage me to take yet another step away from its fickle affections. I honestly don't see myself giving up games or anything drastic like that, but I'm not sure I'll ever get rabid over a game release ever again...

Today's Dose of Comedy - The Debates

2008-10-07T15:54:00.002-10:00

One of my bosses has the Presidential Debate streaming to his computer right now and since we're in the same office area, I'm listening.

I don't normally talk about politics. This is mostly because I don't believe that I have the necessary education and understanding to be able to say anything and know what I'm talking about. Sure, I have my opinions, but I don't feel that they're educated enough to broadcast. If only ALL people actually considered their own expertise before opening their mouths...

I honestly believe that there is more than one right answer to any question that deals with opinion. In fact, I truly believe that every person has their own right answer. Everyone has their own ideas on how things should be or how a problem should be fixed. Our presidential candidates are no different.

So here's my bitch: (You knew this was coming...)

They keep answering the questions by pointing out why their opponent is wrong or what their opponent doesn't know. I don't give a shit about what one guy thinks the other guy is doing. I want to know what THEY are going to do. Fuck the other guy. I haven't heard anything of substance since the damned thing started. My boss and I have busted out laughing a few times already. These discussions are related to the FUTURE OF OUR COUNTRY. And I'm LAUGHING!!!

There is something seriously wrong with that. I have to admit that this election is the first time in my life I've ever watched/listened to the debates. Has it always been this way? My husband, who is 13 years my senior, says no. Candidates used to actually have things of substance to say. I can't imagine it. Ever since I can remember, the presidential race has been full of puffery and bullshit. ><;

That Fable 2 Cheat Thing

2008-09-19T11:24:00.005-10:00

In anticipation of the release of Fable 2, a set of pub games were released to give players a head start on making money. A glitch or cheat was quickly discovered, which would allow you to risk the lowest amount, but still gain the highest payoff. If you update XBox Live regularly, this glitch has been patched and doesn't work anymore.

Did I use the cheat while it was live? Yup, you bet.

Why? It's not a MMO, so why the hell not?

So Peter Molyneaux recently announced that there will be in-game consequences for cheating. Personally, I think that's pretty cool. My choice to cheat was a reflection of my gamer personality. Not to mention, I'm one of those people that played the first Fable and tried to be as evil as possible. I like being an evil bitch. It's fun for me. And since you have to actively connect your pub games account to your new character, I may create one character who didn't cheat and one who did. We'll see. My son and I share these things, after all.

So here's the thing that gets me: Molyneaux also stated that the glitch was intentional. ***BULLSHIT*** If that's true, why would they patch it? I hate this kind of backward ass-covering. So they created some consequence that they threw into the game and then said they did it on purpose. Come on. I wouldn't have a problem if they patched it and then said, "Well, since there was a cheat, we're going to add in a consequence for cheating."

As far as I can tell, you can choose to carry over the gold or not, so people still have a choice. Personally, I'm looking forward to being branded a criminal or something at the outset of the game. I have a feeling, though, that it won't be a particularly deep experience because it seems that the consequence was simply thrown in to cover their asses. If it really WAS intentional, it would make more sense to leave it un-patched and let people suffer the consequences.

I'm really getting sick and tired of game developers pulling my chain and dicking me around for the sake of their self-image and self-importance. I'm irritated enough as it is about the damned dog. I HATE DOGS. =P Still, I'm really looking forward to this game. Maybe I can leave my dog at home?

EDIT: This is not a sour grapes post. I really AM looking forward to whatever consequence it is that I get for cheating. :) I just wish they'd be up front about it.

I Love My Husband

2008-09-16T21:23:00.004-10:00

This picture always cracks me up. My husband and I do not express our feelings for each other this way, by the way. It's just that I wanted to find something silly to put up there to cheer him up.

The few people who read my blog probably remember a post that I wrote back in late June called, "I'm Human, Too." I was venting about life sucking and one of the things that I wrote about was the fact that his brother had unexpectedly passed away. I mentioned his mom's passing a year earlier, too. His father has been in and out of the hospital with colon troubles and yesterday we learned that he had stage 4 colon cancer. The doctor estimated another year. I began wracking my brain to figure out a way to afford to have my husband fly out to Washington state to see him one last time. Then this morning he woke me up and said, "My dad passed on this morning. He was in pain and it was only going to get worse, so I'm relieved that he's not suffering anymore. I'm really sad, though."

We talked for an hour or so about love, family, life, and all that good stuff. I know that his father said that he was ready to go and that he had lived a good life. They spoke to each other on the phone yesterday and got to say, "I love you." I think that's very lucky.

I'm very sad, too. Again I am reminded of the fragile nature of human life and how lucky I am to have most of my friends and family still around. I once read in a pamphlet about how to deal with a dying loved one that it's so much harder for the one who's dying because I only have to say goodbye to that one person. They have to say goodbye to everyone.

My husband is having a rough time, so I want him to know that I love him. I know this is sappy, but I don't care.

Sexy New Phone

2008-09-11T12:11:00.003-10:00

I'm a huge fan of the sleek flip-phones available in Japan. I really hate the bar and slider phones that are so popular in the United States. So when this phone was announced for T-Mobile, I was ecstatic and I picked it up yesterday. My phone has green (my favorite color) accents instead of silver. I couldn't find a nice pic. All the green ones were fuzzy and ugly, for some reason. Anyway, I'm happy to have a sexy, sleek phone.

Just one problem: There's no where on this forsaken island to buy the damned USB cable. My husband and I went all over town yesterday and he continued the quest this morning while I was sitting at work. No luck. And it's not like I need a special cable for this particular Sony Ericsson model. Any Sony Ericsson phone USB cable will work. Even the carriers that sell Sony Ericsson phones don't have the cable. They tell their customers to buy it from Sony.com. Give me a break.

I've always found Sony to be rather frustrating when it comes to proprietary accessories and things, but it's a price I'm generally willing to pay because I like Sony things. Finding a USB cable for a Sony phone should NOT be this difficult. However, I was forced to resort to eBay. True, it's cheaper that way, but now I have to wait for it to ship to me.

It's a generic accessory for most recent Sony Ericsson phones, for crying out loud! There is no reason whatsoever that I shouldn't be able to walk into AT&T (they're the primary sellers of Sony phones) and just pick up a damned cable!

/ignore

2008-09-02T15:40:00.006-10:00

(Side Note: This is my 100th post! Wow! Didn't realize I was so talkative.)

After reading my previous post about stupid people in MMO's, a friend of mine said to me that the /ignore function was a great thing and that his list was almost full. I laughed and told him that he was right, but that I didn't use /ignore. I realize that this function can be a useful tool, but to me, using it is like cheating.

For anyone not familiar with /ignore, it's a function found in most (if not all) massively multi-player online games that allows you to ignore specific players. It is sometimes called something else. For example, in Final Fantasy XI it's called /blist or blacklist. When you put someone on your /ignore list, you cannot hear anything that player says. At all. In private messages, chat channels, nothing. Some games let the player know that they are being ignored, while others don't. When you're being harassed or simply find someone to be annoying or irritating, you can add them to that list and you don't have to deal with them anymore. Just to clarify, this is not the same as reporting a player for inappropriate behavior or anything, so it's not like ignoring a player is going to get them in trouble.

Sounds nice, doesn't it? Still, I don't use it. In fact, when someone really pisses me off, I often add them to my friends list so that I know when they're on and that I should be aware that they may decide to piss me off again. This sounds counterintuitive, I know, but online games are public spaces and in real life public spaces, I don't have the option to just type "/ignore Person" and never have to worry about listening to them ever again. I WISH. When I decide to log in to an online game, I do this with the knowledge that I'm going to be in a place with a LOT of other people, whether I like them or not. No matter the forum, places with a lot of people, whether physical or digital, are going to have people who behave well and people who behave badly. That's life. Because I view it that way, for ME, using /ignore is the coward's way out. If I don't want to deal with assholes, I don't go online.

Personally, I think that giving players the option to just /ignore people stunts their psychological development in being able to deal with other people. Sure, it's easy to deal with people when they're nice, but when they're not, it's a challenge and a damned good learning experience. On the other hand, I do realize that these online spaces are for our recreation and perhaps we don't WANT to have to deal with the same kind of crap we do in the real world. If that's the case, I don't think it's accurate to compare these online worlds to the real ones. The thing is, they ARE very similar to the real one. So I choose to exist and behave in virtual worlds in the same manner that I do in the real one.

Why I Only Play MMO's With My Friends

2008-08-30T13:11:00.003-10:00

In World of Warcraft, you can buy certain things if you have the proper reputation level with a particular race or group of people. An easy way to do this is to do low level quests for the faction with which you want a reputation increase. It's much easier and faster if you're significantly over-leveled. I am playing a Draenai hunter and I was working on my Night Elf faction. (My goal is to obtain the highest level of reputation with all the old world Alliance factions.) So my level 21 character was fighting in an area designed for levels 5 through 10. This way I can blitz through the quests and get the reputation rewards with very little hassle.

The newbie zone for the Night Elves is a place called Teldrassil. There is one particular quest in this area that SUCKS if you're the appropriate level. It's called "The Relics of Wakening" and it is a level 9 quest. I've done it twice at the appropriate level. The first time, I died a LOT. The second time I asked my higher level husband for help. You can see by the comments on the quest at Allakhazam that this quest causes a lot of anger and frustration. However, at level 21, it's no problem.

While I was working on this quest, there was another player in the area. He or she was a level 9 hunter. I make it a point to stay out of the way of lowbies because they're trying to do quests and it can be very frustrating when some high level comes along and kills everything, forcing the lowbie to wait for respawns. I know I get pretty irritated at times when I'm playing my lowbies. So there were two enemies: one named, one regular. (In WoW, named mobs are not necessarily special, although they may be required for a quest.) I did not have a quest requiring me to dispatch the named mob, so when the level 9 hunter decided to pull it, I stood back and waited. In the meantime, I decided to look up the quest on my other screen. When I looked back, the hunter was almost dead, so I instructed my pet to finish off the named, thinking that my pet would automatically kill the other mob that was attacking the lowbie. Unfortunately, my pet did not get hate from the other mob, so it continued to attack the lowbie, ultimately killing him or her.

The following is the conversation that occurred after their death:

Player: ur good at watching people die
Me: i hate it when i'm playing a lowbie and people interfere with me
Me: so i leave people alone
Player: why are u here ur too high for this place
Me: rep
Player: thats retarded go farm some cloth this will give u close to nothing
Me: no, i get full rep benefits for all lowbie quests
Me: this is faster
Player: yah still coulda helped me when i was diein
Me: i didn't know you were dying...
Me: it's not my job to watch everyone's health bar
Player: i was right in front of you...
Me: i did not have you targeted
Player: still if ur standing pointed toward me i would assume u had me or my enemy targeted in which case u would prolly attack the enemy
Player: or see i was getting hit and go o ill help
Me: did it occur to you that i could have been looking away from my screen or something? are you so self-centered that you think that some random person standing next to you thinks you're important enough to watch?
Player: well thank you for clarifying and i am not self centered i will now leave you alone

I will be the first to admit that I wasn't being particularly nice in my response to this person. However, I don't know how many times I've been in the same situation as that hunter. I'll be fighting something and a nearby high level just lets me die. Thing is, I never expect them to help. They may be busy. They may have their screen minimized. They may just not like helping people. Whatever. I have no right to expect them to save me. If they do, great. I'm appreciative and I always thank them.

It really irritates me when people behave like that. And I DID try to help them, although since they decided to chew me out, I didn't feel like saying so because he or she pissed me off. Thing is, if I had originally helped him (I'm going to just refer to them as a male because it was so obviously some teenage boy) by pulling and killing the other mob, he very likely would have sent me a tell about how I was pulling and stealing his mobs and that I'm too high to be in this area, etc. You can't win with people like that. I understand how frustrating that quest is. He was probably having trouble, dying a lot, or whatever. But that does not make it okay to just take it out on whomever is nearby. I've had situations like that where I've been frustrated because of the difficulty of a quest. I don't take it out on people around me. I hate how people use the computer screen as a safe place to hide. They can treat people around them like shit without any repercussions.

So that's why I tend to stay to myself and only play with people I know. It lessens the chances of me having to deal with stupid morons like that.

End of rant. ><;

My Games Reserve List

2008-08-16T18:31:00.002-10:00

Video games are one my favorite things in the world. There are people who think that I play too many. They may be right, but I don't particularly care. I enjoy them. I still go out. I still spend time with my family. I enjoy success in my job. I am continuing my education. I do OTHER things. As long as I can balance my life properly, I figure I can do whatever I want with my free time, what little I have...

That being said, there are a lot of games coming out over the next few months that I really want to play. I recently went into Gamestop and reserved almost all of the games I wanted. Here is my list by month:

AUGUST
Too Human - 360
Tales of Vesperia - 360
Disgaia 3 - PS3

SEPTEMBER
Dragon Quest IV - DS
My Japanese Coach - DS
My SAT Coach - DS (for my son)
Sonic Chronicles: Dark Brotherhood - DS
Valhalla Knights 2 - PSP
Infinite Undiscovery - 360
Samba De Amigo - Wii
Rise of the Argonauts - PS3
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - PS3
Warriors Orochi 2 - PS2 (for my son)

OCTOBER
Zenses-Rainforest - DS
Zneses-Ocean - DS
Populous - DS (for my husband)
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia - DS (for my son)
Star Ocean: First Departure - PSP
Fable 2 - 360
Cooking Mama: World Kitchen - Wii
Rock Band 2 - PS3 (for my son)

NOVEMBER
Luminous Arc 2 - DS
Cooking Guide - DS
Last Remnant - 360
Wii Music - Wii
Animal Crossing - Wii
Valkyria Chronicles - PS3
Sonic Unleashed - PS3
Prince of Persia - PS3
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King - PC

DECEMBER
Chrono Trigger - DS
Persona 4 - PS2

If I say that it's for my husband or my son that means that I have no intention of playing that particular game at all. All the others might be played by all of us or some combination. Wow, I'm a loser...lol. =D

Dirty Video Games

2008-08-07T13:14:00.003-10:00

When I went into my local Gamestop today, I noticed that the clear cabinets behind the counter had their glass replaced by that black glass that you can't see through. I walked up to the assistant manager, who is also a really good friend of mine, and said, "So what? You got porn back there? Can I buy some?" We both laughed. He said, "Girl, I KNOW! It looks so ghetto!"

I understand that security is an important issue in loss prevention for any retail location. However, I see two major problems with the black glass (aside from the look). First of all, the employees can't just look to see if they have a game in stock. They now have to take the time to search the point-of-sale database. Or ask the manager on duty for the key so they can unlock it, open it, and then look. In stores with high customer traffic, this can slow things down. I hate standing in line for long periods of time, waiting for the cashiers and I know there are people who hate it more than I do. They're the ones that make scenes.

My second issue is a bit more psychological. My joke about porn isn't all that far off the mark. When you buy something that's hidden from view, it has connotations of being pornographic and publicly inappropriate. Where do you often see black glass windows? Adult entertainment stores and strip clubs. So whenever I buy a game now, they're going to pull it out from a cabinet with black glass. You know that feeling of guilt that you feel when you go to the adult video store and buy something? I think subconsciously customer may feel a bit of that when they buy their games, whether it's Pokemon or Grand Theft Auto. This is not how you want your customers to feel when buying games. It's bad enough that we have people like Jack Thompson trying to blame every human evil deed on video games. We don't need to feel guilty buying the damned things.

I asked my friend if all the Gamestop locations were doing this and he said that it was just this district and only if they didn't have the new cabinets. He also mentioned that he's gotten several customers asking if they started carrying AO (Adult Only) games...lol.

Must...Play...PSO...err PSPortable...

2008-08-02T15:47:00.003-10:00

When Phantasy Star Universe came out for the XBox 360, I tried REALLY HARD to love it. But fact of the matter is... It sucked. The single player mode forced you to play some punk ass kid with a bratty attitude and when you played online multi-player with your friends, the rewards were pathetic. Unless you completed Story Mode through chapter 4 to unlock Extra Mode, the character you created could only progress by playing online, although you COULD play online alone if you so desired. I hated Story Mode, so I don't think I even finished the first chapter.

When Phantasy Star Portable was announced for the PSP, I blew it off as another PSU. After all, it takes place in the same time, with a lot of the same characters. Then I saw a Japanese commercial for the game which had four guys sitting around a table in a cafe or something, playing multi-player mode. It looked like they were having so much fun. I just couldn't help but become intrigued. Honestly, I hate it when a commercial makes me interested in something. I feel like I'm being controlled by the media, but it was the Japanese media, so I didn't mind so much. I have a much more Japanese way of thinking than an American one.

So when it came out, I bought it. And I can't stop playing it. The game mechanics are basically the same as PSU. Action palette, linking skills to weapons, leveling up skills, experience to level up your character, and mission points to level up your class. The character you create becomes the main character of Story Mode and you can use this same character in Multi Mode. In Story Mode, there are Story Missions, which advance the story (duh) and as you complete those, Free Missions are unlocked. These free missions have C, B, A, and S rank difficulties and can be done over and over as many times as you like. (You have to meet certain level requirements for the different difficulties, of course.) These missions are somewhat tied into the story in that you have to do one to open up then next step in the story. Since you can do the same stuff over and over, it feels a lot like playing Phantasy Star Online.

Another thing I noticed that I like is that they paid more attention to making the different weapons LOOK nicer. Not just make the blade different colors, although they still do that. Also, during my first or second mission, I found a whip weapon called the Amore Rose. When I swing it, roses come pouring out of it and it causes a (de)buff to appear on the mob so that hearts come pouring out of it. In other words, I managed to get something cool early on. I also found a Mark 3 and a Master System that when I wear them, they float over my head like a mag.

Everyone has a room with a Partner Machinery, but this time around you don't have to feed it and make it grow. You get to pick what kind you want during character creation and you can invite it to join your party when you fight in free missions. As far as I can tell, its damage output scales with your level.

I've downloaded the download content, but haven't tried it yet. I also haven't tried multi mode yet, since I don't have anyone to play with. I think I'll buy it for my son so he and I can play. He played the demo and liked it a lot. ^_^ This game translates very well to a handheld. I never play my handhelds at home since I have consoles, but I can't stop playing this. It's addicting.

Edit: Forgot to add... The music is the same as PSU except sometimes they have PSO music. :)

Rememberances

2008-07-21T20:16:00.004-10:00

My brother-in-law's funeral was this past weekend. I helped out at the reception table. He was loved by a lot of people, so the funeral was standing room only. This was only the second time in my life I had ever been to an open casket funeral and honestly, I almost expected him to just sit up and ask for a beer with a big smile on his face. I've only known him for seven years, but that was long enough to know what an amazing guy he was. He was one of those jolly people that could make friends with everyone. I have no doubt that he's hanging out, playing sports, drinking beer, and giving his mom rides to the mall in heaven. He will be missed.

When we arrived at the funeral, I realized that I had been there for another funeral before. One of my oldest friends had committed suicide a week before Christmas in 1999. She and I were both 25. I had been friends with her since we were 5. Although I hadn't forgotten her, I hadn't actively thought about her, either. She has been living in that room in my mind where my cherished memories sit in rocking chairs and lounge around. They don't make themselves known, but if I need them, they're there with no need for searching. So today I decided to type her name into Google. I did not expect to find a short film about her life and her amazing art. The Sam I remember gave me photos of her tattoos and pierced nipples. She would write me letters when I was in college on the mainland and put black cat confetti in them, which would spill all over the floor when I opened them. I remember having conversations about what it felt like to have her labia pierced. As daring and as crazy as I was with parties and stuff I wasn't supposed to do, I always remember wishing that I had balls like Sam. Artists are often tormented. (Or they're divas like my dad...lol.) I remember having some amazing demons myself and I'm eternally grateful that they made me stronger instead of killing me. Sam wasn't so lucky. Still, I enjoyed watching this video because it allowed me to reminisce and it reminded me that as long as people we love are in our hearts, they will live forever.

"Mom, wake up..."

2008-07-03T11:30:00.002-10:00

As a mom, I've had my share of waking up in the middle of the night because of a bad dream, wetting the bed, or feeling sick. It's all a part of the job. Admittedly, my son is 14 now and this doesn't really happen anymore. But early this morning, at about 4:30AM, I woke up to my son poking my arm over and over. I thought I had overslept for work or something.

He said, "Mom, wake up."

I said, "What's the matter?"

He said, "Mom, I think my computer has a virus."

Pause.

I said, "What? What time is it?" I look at the clock. "Dude, it's 4:30 in the morning? What are you still doing up?"

He said, "Sorry. My bad."

I said, "What do you expect me to do about it at 4:30 in the morning? I can't do anything about it right now. Go to sleep. Did you run a virus scan?"

He said, "I don't know where the virus thing is."

I stumbled out of bed, went to his computer, made sure the anti-virus was up-to-date and ran a scan. He apologized a bunch more times and asked if this scan was an overnight thing. I told him that it would take hours and that he needed to go to sleep. There was a part of me that was so pissed for being woken up at 4:30 in the morning for something like this, but at the same time, there was a part of me that just wanted to bust out laughing. :) Seriously, how many moms get woken up in the middle of the night because of a virus on a computer?

I'm Human, Too

2008-06-29T23:00:00.003-10:00

I like to think that I've been pretty good about not really complaining about real life here. Sure, I complain a shitload about video games, but I keep my personal life out of it, for the most part. Still, every once in awhile, I want to whine and complain about life. Today is one of those days.

I'll start with my job. I really enjoy my job. I get paid reasonably well to do easy work. I'm an executive assistant for people I really respect and like working with. Almost one year ago, they hired this guy. Let's call him Mr. L. To this day, I have no clue what his complete function is supposed to be. He is rude, condescending, and refuses to work as a part of the team. He has essentially cut his entire department off from the rest of the company. He doesn't let anyone talk to anyone in his department. They have to go through him. He's constantly changing procedures without letting everyone know. So if you don't fill out a form or something, he refuses to do it. If I need something from him, I explain the procedure and he tells me, "Too bad. I'm doing it my way." He has accused other employees of sabotaging the company. More than once, one of the women in his department has broken down crying in the middle of the office. Since he started working for us, morale has hit an all time low. We are losing money because of re-doing jobs due to stupid mistakes.

I have always made it a point to keep my feelings and frustrations inside when I'm at work, but even I completely lost it one day and went crying into my boss's office. I was crying so much and was so angry and frustrated that I couldn't form sentences. Add that to the several times I've just broken down at home. And I don't break down. I'm not the cry-at-every-little-thing person I was 10-15 years ago. I'm strong and I don't let things get to me. Especially stupid things like some shitty coworker.

So why don't they get rid of him? Because in the entire company, there is one essential function that he performs that no one else can do. Plus, with the economy the way that it is right now, we're downsizing some employees, so the work is going to be spread thin already. So why don't I find a new job? I thought about it. But first of all, I refuse to let ONE PERSON chase me away from a job that I enjoy. Plus my employers respect and appreciate MY contribution to the company, too. Second, I'm going back to school starting next week so I'm going to be putting in fewer than 40 hours a week. I'll stay over 20 hours, though, so I'll still get medical insurance (which I'm required to provide for my son according to the child support agreement). With the economy the way it is, there is pretty much no way I'll be able to find a place that will let me work less than 40 hours a week, but more than 20. Third, this leads me to my next complaint about life in general right now:

My husband lost his job about a month ago. He got downsized, basically, so at least he can collect unemployment. He's been actively looking for a job this whole time and hasn't found anything yet. This week is that last week that I'm going to be working 40 hours. After that, my income is going to basically get cut in half. Over the last two years, I've been busting my ass to get our debt under control. Everything was finally looking up, so I decided to go back to school since our bills were actually under control. My health insurance premiums at work are increasing by 8% starting this next paycheck. Thanks to that check from Uncle Sam that's supposed to be rejuvenating the economy, we'll still be able to easily pay our bills for another month, maybe two, if we really tighten our belts. So he's still got time to find a job. This doesn't keep me from worrying a lot, though.

So I'm trying not to beat the crap out of my co-worker and I'm trying not to worry about paying my bills. That's a lot of work. Then yesterday, something else got put on my plate. My husband's oldest brother VERY unexpectedly passed away yesterday morning. He was 56. I'm really sad about that and I'm trying to be supportive of my husband. It was a harsh reminder that anyone can go at any time. My mother-in-law passed away last year. My husband and I think she's finally got someone to drive her to the mall in heaven now. ;-) My personal message to the two or three people who read my blog: Appreciate every day.

So I'm feeling really beat up right now. I'm trying not to feel sorry for myself. Really, I am. Venting here helps in a weird way. Quite a few of my friends are having tough times right now, so I certainly don't feel alone. I know that things will get better. And I also know that things happen for a reason. I may not know what that reason is right now, but I believe that I'll understand later.

Anyway, enough whining... OMG, DIABLO III is coming out!!! (Sorry, I had to do that!)

Spore Creature Creator Proves that Video Games Really ARE Just for Children

2008-06-19T17:06:00.002-10:00

First off, let me explain that I'm not all hot and bothered looking forward to EA's Spore. It's a neat idea and everything, but it's just not my thing.

Since the Spore Creature Creator was leaked a bit ago, my RSS reader had quite a few posts of people's interesting creature creations, most notably the X-Rated ones. As a woman with a dirty mind, this amused me somewhat. I certainly wasn't offended, but it DID make me think the following:

This just reaffirms that ill-conceived notion that video games are just for children.

I remember growing up and drawing boobs and dicks on magazines because it was a silly, fun, childish thing to do. So what do gamers do when they get a program that lets them create creatures? They create three dimensional boobs, dicks, pussies, and creatures that fuck themselves. Like I said, I thought this was pretty funny. No one likes to be a grown up all the time. I sure as hell don't. Still, if we want people to recognize games as art or even as a valid form of entertainment for adults, bombarding the internet with these naughty creations is not going to help our cause.

I do believe that nudity and sex can be represented artistically. There are also appropriate venues for such representations. EA's Spore Creature Creator is not one of them. If it were a totally private thing, like just a 3D rendering program or something, then do whatever. But the Spore Creature Creator is tied into EA. I'm glad to see that EA is banning accounts for inappropriate online behavior. I think some people think this is harsh, but it's important to remember that there's a time and place for everything.

As for convincing people that video games are not just for children, we obviously have a looooooooooong way to go. =P

Rated M for Moron

2008-05-21T13:19:00.002-10:00

I went to the ESRB's website and looked up the description for an M rating:

MATURE
Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language.

Why do people think that just because a game has blood, violence, sex, and swearing that it's acceptable for the players to throw decent behavior out the window?

I picked up Age of Conan yesterday and I'm enjoying it quite a bit. (More on this another time.) This game is rated M. Now, people's behavior IN-GAME is actually fairly decent. A few morons here and there, but not too bad. The game's forums, on the other hand... Good grief. People say stuff like, "Well, it's an M rated game, so I can say whatever the fuck I want." While I agree with that to a certain extent, an M rating shouldn't be a license to be an asshole.

The M refers to the content of the game, not the player. So here's my request:

If you want to be an asshole, that's fine. Just don't hide behind the "M." You're an asshole. Period. Not because of the rating of the game, but because you're choosing to behave that way. Take responsibility.

Wii Fit - Day 10

2008-05-19T13:41:00.002-10:00

Today will be day 10 of using Wii Fit. I'm at work right now, so I haven't actually "played" yet today. I wanted to report on my progress.

I've unlocked all the balance games, all but one of the aerobic exercises, and most of the yoga and strength training. I have NOT unlocked all the difficulties yet, though. I'm taking things slowly since I'm really a mega couch (computer chair) potato.

My body is getting more accustomed to the workouts, so I'm not walking around like an old lady anymore. I still feel the burn, though, and I'm unlocking activities that are progressively more challenging. I recently unlocked rhythm boxing. In Advanced mode, that's lots of fun! :)

I haven't noticed any visible changes in my body, although my husband thinks my tummy looks sexier. I have noticed a distinct increase in my self-esteem, though. I think any physical activity has the potential to make someone just FEEL better about themselves, even if there isn't any outward physical-appearance-type difference. I have more energy, I'm sleeping better, and I'm generally in a better mood, too. I think I'm going to start playing Dance Dance Revolution regularly again. Between Wii Fit and DDR, I can keep myself in great shape.

It's important to note that BMI should NOT be used to determine a child's fitness level. People are bitching and moaning about the game calling their kids "fat." I have heard my Wii Fit say the word "fat" in one context, by the way. During the rhythm boxing, my trainer shouts, "Fight the fat!" Anyway, the instruction manual does indicate that BMI can be inaccurate for children because of different levels of growth and development. Honestly, BMI sucks, anyway. It's a ratio of height and weight. So if you're really muscular because you're a body builder, it's going to say your overweight. My son is stocky, but certainly NOT overweight. He's 14 and Wii Fit says he's "Obese." I explained the whole BMI thing with relation to age and development, though, so we're just tracking his weight. He wasn't upset or offended. It's important that people are informed. That's all. My husband IS overweight and Wii Fit is accurate about that. I'm on the low end of normal and Wii Fit is accurate about that.

Overall, Wii Fit is working out well for all three of us. We have friendly competition to see who can get the best scores. I'm leading in yoga, my husband in strength, and my son in balance. My son and I are pretty tied in aerobics. We're spending quality time cheering each other on and exercising. It's a really positive thing.

I have to say I do have two major complaints, though:

1. I'm getting sick of the music. I wish there was a way to put some mp3's on a SD card and use my own music during the workouts.

2. There needs to be an "A" button on the balance board itself. There are a number of activities that you have to put the Wii Remote down. I'm sick of picking it up just to press A one or two times and then have to put it back down. And it's not like you can have a table or something right next to you. It's imperative that you have the area around you clear. It's just an annoyance, really. Perhaps I should buy some baggy shorts with pockets. That might work. Still, I'm working out so that I don't HAVE to wear baggy pants, you know? ;-)

Oh, one last thing for today. My baby sister lives in New York. She went to that event they were having to promote Wii Fit and got to try it out. The bitch (I love you, sis!) woke me up with a text message at 6:30 AM that said, "Just played with the Wii fit in the park. Its fricken awesome!"

Here We Go Again or I Should Just Keep My Mouth Shut

2008-05-12T13:45:00.002-10:00

I made the mistake of commenting on Gamepolitics.com:

Hatsumi Says:
May 12th, 2008 at 6:16 pm

I’m wondering the same thing. When I was younger, I would get carded for R rated movies. I don’t look at this as a way to keep me from buying M rated games and I don’t see how it keeps game developers from making M rated games. I keep my ID on me at all times, anyway, so it’s not like it’s inconvenient. As a parent of a 14 year old boy, I work hard at maintaining control over what my child can and cannot do, whether it’s video games, going out with friends, or whatever. Retailers checking for ID for M rated games makes my job just a little easier.

To which someone replied the following:

# ---------- Says:
May 12th, 2008 at 7:19 pm

Hatsumi Says:
“Retailers checking for ID for M rated games makes my job just a little easier.”

No it doesn’t. It merely allows you to be lazy. What other parts of your responsibility to your son are you going to be willing hand over to people neither of you know? How can your son trust you when you’re so willing to cede your authority over him to strangers?

I’ll tell you this much - if you were my dad I’d be worried. I guess this attitude to parenting is what we’re to expect from the lazy-assed ‘Me’ generation that has never had to take responsibility for anything beyond themselves.

I really hate how the internet makes people feel comfortable with attacking other people from the safety of behind their computer screens. They like to make accusations about the kind of person they think someone is. Honestly, it makes me ashamed to be a human being. When we, as gamers, behave this way and lash out like that, it doesn't surprise me at all that the rest of the universe thinks that we're a bunch of anti-social misfits who have no concept of how to behave in civilized society. /sigh

I replied back with this:

# Hatsumi Says:
May 12th, 2008 at 7:45 pm

@-----------

Being a parent is hard work. If you want to accuse me of being lazy because I actually CARE what my child does, then I think you’re misunderstanding me. I trust my son to make his own choices, but I also realize that as his mother, I am held responsible for his actions. If I physically followed him around and watched him like a hawk with everything he did, then you can bet that he wouldn’t trust me. Since you seem to feel that I’m not parenting my son enough, is that what you’re suggesting I do? My son and I have a great relationship. We game together and we talk to each other.

As far as the idea of handing him over to a stranger, that seems like an overreaction. Police officers are strangers and we expect them to enforce law and safety in our communities. Still, I can see your point of view.

The bottom line, though, is that as his parent, it is my responsibility to parent him. If I feel that a game is inappropriate for him, I won’t let him play it.

Also, to elaborate, it’s not that I’m for this bill. I think that it’s targeting video games in a disproportionate way versus other media such as television and movies. I also feel that it’s going to cost a lot of tax dollars that I’m not happy at all about spending.

Wii Fit - First Day Follow Up

2008-05-11T12:15:00.002-10:00

My Wii is officially trying to kill me. My whole body hurts today. I guess that means I'm getting a full body workout, though, so it's working...?

Wii Fit - My First Day

2008-05-10T15:57:00.001-10:00

The following is a post I wrote on Gemaga:

A local video game store started selling their US versions of Wii Fit last night, so I picked it up this afternoon. Omg, I am so out of shape.

I am 5′3″, 110 pounds, with a BMI of 19.4. In other words, I’m totally fit and normal, according to Wii Fit. My balance is even fairly decent, although it could use a little work. The “game” doesn’t factor in your resting heart rate or anything like that. If it did, it would know that I’m REALLY REALLY out of shape…lol. One of the things I liked about the setup, was after you do the body test, it asks you to commit to a goal. As someone who’s not overweight and can eat whatever she wants, I can tell you from personal experience that it’s REALLY hard to commit to an exercise program if you don’t have a goal. Since I don’t need to lose weight, I’ve never been able to commit to a program. So I set my goal to “maintain my weight and BMI.” You’re probably thinking, “Well, you should have made that your goal before.” True, but I never looked at it that way and no one ever suggested that to me. I simply never thought of it.

After doing the body test, I did a sampling of all four modes: yoga, strength, aerobic, and balance. You can choose either a male or female trainer. I picked a male, although the female one wasn’t irritating or bouncy or anything. I just prefer not to look at a female with perfect body proportions when I’m exercising. It’s depressing. The “game” calculates how many minutes you actually spend doing these activities, so I stopped when I hit 30 minutes. I had fun, but there were times when I thought my Wii was trying to kill me… Like when I decided to do jackknife sit-ups or when I went for a little jog. I worked up a sweat and I can guarantee you that I’m going to be a little sore tomorrow.

For anyone interested in trying out Wii Fit, here are a few tips. First of all, there’s no warm-up option, so make sure you stretch before you start. Second, the step aerobics suck. I barely got any perfects because the music didn’t seem to sync with the Mii’s on the screen. Third, wear loose pants with pockets so you don’t have to hold the Wii Remote while running in place.

I’m looking forward to playing with this game every day, 30 minutes a day. At 34, I’m starting to feel “not young.” And this isn’t because I’m getting old. It’s just that since I lead such a sedentary lifestyle, playing games and all that, I don’t get as much exercise as I should. The last time I visited my doctor, my blood pressure was on the high end of normal, so he scolded me about my activity level. Wii Fit, in addition to taking a multi-vitamin every day and eating more fruits and vegetables, is part of an overall plan to increase my total wellness.

Who's in Charge? Parent or Child?

2008-04-30T14:57:00.002-10:00

Disciplining your child has become really complicated. Since before the release of Grand Theft Auto IV, people have been screaming all over the internet about children playing this game. There are essentially two camps. The first are the people that are blaming the video game companies for releasing these games for children to play. They are either unaware of the ESRB rating or they don't believe that video game retailers are being responsible enough about keeping M rated games out of the hands of kids. The other camp is full of gamers (parents and non-parents) who feel that the ESRB does a good enough job and that parents should take matters into their hands and actually parent their children.

I tend to fall into the latter camp. My parents were very actively involved in my entertainment as a kid. True, violent video games like we know them now didn't really exist back then, but there were R rated movies, nude magazines, porno movies. I believe that as a parent, it is my responsibility and obligation to ensure that my son doesn't grow up to be an idiot or a criminal.

Parenting involves discipline. More and more parents are literally AFRAID to discipline their children. I can understand why. If your kid wants to go out until really late at night and you say no, they can tell a teacher or someone else at school that you beat them or something. Next thing you know, Child Protective Services will be banging on your door, investigating you for child abuse, when all you did was say, "No." When I was a kid, my parents spanked my behind if I was bad. I am not maladjusted or emotionally fucked up from this. I know the difference between right and wrong. That's what discipline is supposed to do.

I'm not saying that you should beat the crap out of your kids, but don't let them win every argument. I don't know how many times I see kids throwing tantrums and their parents give them whatever they want just to shut them up. What does this teach them? It seems to me that it teaches them to make a scene and eventually they'll get what they want. You can't always have everything you want. That's life. By not disciplining our kids, we're not preparing them for that reality. However, parents shouldn't have to fear going to jail for whacking their kids on the butt, either. Society with all their politically-correctness seems to want their cake and eat it, too. Sorry, life doesn't work that way. Obviously, these people who want to arrest people for spanking were those kids that threw tantrums until their parents caved, I think...lol. Let parents discipline their children.

So back to GTA IV. It's important that the ESRB rates violent games and that retailers enforce those ratings. Parents ABSOLUTELY need to be involved in their children's gaming choices. Other people need to make sure that accusations of abuse have some kind of foundation in reality. They also need to let people discipline their kids and not punish the parent for punishing the child. Think we can handle that?

Grand Theft Sanity - Rant

2008-04-25T13:45:00.003-10:00

I swear, if I read one more news bit reminding me that Grand Theft Auto IV is not for children, I'm going to go completely fucking insane. Maybe I should just go on a killing spree and then blame it on these crazy, anti-First Amendment, pathetic excuses for human beings and politicians out there trying to regulate video game violence. Problem with that is that they'll still twist it to say that it was caused by the violent games and not their horrific abuses of my human and civil rights. So I guess I'll just continue to be a boring office lady, happily playing my video games and watching my anime.

What I'm so irritated about right now is the fact that if some movie comes out that's rated R and it's got rape, murder, and all that stuff in it, we don't have politicians and people from various organizations inundating us with warnings about how the movie is inappropriate for children. In addition to that, there are PG-13 movies that have rape, crime, and murder in them. They just aren't bloody. But the bad stuff is STILL THERE. My son went to a movie with his friends that was rated PG-13 and when I asked him about it afterward, he told me that it was about a ghost of a girl who had been raped, so the ghost was killing people or making them crazy or something. I forget. Still, it was very clear that we were talking about very adult, mature issues.

Grand Theft Auto IV has a lot of adult content in it. The protagonist is a criminal. The graphics are very nice, but they're not photo-realistic. If you can't tell that the game isn't real, then you should probably get your eyes checked. There are tons of movies where criminal behavior like robbing a bank, killing someone, or being a dirty cop is glorified as "cool." If people aren't going to squawk about stuff like that, then I wish they would do the world a favor and shut up about GTA IV. I'm really getting sick of it. If GTA IV was a movie, I wouldn't even be talking about it right now.

Semantics: Yaoi vs. Shounen-Ai (Rated R)

2008-04-21T12:05:00.005-10:00

There were two awesome events this past weekend: The 2008 Kawaii-Kon Anime Convention and my birthday. Okay, I'm exaggerating on the awesomeness of the second thing...lol. I had a good time at the convention this weekend. I had some issues with it, but I don't have much else to compare it to, so maybe they're all like that...? (I plan on covering this in another post at a later date.)

So let's start with some definitions. I'll grab them from Wikipedia.

YAOI: Yaoi (やおい) is a publishing genre, which originated in Japan and often encompasses manga, dōjinshi, anime, and fan art. It focuses on homosexual relationships between male characters and is generally sexually explicit.

YURI: Yuri|百合 and shoujo-ai are jargon terms amongst fans for lesbian content, possibly sexually explicit, in anime, manga, and related fan fiction.

SHOUNEN AI: Shōnen-ai|少年愛||"boy-love" or lit. "few years love" is a term that is applied to anime or manga that deals with love between young men, especially of the bishōnen|美少年 variety. The genre itself dealt with romanticized but non-sexual relationships between men.

SHOUJO AI: (This is not from Wikipedia as they did not have a listing for it.) Lit. "Girl's Love", shoujo ai stories feature girl/girl pairings. Though usually not as explicit as yuri, the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, no matter the content.

So, generally speaking, yaoi and yuri and pornographic while shounen ai and shoujo ai are not. Here's my problem: These terms are pretty much used interchangeably when they're really quite different. I'm a yaoi fangirl and when my sister teases me about it, she says stuff like, "Oooh... Is that your gay porn?" Calling yaoi "gay porn" is NOT an exaggeration. It's explicit and it generally shows penetration and/or oral sex. I also really enjoy reading shounen ai, which has a lot of pretty boys kissing and heavy petting.

This year at Kawaii-Kon there were a lot of young kids (ages 10-14) carrying around Yaoi paddles and wearing signs that said, "Will do yuri for yaoi!" I realize that the anime convention is a somewhat controlled environment where people can safely express themselves a bit more freely, but I found this disturbing. Even jokingly advertising to people around you that you will perform a pornographic act for some sort of reward or payment pushes the boundaries of decent human behavior. And when the offending human hasn't even finished going through puberty...ugh. There were times where my son would say to me, "Oh my god, Mom! Did you see that? She's like younger than ME!!"

I'm hoping that these kids are not really reading and watching yaoi and that they're reading and watching shounen ai instead. I don't mean to come across as a prude, but there's a reason why pornography isn't sold to minors. On a psychological level, they aren't mature enough for it. There are exceptions, of course. There are people in their teens that are mature enough just like there are adults in their 40's that AREN'T. However, at the age of 18, at least in the United States, humans become legally responsible for their OWN actions, so having pornography restricted until that age is fine by me. If these little kids ARE reading and watching real yaoi, then we've got problems.

Now let's assume that they're really just watching shounen ai. Expressing things like, "Will do yuri for yaoi," could be very dangerous. They're sending signals to the sickos and perverts out there and endangering their own safety. I fervently hope that these kids' parents teach them about protecting themselves from sexual criminals. I'm not saying that they're "asking for it" by sending out these signals, but it's certainly putting them in a higher risk situation.

So to any parents out there: PARENT YOUR CHILDREN. PLEASE.

Comment Moderation

2008-04-14T15:29:00.002-10:00

I've had this blog for awhile now... Since October 2006. Only in the past month or so have I had spam comments. So I'm enabling comment moderation. Jeez. Seriously, who in their right mind (this is the issue, really) would waste time advertising porn on my blog? I think I can count the number of people who actually read this page on two hands..lol. Funny thing, I only get Japanese spam... Anyway, just wanted to let you guys know, I'm moderating comments now.

Wired Magazine's "Geekster Handbook"

2008-04-04T14:25:00.002-10:00

I wrote up a little post over at Gemaga about an article I read in the April issue of Wired Magazine:

Check it out here

April 1st

2008-04-01T18:53:00.002-10:00

I HATE APRIL FOOL'S DAY.

A lot. If it's a work day, I take a vacation day. I don't answer my phone. I don't read my e-mail unless it's from someone I trust. I don't read about game news. I don't surf the net. I hole myself up in my room and play offline video games on my PS2 or something.

There are usually some pretty funny, clever things on the internet on April Fool's Day, which I find out about the NEXT DAY. There are a number of places that keep track of the good April Fool's stuff on the internet. My husband isn't like me, so he reads stuff and when he finds something good, he'll show me, too. The World of Warcraft Bard Class announcement was pretty funny. The Taurens in Starcraft 2 were pretty funny, too.

So, why do I hate April Fool's Day so much? It's more that I hate practical jokes. When my husband and I had been dating for about a year and a half or so, I was working on my birthday. (It wasn't April Fool's Day, although it WAS April.) Anyway, his good friend called me while I was at work to tell me that after leaving the store where he bought my birthday present (an import Japanese PS2), he was mugged and was in the hospital. I totally lost it. I was screaming and crying, and after he told me it was a joke, I was ready to go on a murdering rampage. I even yelled and screamed at my husband afterward because they were in the car together when he called. My husband, of course, had no idea that his friend was going to say something like that. To this day, I interact with that friend as little as possible. That was just plain cruel.

So just a reminder to all the practical jokers out there: BE CAREFUL. You don't want to be responsible for making someone neurotic. ;-p

Comment Spam and Other News

2008-03-20T10:29:00.004-10:00

Well, here's a first. I got comment spam on my post about playing FFX-2. It had something to do with porn and it was the exact same message twice. And it was in Japanese. I've had this blog since October 2006 and this is the first time in any language. I'm somewhere in between amused and irritated, to be honest, since I'm pretty sure it had to do with penis enlargement and I DON'T HAVE ONE OF THOSE. For crying out loud, at least get my gender right. Tell me about breast enlargement or something. Heaven knows I could use THAT...lol.

Anyway, in other news, instead of posting on Gamebrink, we've decided to post only on Gemaga. (They're owned by the same guy, but for some reason, Google really doesn't like Gamebrink.) It's Spring Break right now so I'm not posting much because I'd rather spend my free time hanging out with my son than blogging game news.

LINK TO GEMAGA

And one last bit of news, I traded my car in for a hybrid. It cost about $1000 more than my old car when it was brand new, so I'm still paying pretty much the same per month. It's very environmentally friendly and it's almost twice the miles per gallon of my Mazda. This is the car I got.

RPG 100% Completion OCD

2008-03-12T16:53:00.004-10:00

Back when JRPG's came out once a year at best, it was easy to find the time to replay a game. I used to play a game anywhere from 2 to 4 times. The first time, totally on my own. Then I'd look at FAQ's on the net or use strategy guides to get EVERYTHING. It took me 4 times through to actually get that in Final Fantasy VII. And it was totally worth it. The feeling of accomplishment I got after defeating all the Weapons and every time I summoned the Knights of the Round was incredible.

Now, JRPG's are a dime a dozen. Not all of them are good, but there are enough good ones that I can't find the time to play them multiple times to get all the stuff. (ddaydj would just tell me to be more selective like him. No can do. I like too many games...lol.)

Regular readers here may recall that I'm trying to finish the two FF games I never finished in order to maintain my FFOtaku credibility. I finished VIII. God, that ending was LAME. Anyway...

I hated Final Fantasy VIII, so I didn't care about getting 100% completion on that. It didn't affect the story/ending, so it was okay. Now I'm on Final Fantasy X-2. In order to get the BEST ending, you have to get 100% story completion. This is NOT 100% game completion, but it's challenging and tedious, nonetheless. Getting the best ending means I get to see ALL the cut-scenes and stuff. I'm using a guide because I simply have too many games on my waiting list to play this game more than once. I'm at 49%.

And I just realized that I missed something that I absolutely cannot go back and get.

The overwhelming desire to yell "FUCK" in the middle of my office is barely being contained by my desire to keep my job. I have to start over. This game is fun, but it's not that great. Ugh. Yuna is completely oblivious and irresponsible about the state of political affairs on her world. In fact, she shows utter disregard for it until she's called upon to save the world yet again. She's flighty, irritating, and has a REALLY SHITTY memory. I haven't played X in years and it's obvious to me that the guy in the sphere is NOT Tidus. DUH! He's not even wearing the same clothes! Hellooooooooo~!

And I have to start over!!! FUCK!

Happy Girl's Day~!

2008-03-03T17:04:00.002-10:00

ひな祭りおめでとう～！

Just wanted to say Happy Girl's Day! It's a Japanese custom, which has its roots in Heian (I think) Japan.

Also, I've started blogging at Gamebrink.com, so check it out. I'm still trying to get the hang of writing to get people to read stuff there, as opposed to here, where I can say whatever the hell I want however I want. I think I'm going to have a lot of fun there, though. Changing gears is a good thing. This way I don't stagnate.

Oh, and I think I'm going to go back to school... See what happens when I'm away from my blog for awhile? I start thinking about stuff... ><;

Censorship?

2008-02-09T16:20:00.000-10:00

Sweet. Something for me to bitch about. Finally.

LucasArts recently confirmed Lego Indiana Jones and there are details about the game floating around the internet. And they're taking out the Nazis:

Perhaps partly in keeping with this, according to Edge Traveller's Tales has chosen to remove Nazis - and any reference to them it appears, from what TT says - from the game, "Lego having already replaced them with an anonymous genocidal, occultist, trenchcoat-wearing master-race". The studio explains it has left it down to the strength of the Indy characters to show they are bad guys - but "that said, we like to reinforce the fact that these really are terrible, terrible people".

The movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark" came out in movie theaters in 1981. (Wow! 27 years ago? Yikes!) It was rated PG. My parents took me to see it and I remember being absolutely HORRIFIED by the melting faces. Ewwww... I was 7 years old. Aside from that, though, I really enjoyed the movie because it was fun and action-packed. PG movies today have much more blood and violence. The time setting of the movie is 1936 and the Nazis are trying to get the Ark of the Covenant because it's supposed to contain some incredible power that absolutely must not fall into Nazi hands. Seriously, can you imagine if the Nazis obtained the power of God? History would have been rewritten and I, for one, would probably not exist, along with billions of other people in the world.

To define Nazism in this post would be too long, but it's basically the idea that there is a superior race and everyone else needs to be eradicated. During the time that the Nazis were in power, millions of people were killed because of their religion, sexual orientation, race, and anything else that made them different than the Aryans. People were herded into concentration camps and killed en masse in gas chambers. Disabled people and people with mental illnesses were killed because they were inferior, even if they were of the Aryan race.

The Nazis were bad. Their leader, Adolf Hitler, had such a single-minded vision of his principles that there were even Nazis who wanted to get rid of him. He was an extremist, sacrificing his own people for his ideals.

Wait. This sounds familiar. Whenever I hear or read any news today, I hear about suicide bombers and people being killed because their religion is different. They hate us. They want to kill us all. Why? Because they honestly believe that their supreme being wants it. Islamic people believe that all other ideologies besides their own must be opposed. Today Americans are banding together in their fight against terrorism and Al-Qaeda.

So why take out the Nazis? I asked my son, "Do you know what a Nazi is?" He said, "You mean, like N-A-Z-I? Duh, yeah, Mom." And he proceeded to explain how they killed all these people during World War II and stuff. Then he asked, "Why?" I told him about the fact that they're taking Nazis out of the Lego Indiana Jones game. His response was, "What?! That's reTARDed. I mean, I can understand why they would want to take them out, but that's just DUMB."

The Nazis were the perfect villain for "Raiders of the Lost Ark" because they were so evil. Even at the age of 7, I knew what a Nazi was. I didn't have a lot of specific or gruesome information about their exploits, but I knew that they were racist and very bad. Today, I know a lot more about them. I studied them in history class and visited museums about the horrors of concentration camps and the nuclear fallout of World War II. I'm grateful that I was not alive to witness those atrocities, but I'm also glad that I know about it. Something like that is something that should NEVER be forgotten. The older generations pass down these lessons so that we don't repeat the mistakes of history. Removing Nazis from this game is a subtle, but effective way to sweep the horrors of WWII under a rug. Did our fathers and grandfathers die in vain, protecting America and the rest of the world from Hitler's craziness? Are we afraid that we might be offending today's Neo-Nazis? This is definitely a testament to my belief that we were "pussifying" our society. We're afraid of EVERYTHING that might possibly MAYBE be offensive to SOMEONE.

It can be argued that since "Raiders of the Lost Ark" was a work of fiction, what difference does it make if the bad guys are Nazis in name or not? The movie was a work of art. It won Oscars for Best Art Direction, Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing, and Best Sound. Changing the story is like drawing a mustache on the Mona Lisa or something. (Okay, that's a little extreme, but you get my point, I think.) I hate all this changing stuff. Having Nazis in an adventure movie didn't offend our senses 27 years ago. Why now?

TGIF

2008-02-08T12:33:00.000-10:00

Work has been rough this week. I'm really looking forward to enjoying my weekend and playing games or doing whatever I damned well please.

There has been a noticeable lack of video game news lately. Oh sure, we've got the such-and-such game is coming out this week. Or...This console sold more units than that console. And...Old people and women are playing video games! So there hasn't been much to talk about. Still, I feel a bit guilty about not ranting and raving about SOMETHING...lol.

So how about a generic update about whatever I feel like talking about?

The New James Bond Movie, Quantum of Solace:

22 Things We Know about Bond 22

Behind the Scenes Footage

I don't think I could ever get sick of James Bond or Daniel Craig. I can only hope that he spends more time shirtless... ;-)

Game Mini-Reviews:

Disgaea3 (Import): Disgaea fans will enjoy the series venture into next-gen. Watching the off-beat characters in HD is a treat and the game-play is similar to the previous games. Japanese game fans typically like more of the same, so this is great. The music is fun and different. The characters and interactions are funny. The game is not import friendly, so if you can't read Japanese, I wouldn't recommend it. My only real complaint so far about the game is that there are only two audio choices: mono and stereo. I have yet to see any graphics or anything that warrant the leap to PS3, but I also haven't gotten very far, so we'll see if that changes.

Devil May Cry 4: Luckily for me, unlike the demo, there is "Human Mode," or Easy Mode, because otherwise it would be too hard. I bought the PS3 version, which has a mandatory 20 minute install onto the hard drive. There is virtually no loading time, which is nice. The game itself it beautiful. The tutorial mission was useful and I love being able to grab enemies from a distance, bring them toward me, and then slice them up. I'm enjoying it so far, but chibi-Joji will probably play it a lot more than I will simply because it's his kind of game.

Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles: This is a nice handheld diversion. The graphics are nice. It plays like a cross between a side-scrolling platformer and a 3-D action game. There are mini-games for pickpocketing and coercion. The latter is just like Ouendan (Elite Beat Agents), but without the music. It's nothing like the PS3/360 game, though, and loading times kinda suck.

Beating a Dead Horse

2008-02-04T11:46:00.000-10:00

It's been a long time since I've read any posts about "girl gamers" and the male gamer stereotype. I thought maybe we had gotten past that... Apparently not:

Child Man Meet Man Teen

This woman is an idiot. I don't blame men for being upset by this, but at the same time, whining about it like a little baby isn't going to help things. It's going to make you look like the man-child or man-teen they're painting you out to be.

A Woman Not Bashing Video Games...Impossible!

I hate to break it to you, but there are a lot of women who don't bash video games. We happily and actively play them. THIS IS NOT NEWS! What upset me the most about this post was that it was blogged by a female.

I'm proud to be a woman gamer. The last time I discussed gender and gaming was in December 2006:

Woman

I'm really getting sick and tired of this crap. Men and women are different. We're all human beings. We are all born, live, and die with the same feelings, fears, and stuff. Play nice, dammit... Or I'll have to send you kids to your rooms! (No, these rooms don't have TV's and game consoles in them...)

Final Fantasy VIII Revisited

2008-01-30T11:58:00.000-10:00

The amount of Final Fantasy stuff I have is obscene. I once took all of it (except some of the action figures because they were in a box in storage), put it on the couch, and took a picture of it for a show-and-tell project that I had in a Japanese language class I was taking in college.

This picture doesn't even cover all of it anymore. Among other random little things, I've bought a limited edition, numbered FF3 DS Lite and FF7:Crisis Core PSP. I even flew to California just to see the Dear Friends concert in 2004. The word "fangirl" doesn't even begin to describe my passion for all things Final Fantasy.

I've played and beat almost all the games in some form or another. Here are the exceptions:

Final Fantasy XI - It's a MMO, so you can't beat it. My highest job right now is 52(?) Red Mage.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII - I'm still working on this one. Playing games in Japanese takes me a long time.

Final Fantasy XII: Revenent Wings - I'm still working on this one in Japanese AND English.

Final Fantasy X-2 - I got sidetracked by obsessively trying to level up every single dress sphere and then other games came out and I never got back to it. (This is next on my list to beat.)

Final Fantasy VIII - I got all the way to the final save point and then stopped because I absolutely HATED HATED HATED the two main characters. Rinoa was a whiny, clingy female who kept saying, "I was so scared!" Over and over. And Squall was a loser with no interpersonal skills or leadership abilities and yet, people all supported him 100% as if he was some wonderboy. So, I didn't care what happened to them and never finished the game.

Now that I consider myself a Final Fantasy otaku, I feel that my refusal to finish VIII takes away from my FFOtaku credibility, so I've been playing through the game again. Plus, people keep saying that VIII has such an awesome ending. We'll see about that, I guess.

From the very beginning, I was quickly reminded WHY I never finished the game in the first place. I'm incredibly grateful, however, that this game was released prior to the whole voice-acting thing. I can't even imagine what it would be like to listen to Rinoa whining and Squall talking to himself. Ugh. Anyway, on to gameplay and stuff.

GRAPHICS - This is a Playstation 1 game that came out in 1999. For its time, the cut scenes were amazing. In-game graphics were on par with other games released at the same time. One of the things I noticed playing this game on a nice TV is that I can see all these little pixels for shadows and stuff that I never noticed before. Is it the PS2 that has the smoothing thing for PS1 games? I should try that. Might not look quite so weird. Overall, though, I still think that the graphics for this game are pretty nice. I can tell what I'm looking at. I don't have to guess. That's really all that matters.

NON-BATTLE GAMEPLAY - This is, of course, standard RPG fare. Walk around, press X to interact with objects and talk to people. You can talk to people with the square button instead to initiate a game of cards (if the NPC plays cards). The card game is pretty fun, but the difficulty level increases suddenly by introducing all these different rules and stuff. I remember the first time I played this game, I stopped playing cards at that point. I'm at the same point and I'm stopping again. The cards are useful for refining them into items for weapon upgrades or something, but there are other ways to get most of the cards in the game.

BATTLE GAMEPLAY - This is pretty standard, too. Fight, magic, item, summon. Which Guardian Forces (summons) you have "junctioned," determine what things you can do in battle. Without a GF, all you can do is "Fight." That's it. In addition to the GF's granting you other abilities during battle, they also allow you to junction magic to your stats, attacks, and defenses. This is useful and if you're patient enough to get enough magic, you can make your characters stupidly powerful. Obtaining magic is done by drawing it from draw points found throughout the environment or from enemies. Enemies are the best since their stock of magic is unlimited. If you can take the abuse, just draw, draw, draw and max out your magic. Then you can increase your stats to make fighting stuff stupidly easy. Enemy levels are based on Squall's level, so it's rare to have to fight something that you can't handle, anyway. Bonus stats just makes it easier. Oh yeah, GF's have stat increases you can use, too. Like HP+40% and stuff like that. Currently, my characters (except Squall) are around level 20. Here's an example: Without junctions, their HP is around 1000. With junctions, somewhere around 3000. This makes a big difference when stuff is hitting them.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT & STORY - In true Square Enix fashion, this is where the game really shines. The characters are deep, the story is intriguing. I think the story is what keeps me playing. I hate the characters, but I want to know how everything is connected. There's love, war, time-travel of a sort, revenge, humor. The pacing is not too long or too short.

I'm on disc 3 out of 4. I've done a few side quests and obtained two bonus GF's so far. And I'm enjoying it. I just have to remember to ignore Squall and Rinoa's pathetic personalities. I promise to finish the game this time. No matter how much I want to jump into the screen and murder the main characters myself!

Why Shame?

2008-01-22T14:13:00.000-10:00

I'm trying to understand why the phrase "Hot Tears of Shame" is the phrase to use to describe video game news that is related to pornography and sex. A cursory search on the internet to define the word shame gave me the following:

a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt

The last time I checked. Sex was normal and necessary. I wouldn't be sitting here writing this if it wasn't for sex. Sex and pornography is not something that should elicit SHAME from a person. Embarrassment, sure. I'm sure most of us have had our porn collection accidentally seen by a parent or someone else we didn't want seeing it. But shame? That's a bit much.

I am a healthy woman with healthy drives. I find hentai and pornography arousing. I play X-rated yaoi dating sims. I have a vibrator that I can plug into anything with a headphone jack that vibrates with the sounds. If someone came into my room while I was watching hentai or something, yeah, I'd be all kinds of embarrassed. However, I am not ashamed for liking stuff of a pornographic nature. So when I read about World of Whorecraft or the Dynasty Warriors Cosplay porno video, I don't find it shameful. I sometimes wonder what kinds of people would be into certain things, but who am I to judge? Some people are into S&M. Some are into maid uniforms. Whatever, as long as you're not hurting anyone.

Labeling game news with the tag "Hot Tears of Shame" subconsciously serves to maintain the idea that sex and pornography are bad. It may be meant as a joke, but in an industry where government officials are trying to figure out ways to ban games for violence and all that, shouldn't we be trying to come across as a little less puritanical? We seem to have this stupid double standard that beating someone to death with blood gushing everywhere is okay, but oh my God, someone made Mii's look like sexual organs and positions! Hot tears of shame! If anything, I think it would make more sense to feel a sense of shame that we are becoming desensitized to blood and violence.

I have nothing against violence in video games. Heaven only knows how much I LOVE running around with a giant sword, slashing up bad guys and bashing people over the head. I'm just saying that when it comes to sex and violence, it really should be an equal opportunity thing. To me it just seems like people who report video game news are a bunch of little boys who need to grow up. I'm being a little harsh, I know, but really... Grow up. ;-)

Video Game Consoles & Multi-Media

2008-01-07T14:47:00.000-10:00

Over the last few days, I've been reading a lot of announcements about different movie and television companies getting involved with video game consoles. Like being able to watch ABC programming via download on your XBox 360 or Sony's plans to have similar stuff available on the PS3. While I do personally know a couple of people who don't have television in their homes, I don't believe that no-TV is the norm in the average American household. In fact, I'm quite sure that most people not only have at least some kind of cable, but also a DVR or PVR to record shows that air when they're not at home to watch them. I mean, seriously... The government is mandating that television companies broadcast digitally by February 17, 2009. So yeah, most people are already switching from analog to digital. Over the last year or so, I've also read many reports about how people are spending less time watching television and more time playing video games. This makes sense to me, as interactive entertainment where the viewer is actively involved is going to be more engaging than just watching stuff happen.

So these people who have 360's and PS3's... There's a good chance that they already have a HDTV of some sort. And if that's the case, they probably have digital cable, too. DVR's, PVR's, and TIVO's are becoming more and more prevalent, as well. So they can watch movies and television shows on their nice TV's whenever they want. Add to that the tons of people who use Blockbuster and Netflix to rent DVD and High Def movies... So, let me ask the obvious question:

WHY THE HELL WOULD I SPEND MONEY ON DOWNLOADING SHOWS TO MY 360 OR MY PS3?!?!?

The 360 ones are in a proprietary format that can only be watched via the 360. You can't copy it to a computer or anything. They cost $3-$5 per show, depending on whether you're downloading high or standard definition.

I checked the website of the primary cable provider on Oahu for pricing. Basic digital cable costs about $65 per month. You get 227 channels. If you add a DVR to that, it's an additional $10 per month. At best, that's 25 SD shows on my 360 or 15 HD shows. At my house, we have basic digital cable on 2 boxes, the HBO pack on 2 boxes, the HD Entertainment pack in the living room, and a DVR in the living room. We pay about $100 a month. A cursory search of the internet indicated that the average basic cable bill in America is $100 per month, so I'm right around average. But that also means that the average American household has a similar set up as me (cable-wise, anyway...lol). If Microsoft and Sony are trying to sell these downloadable movies and television shows to those of us who already HAVE the HD and digital stuff, they're seriously barking up the wrong tree.

Maybe they're trying to market their products to the people who haven't joined the 21st century yet. If that's the case, not only are they asking non-tech-savvy consumers to buy a complex game/multimedia system, but also a new TV, and new or expanded cable services to go along with that TV. We're looking at a few THOUSAND dollars here for ALL of that. Most people who buy a nice TV are going to actually want to watch TV on it. Really. Either way, it makes almost no sense to try and get people all psyched about their game systems because they can download TV shows and movies on it.

NEWS FLASH! WE ALREADY HAVE TV AND MOVIES. Stop using that to sell your game systems. I know that they're being marketed as game and multimedia systems and that's cool, but until I can actually use my 360 or PS3 to watch the cable that I pay for every month, I'll consider downloading TV shows and movies as hype and sales gimmicks. I realize that most of the video games that are being developed these days are all the same, so they need to find something to make their systems cool, but I'm sick of being treated like some stupid drone, expected to buy things because I can do some gimmicky thing on it. I want substance. There's some out there, but these days, it's more hype than anything else.

There is one cool thing that the 360 and PS3 can do regarding multimedia that I think is really awesome. Connecting to my computer and allowing me to play video files from there on my TV. Yakitate Japan, Mokke, and Moyashimon have never been so awesome. :) I'm not trying to totally come down on these next-gen systems. I just wish they would THINK before trying to get us to spend money on stupid shit.

That's My Name... Don't Wear It Out...

2007-12-17T17:29:00.000-10:00

Yesterday, I went into a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf to get some iced tea. Their green tea flavor of the day was Strawberries and Cream. Yummy. After ordering two (one for me and one for my husband), I paid for them, and they asked me for my name. They type it into a computer screen thing so that when your drinks are done, they can call out your name. I understand why they do this. I also know that in any customer service field, the use of a customer's name increases the happiness of the customer, so they're more likely to come back. Etc. Etc. Etc. But...

I ABSOLUTELY HATE IT.

My name is personal to me. It is the one label that I can accept other people using to define me. It is MY NAME. And unless I give you permission to use it, I want it to remain personal.

I can hear it already. You're saying, "What's the big deal?" Can't say as I blame you. However, everyone is entitled to their idiosyncracies. This is one of mine. When people refer to each other as Mr. or Mrs. So-and-so, there is an implied barrier between the speakers. They are able to communicate on a closer level than strangers, but there is a clear line between the two. When someone has your first name, you are allowing them to be closer to you. This is not a bad thing. I just think that the teenager taking my order at the coffee place hasn't interacted with me enough to be allowed to use my first name.

So, is Hatsumi my real name? Yes, one of them. Will I answer to it if you call me "Hatsumi" in person? Yes. Good enough. But my full name does not appear anywhere on this blog. That is on purpose. One could argue that I'm losing out on networking or something by leaving out my full name, but I don't feel comfortable with any moron surfing the web being able to see my full name and the city I'm in. Paranoid? Probably. Do I care that I'm overly paranoid? Definitely not.

I notice that most people don't seem to have this fear. They make all these pages on MySpace, Friendster, and whatever else. There are pictures of them, where they live, and their names. Isn't that like an open invitation to get stalked or something?

So I'm faced with a dilemma. Almost all my friends and family have pages on these social networking sites. I typed in names of people I went to high school with to see if they would pop up and sure enough, they did. And I thought, "Cool!" But then I realized that if I wanted to send them a message, I'd have to sign up for whatever site they were on. Hell, no. I made a MySpace page with nothing on it so that I could monitor my son's page. Yeah, I know, overprotective mom... Gimme a break. I worry about him. More parents should worry about their kids. Maybe we wouldn't have so many problems.../sigh But back to the problem at hand... I want to touch base with these people whom I haven't seen in years, but I'm not willing to clutter my inbox with the spam I'll inevitably get or risk my privacy to do so. Decisions, decisions...

At least at the coffee place, when they ask me for my name, I can just tell them, "Godzilla." And yes, that's what I do.

Something to Talk About

2007-11-29T16:48:00.000-10:00

I've been feeling for a long time that all the game news is the same old shit. We're looking at a few basic statements:

1. Nintendo is awesome because the DS and the Wii are soooooo popular.
2. The 360 is better than the PS3.
3. The PS3 is better than the 360.
4. Omg, video games are violent and people are trying to ban them.
5. Such-and-such game is coming out.

That's certainly not EVERYTHING, but it covers maybe 90% of game news. I'm not necessarily complaining, mind you. I like knowing when a game gets announced or when it's going to be available to drain my wallet of its meager stash of money. Besides, it's not like it's reasonable to expect news on a regular basis that makes you say, "Holy shit," you know? Not to mention, it can be argued that the news we read every day nowadays would have made us say, "Holy shit," a few years ago, but we've gotten so used to the constant influx that we're no longer phased. We've become quite jaded. Perhaps desensitized.

Anyway, there's an interesting rumor floating around the internet right now about some guy losing his job over a non-stellar video game review. It's a review of a game I've never played. Nor do I have any interest in playing it. It's not my kind of game. I don't need anyone to tell me what I want to play. I can make those decisions on my own, which is why I don't really read reviews. When I do read them, I don't take them very seriously. A review is basically one person's opinion. And that person isn't me, so yeah, it's like a suggestion or recommendation at BEST.

As for the rumor itself, I have no reason to believe that it's true or false. Rumors are just that. Rumors. True or not, the implications of such an event should raise some eyebrows, though.

Personally, something like this happening doesn't really surprise me. The video game industry has become so entrenched in marketing and flash that it's become almost unrecognizable from what it was just a few years ago. There's a stupid saying that's been around for a LONG time: Money talks, bullshit walks. Now that gaming actually brings in billions of dollars, that money is going to talk. Consumer dollars are what's controlling the game industry. Not the developers and, if that guy really lost his job over his review, not the reviewers. I've ranted about games today and the lack of attention to detail, character development, and plot development in a previous blog entry, so I won't talk about that here.

My thoughts on game reviews are similar to my thoughts on the games themselves. They all sound the same and they sound like what everyone wants to hear. I haven't read very many of this guy's reviews because he doesn't typically review games I like to play. The few I've read didn't really thrill me. /shrug As far as I can tell, he based his reviews on what he liked, regardless of whether people agreed with him or not. Isn't that the point? Giving your own opinion? Not everyone is going to like the same stuff. Ugh, that would REALLY SUCK.

One of my best friends loves the Guitar Hero games with a passion that mirrors my obsession with Final Fantasy. Well, not quite, but while I find games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band to be fun social games, I don't go wandering around town looking for a CD by the band made up of Harmonix employees. Similarly, he doesn't spend thousands of dollars every year on any and every Final Fantasy thing he sees. I do.

People have different tastes. Personally, I don't agree with this guy's taste in games. But I doubt he agrees with mine, either. Since gaming reviews are becoming more and more indistinguishable, it seems that the sales and marketing departments of the companies in the video game industry are trying to mold us all into one cookie-cutter idea of a gamer. Fuck that.

So, what if this rumor is just bullshit? That would be a good thing. But it made you think, didn't it? And hopefully the fact that people thought that it was feasible will make other people think, too. So maybe, just MAYBE, we'll resist becoming assimilated by the video game industry Borg collective. Still, I'm not holding my breath. I basically stopped reading reviews over a year ago. They don't MEAN anything anymore. And if saying what you really think is going to get you fired, maybe we should consider adopting a different form of government where behavior like that is allowed. Then we can give up our rights and be like those kids in Pink Floyd's The Wall... /shiver

もしもし～！　WRONG GAME!

2007-11-13T11:45:00.000-10:00

I've never been one for putting any stock in awards shows. They're more about money and fashion than anything else. Spike TV has video game awards. As far as I'm concerned, it's a total farce. Still, I find WATCHING awards shows highly entertaining. My friends and I typically get together and watch stuff like that as give it the MST3K treatment. There are few things in the universe more enjoyable than yelling insults at a TV screen.

This year's nominees are Mass Effect, Super Mario Galaxy, Half-Life:Orange Box, and Halo 3. For just about EVERYTHING. There are a few other games in some categories thrown in there, but for the most part, it's those 4. That's fine, really. It's all about who pays the money, right? Although there are a lot of trendy gamers that use shows like this to determine what they play, REAL gamers don't. We know better.

So here's my gripe: If you go to the Spike Video Game Awards Site, you'll see a list of categories to your left. There's a category for RPG. Click on it. Now, do you see that Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions game? Click on that. You'll be treated to a trailer and game information about Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Sealed Grimoire (or whatever the translation is). A2 was just released in Japan for the Nintendo DS. There is no official US release date yet. War of the Lions is the new port of the original Tactics on the PS1. It's available in Japan and the US on the Sony PSP.

For crying out loud, someone FIX THE DAMNED SITE!!! Either put the right game under the current title or change the title. It's been like that since Friday. On Friday afternoon, I sent an e-mail to the website's feedback address and received no response. I didn't really expect one, but I thought that BY NOW someone would have fixed the thing. So, yesterday I sent Kotaku an e-mail asking for clarification on WHICH game was running. I pointed out that I realize that they're not Spike, but I figured that since they run a game site, they would at least be able to answer my question. I also encouraged them to let Spike know that there was an error since they obviously aren't listening to some random viewer like me. Haven't heard anything from them, either. まー、いいよ。 /shrug

Spike is looking more stupid to me every day. As if this was possible... They were already pretty damned low on my list. Still, they show Star Trek shows, so they can't be ALL bad, right? Don't answer that...lol.

Wishing for Revenge of the Nerds

2007-10-10T12:48:00.000-10:00

Growing up, I was called all kinds of names. Nerd. Geek. Freak. Weirdo. Contaminated. Dork. Lez. I'm sure I'm forgetting some. And growing up, I did NOT play video games. I did learn how to program in Basic and I had a Commodore 64, but gaming was not my focus. I was really into math and stuff. I still prefer logic over emotion. (I had a HUGE crush on Spock when I was little.) In 1991, Nintendo released the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. I never played on one. Then in 1993, my ex-husband bought me one so that I would have "something to do" while sitting at home, pregnant with my son. I was like, "What the hell am I supposed to do with THIS?" Still, it came with Super Mario World, so I played the hell out of it because I WAS bored at home. Blockbuster rented out SNES games, so I discovered The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past, Final Fantasy III (VI), Illusion of Gaia, Chrono Trigger, etc. I got completely and totally 100% HOOKED.

My son was born in 1994 and I continued to play happily with my SNES. Less than a year later, I split up with my husband. In August 1995, I spent $75 (!!) on a fighting game called Killer Instinct just because I wanted the soundtrack CD that came with it. (I still have that CD, too, although not the game.) When the first Playstation was released a month later, I took virtually no notice. I was happy with my SNES. In 1998, I was dating a guy in the Army who owned a Playstation, so I would play with it once in awhile. He wasn't into RPG's, so I played Clock Tower (omg, that game scared me!) and some action adventure game that I can't for the life of me remember what it was called. I started looking in the Playstation section of the video game store and I discovered that there were RPG's. Most notably, there was Final Fantasy VII. This excited me because I loved IV and VI so much. It didn't take me long to buy a Playstation of my own. I wanted my RPG fix. I needed it.

During the time of the original Playstation, I played every RPG I could get my hands on. There were some real winners: Xenogears, Lunar, Final Fantasy VII-IX, and Wild Arms, for example. RPG's came out every few months, as opposed to every week, so you actually had TIME to play the games. I savored them and I waited with bated breath for the next RPG to hit the shelves. And during a dry spot, I picked up Beyond the Beyond, one of the worst RPG's EVER, simply because there was NOTHING else. I played other types of games, too, but my favorites were still (and always will be, I think) RPG's. Gamers were not spoiled by constant game releases, so we appreciated what we got when we got it. I became a regular customer of (then) Software, Etc. so I started meeting other people who were like me and into the same kinds of things that I was. These people were called nerds and geeks, too. Finally! I could talk about boss strategies, anime, and comic books and people didn't look at me as if I'd grown another head. This was when I met my current husband.

In May 2000, I started working at a different Software, Etc. location and soon moved up to Assistant Store Manager in another location. This allowed me to broaden my horizons with the types of games that I played. I bought a Dreamcast and built a gaming-capable PC, so that I could play EverQuest. This wasn't that long ago, if you think about it, but one of the most common comments I got while working in a game store was, "You play games? But you're a GIRL!" While this sometimes annoyed me, I typically felt that my gamer-ness gave me bonus points toward my nerd-ness. It's hard accepting yourself when people around you are constantly pointing out how DIFFERENT you are, but by this point in my life, I had embraced my geekiness, loved it, and nurtured it.

During my employ at Software, Etc., Sony released the Playstation 2. I consider this to be the start of REAL change in the video game industry. This new console was not only a game machine, but it could play DVD movies, too. It was an entertainment system of sorts. Microsoft jumped on the console bandwagon with the XBox later. Gaming quickly grew into a mainstream form of entertainment in the average American household. I'm sure you've read all the news and studies: People are spending more time playing games than watching television, etc. Game developers are sacrificing story, character development, and gameplay for fancy graphics so that they can churn out games constantly. We no longer have the time to play the games that come out before the next one and gamers like me are feeling like something is missing when we're playing a game that we can beat in only 20 hours. It's all about money, I guess.

I had started noticing my displeasure with the game industry quite awhile ago, but I couldn't quite put an explanation on it. Then when Halo 3 was released last month, it hit me. The release of Halo 3 was a marketing bonanza. And I realized that they weren't marketing their game to gamers. They were marketing it to EVERYONE ELSE. Those of us who have been gaming since BEFORE the 360 know what we want. We don't need commercials to tell us what we want to play. So there were launch parties with rock stars, movie stars, news cameras, and bright lights. Trendy, popular people were lining up to buy this game. And this is what was going through MY mind:

"WTF?? For years, I was called names and considered a total weirdo because I was into this kind of thing. But now, it's cool and popular. If it wasn't for gamers like me, you wouldn't have your fucking Halo. And what do WE get? Short, crappy games, with pretty pretty graphics."

Video games are not made for gamers like me anymore and this makes me feel betrayed. I hate that the popular people who called me names in school are now playing video games and they're still popular. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that gaming has become a more socially acceptable hobby. I can proudly wear a t-shirt with "geek" on the front of it. Women can play games without being labeled as weird. In fact, it seems to make them even more attractive to men. (One of my son's female friends kicks ass at Halo, I'm told, so a lot of the boys in his class like her because of that.) I like that there are more games and more choices. I just miss the kind of attention to detail that developers used to have when making them. True gamers want a truly moving and amazing experience, and not just visually. I like to feel immersed. When I play games, I put myself inside the game. I laugh, cry, and get angry along with the pixels on the screen. If character development and story are lacking, this isn't possible and the experience isn't as rich.

What do I want? I want a game where I feel like my love of 14 years is reciprocated. I want nerds to take over gaming again. I want to REALLY love my games again.

Brewfest~!

2007-10-04T13:26:00.000-10:00

World of Warcraft has started their Brewfest holiday event. You can buy different kinds of beer from all over the world. Well, Azeroth, anyway... There are mini-games and other random stupid things, but it's fun. The npc's are all wearing lederhosen. Yeah, it doesn't get much better than that. I want lederhosen for my characters. I haven't done any of the quests yet, but I did hang out in the Undead beer garden at Undercity. I drank a lot of beer. And I saw pink elephants... Really. ^_^ That was always one of my favorite scenes from any Disney movie: Pink Elephants on Parade from Dumbo.

The Halloween stuff is going to be starting soon, too. I believe the Headless Horseman is already terrorizing cities, but we can't fight him until the 18th. I look forward to that. Apparently, he can drop a 1-time-use broomstick to ride as a mount. Heh. I can see that sitting in my bank FOREVER.

I'm really glad they're doing something different this year. Last year was the same as the year before, so there was nothing new for me to do. No new rewards or anything. I really get into holiday events. I'm looking forward to seeing Final Fantasy XI's holiday events, too...

私の３６０は戻ってきた～！

2007-09-27T12:40:00.001-10:00

Okay, so the title makes it sound like my 360 is a person...but still... IT'S BACK!!! I'm so happy. I can finally play my games! I'm waiting for the weekend to play Halo 3 with my son, but last night I started playing Blue Dragon and Eternal Sonata. I'm really enjoying both. They're simple, but I don't expect complex story-telling or gameplay from a 360 RPG. Sorry to anyone I may be offending with that statement.

One of the things I totally forgot about was those stupid Achievements that give you points for...nothing... I don't need points for bragging rights. I don't know ANYONE who games like I do. That's a bragging right in itself. Anyway, is there a way to turn off the little "Achievement Unlocked" message and sound? Like put it in the background? It takes away from my full screen experience. It doesn't match. It intrudes...

Oh well, can't have everything. Still, I'm ecstatic that I can finally play my games!

:)

Oh yeah, here's a picture of my Halo 3 Legendary Edition. Pretty, huh?

grumble...mumble...growl...

2007-09-20T11:57:00.000-10:00

Last last Friday, I bought one of those new PSP Slim things. I really like it. It's considerably lighter and the perfect size for my somewhat small, female hands. I notice a difference in loading times because of the data caching and the new design is an overall improvement. I bought the Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary version, so it's numbered and came with Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core and a nifty cellular phone strap that I'm tempted to use, but...no. It's an almost-perfect match for my Final Fantasy III limited edition numbered Nintendo DS. Final Fantasy freak? Me? Noooo... Really? lol

So here's my complaint. And, no, it's not the outrageous prices I pay for these things. I accept that as part of my obsession, I mean, hobby. I'm trying to remember the last time I FINISHED a hand-held game. I think it was the first Ouendan! (The Japanese one, NOT Elite Beat Agents...) It was a short, but re-playable, rhythm game. Games like that are designed to be beat in a couple of hours. However, the majority of my games for my PSP and DS are RPG's. Those are most certainly NOT designed to be completed in a couple of hours. So I've got this stack of games that I've never finished playing. At least, not on my PSP or DS. Since most of them are remakes, I've finished those previously elsewhere.

I look at the PSP and DS as ways to game when I'm not at home. This is not to say that I don't consider them game systems in their own right. It's just that when I get home, I play home consoles or on my computer. So right now I've got Picross DS and that Chocobo Tales game in my DS case. And I've got Crisis Core and Final Fantasy I in my PSP case. I play these during my lunch break only if I'm not watching anime on the PSP, so at the rate I'm going, I'll be lucky if I complete one game per year.

I don't know why I can't spend hours and hours staring at a small screen. Perhaps it's because I'm spoiled by my television. Perhaps it's because my eyes get really tired and my head starts hurting. Am I getting old? I have really bad eyesight to begin with... It's probably a combination of the two. Yes, I know you can connect the PSP to the TV now, but then I wonder why am I not playing a PS2 game or something instead? You know...something DESIGNED for the TV? I don't even want to KNOW what a PSP game would look like blown up on a 60" HDTV... Yes, I'm picky and spoiled.

So, what spurned my rant? Square Enix announced three new Kingdom Hearts games. One for the cellular phone, one for the PSP, and one for the DS. I'm never going to play them. I want to, but I won't. (I never played Chain of Memories, either...) Fortunately, I can just get my son to play them and I'll watch the cut scenes and story dialog. This is what we did with Chain of Memories. I feel like less of a gamer for this, but I just can't spend that kind of time on hand-held games.

Oh well, I just remembered that I DID finish FFIII (Japanese) on the DS, so there's hope. /sigh

まだまだ。。。

2007-09-18T16:50:00.000-10:00

Today I will go to the video game store and buy my pre-ordered copy of Eternal Sonata (US)/Trusty Bell (Japan). The American name actually makes more sense than the Japanese one, although the Japanese name definitely sounds cooler. This game is for the 360. My 360 is still off in la-la land getting repaired. (Honestly, I have visions of witch doctors dancing around with body paint and strange substances with smoke of varying colors wafting through the air...) And yet I'm buying the game today, anyway... I want my pre-order bonus and while the employees at my reservation store are perfectly happy holding on to that for me, I feel kind of guilty asking them to do that. So I'm picking it up. And I'll just be glancing wistfully at its beautiful packaging while playing some other game on my PS2, PS3, or computer. I really hope my 360 comes back soon. Halo 3 is next week and I'm looking forward to it in a weird "me" kind of way... Oh well, let's just hope that I have better luck than those people that wind up sending it back multiple times... I think one of my friends is on XBOX 360 number four...

Something Different

2007-09-13T10:17:00.001-10:00

I think my 360 being broken and the PS3 version of Oblivion not being out yet are punishments for being cranky and bitchy about the video game industry and gamers. I'm not going to change my stances on those things, though. However, I do think I need to think about something else for a bit. Just to clear my head. I got into a great e-mail argument with one of my best friends yesterday about gamers and the video game industry, but it left me feeling even angrier about the state of things. That's when I realized that I need to clear my head. So I did what any woman worth her salt would do. I ate one of my favorite foods. A LOT of it.

Sushi. I can't get enough of the stuff. And I'm not talking about going to one of those conveyor belt places like Genki Sushi (whose mascot does not look genki at all..) or something. I'm talking about a restaurant that has a sushi bar with a sushi chef from Japan and amazingly fresh fish. I'm talking about Sushi Bistro Shun. It's on King Street and looks like it's part of an old apartment complex. The only time I ever go there is if my parents are going and they invite me along. It's kind of expensive. Good sushi almost always is. And when Dad's paying, I eat up. ^^

The chef, Benke-san, is amazing. He's pretty much a one-man show behind the counter, yelling out instructions to the rest of the servers. I think we've seen him go through two or three apprentices, but none last very long. I wonder if he's hard to work for... Oh well, I don't really care. As the Master of the place, he's an excellent sushi chef and a great conversationalist. Yellowfin tuna, salmon, tataki tuna, shrimp tempura and tomato roll, spinach bacon, wafu (Japanese style) salad, mixed tempura, Vegas Chip roll, and seared salmon with shiso (beefsteak plant), lemon juice, onion, and sesame seeds. To top it off, he had fresh mango, which he cut up and put in a bowl for us. I stuffed myself to the point of discomfort last night. 幸せになった。 I was a happy girl. It's truly amazing to me what comfort food can do to a person's mood.

Yo-Ho! Yo-Ho!

2007-09-12T10:01:00.000-10:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of buying a brand new copy of The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition for my PC. I had previously bought the non-GOTY edition on the 360, PS3, AND PC. Okay, I'm crazy. We knew this already. After playing it on all three, I preferred the PC version because it looks totally awesome on my machine. I actually prefer the console controller control scheme, but keyboard and mouse works great once you get used to it.

So I tried installing it last night. The basic game, Oblivion, installed just fine. When I tried to run the second disk, which has the two expansions on it, it wouldn't run. At all. I have auto-run disabled on my machine so you have to actually double-click the thing, but Windows simply would not recognize the autorun.inf file. The difference between disk 1 and disk 2 is a copy-protection software known as SecuROM. As we all know from Bioshock, SecuROM is known to cause problems even after the game is uninstalled because the SecuROM software stays in your system. I know that certain burning software on a computer makes the autorun.inf file not work properly. However, the first disk was fine, so it's reasonable to figure that the burning software plus the SecuROM is making it not work.

So, I have two choices. 1. Uninstall my burning software and install the game and let it put that SecuROM shit in my system. Um, no. 2. Download a pirated copy of the game. Um, no. WHAT THE FUCK? I'm not pirating a game that I paid $50 for so that it will run on my computer without fucking up my system! I have never pirated a video game in my life. I spend a LOT of money on my hobby. I am not letting someone put garbage in my registry if I legitimately bought a game.

So I have a 3rd option: buy it on the PS3 or 360. That's what I will do. I'm not pirating a game that I bought. That's just retarded. I can exchange it and pay the additional $10. Still, this really leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I'm getting so sick of this shit. On top of that, the PS3 version doesn't come out until next month! If my 360 wasn't in Texas, I'd get the 360 version... That one's out.

Obviously, the powers that be are telling me to play something else...

Racial Slurs and the Internet

2007-09-11T16:42:00.000-10:00

Growing up and living in Hawaii make a person unique. Well, ALL people are unique, really, but there's a certain mindset that goes along with being here. Racial barriers are much less prevalent here than in other places on the mainland or in other countries. This is one of the things I like about this state. However, just because we're typically more tolerant, I was taught that it was still extremely important to treat everyone with respect and not use racial slurs.

I am half Japanese and half Caucasian. When my Japanese Grandpa was still alive, he was the best. He gave me M&M's and spoiled me and my two sisters absolutely rotten. There were only two times that I can remember that he ever got angry with me. The first time was when I got into a fight with my sister and I pulled her hair or something after she hit me. He told me that you NEVER hit your family. The second time was when I was talking about my Japanese school (an after-school program where I learned Japanese) and I referred to it as "Jap Class." As far as I knew, I was simply abbreviating the word "Japanese." I had never seen him so angry. He explained to me that it was a derogatory word, similar to the N word for African American. (I still absolutely can NOT say, write, or type that word.) Since that day, I have never used that word, except to recount that experience and to recount an experience that happened to me several years later. (I was on the mainland at summer school and some girl in my class called me a "fucking jap" because her grandfather was killed during WWII. Tch. As if this had anything to do with ME... Anyway...)

Recently, I (finally) learned the basic use of IRC. I hang out in a channel where my friend is an "op" and, for the most part, I just idle there. I go to other channels and download stuff like anime or whatever. I don't socialize much. I don't like socializing with people that I can't see. I prefer vis-a-vis communication. Anyway, the channel I idle in is populated by people who are into video game music. You can extrapolate that they're into video games themselves, anime, and Japanese pop culture. (This may not describe EVERYONE, but it's a reasonable generalization and from all the conversations I've seen, it seems to be pretty accurate.) I think it was yesterday, I was lurking and watching conversation, when they started using "jap" to abbreviate "Japanese," much like I did when I was small. They weren't using it as a slur, but I wanted to leave channel because it REALLY bothered me. I kind of felt like saying, "Hey, if you guys love Japanese stuff so much, don't use words like that!" I mean, really, how could they have so little respect for something they obsess about so much?

I know, I know... I wasn't part of this conversation, so it shouldn't be relevant to me and I shouldn't be bothered by it. And I also realize that the internet has become a place where people don't have to adhere to the strict rules of societal propriety. However, I still believe that the internet is a public place, and people should behave accordingly. So, I felt extremely uncomfortable. I haven't contributed much to conversation there and this made me even LESS inclined.

In real world situations, when something like this occurs, you would simply tell the person that the word is offensive to you and ask that they not use it around you. If they choose to continue using it, then simply remove yourself from interaction with them. Not everyone shares my belief that people should behave like civilized creatures on the internet, so I don't think it's fair of me to say anything. Not to mention, it's not like I contribute to conversation, anyway. I can picture the response: "wut? i can say whatever i want. if u don't like it leave." And they would have a point, even if they do sound like idiots. So...maybe I should do just that and leave.

God is a Whiny, Tantrum-Throwing, Selfish Child

2007-09-03T17:39:00.000-10:00

After watching 10 million Haruhi dance posts on Kotaku and listening to people talk about how it's like totally awesome and it's like Evangelion, I finally decided to watch The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. I had previously seen an episode and wasn't particularly interested. Someone even told me the ending. In fact, I think that's what made me change my mind about watching it. This post contains spoilers, but everyone has seen the damned show already, anyway. Let's start with a few basic questions:

1. Did I like it? Yes and No.
2. Was it good? Yes and No.
3. Would I watch it again? Probably not.
4. Am I glad I watched it? Definitely.

With the increase in popularity of anime, there has been quite a surge of titles over the last few years. The first anime I ever watched (not including Voltron and Robotech after school when I was a kid) was Akira. I was 17 or 18 years old and I distinctly remember questioning my sanity and my grasp on reality, if there really was such a thing. From that moment on, I was hooked. I watched anything I could get my hands on. This was during the early 1990's, so pickings were slim and I usually had to watch things in English. I watched giant robots, fantasy, comedy, hentai... Everything. The ones I enjoyed the most were typically the ones that were fucked up in some way. Not just plot twists, but character and plot development that really made me analyze the way I thought about the universe and my place in it. This was also a period of time before I discovered video games and all that. The people that I hung out with were mostly interested in drinking alcohol and playing pool at 24 hour pool halls. No one I knew watched anime, so I didn't know where to look for it. I rented everything at Blockbuster. This also means that I didn't really watch any series. Everything was either a movie or OAV's. Jump ahead to 2000. I was sporting a major console RPG addiction and visiting (then) Software Etc. on a regular basis. I started talking to the guys there. They liked video games, too. And would you believe it? They knew about anime, too! I know you're thinking, "Well, duh!" but try and remember, until then, all the people I hung around with liked normal things like television. Video games and anime were freakish things. So I did what any single female would do... I started dating one of them. ^^ First he showed me Fushigii Yuugi. He would give me 6 episodes at a time, so I'd have to keep calling him to get the next ones. Clever son of a bitch, huh...lol :) After Fushigii Yuugi, he gave me Neon Genesis Evangelion. That gave me enough religion and philosophy to ponder for the next 50 years, I think. But ever since then, although many thought-provoking animes have been released, nothing has come close to the kind of introspection that Evangelion invited.

Until Haruhi. I'm not going to say that they make you think the same things. Or even that they invite debate in the same ways. Society today has grasped a concept called "Politically Correctness" to the point of ridiculous obsession. You're not allowed to believe in God. You're not allowed to have an opinion on anything. You need to be as middle-of-the-line as humanly possible. I say, "Fuck that," but many people have a difficult time living their own way when it's different than the norm. I've been a weirdo all my life, so it's not that hard for me. I believe in God. I don't think any less of people who don't. My religion is part of my life. You can't control that. Sorry, getting off track a little. So, in a society where religion is frowned upon, many young people question their existence and their place in this grand universe. Can't say as I blame them. In this age of technology and information, it's harder to figure out the differences between right and wrong. It's blurred now. Knowledge is power, but at the same time, too much knowledge can be detrimental. Children are at their best when they're young and haven't been tainted by the world yet. One of the most fascinating, yet painful, things I've had the opportunity to experience is the transition of my son from an innocent boy to a jaded and tainted man. (This transition is still going and will continue for quite a while yet.) The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya gives people an anime-style answer to the question of "Why are we all here?" Because Haruhi made it that way because she is the creator of the world.

I absolutely hated her character. She was whiny, childish, demanding, and selfish. She reminded me of me. (Well, the negative parts of me, anyway. I'm not ALL bad.) That's probably why I hated her so much. ddaydj and I had a conversation about how he hates elitist assholes, but he IS an elitist asshole, so it's reasonable. I feel that the creator of the universe should be above throwing tantrums and acting like a spoiled child who doesn't get her way. On the other hand, it makes sense to me that someone who is all powerful would easily get bored. I often wonder what God does in his spare time and I figure he just watches us and laughs his ass off. After all, we're pretty stupid, for the most part. He came down and lived amongst us once before and found out first hand how fucked up we are. Honestly, I'm amazed he didn't destroy us then. So here's Haruhi, living among us as a female high schooler, and she's bored. So she throws tantrums and eventually decides to recreate the world we're living in. So how does our mighty Kyon save the day? He tells her she's cute with a ponytail and kisses her. All better. The fate of the world rests in a high school crush. Okaaaay.

So why do people like her so damned much? Probably BECAUSE she's God and BECAUSE she's just as human as the rest of us. It's a comfort to believe that a being capable of creating and recreating the world at whim exhibits stupid behavior just like the rest of us. It makes us feel divine, too. And special. At her core, Haruhi is not a bad person. Not at all, which is why Kyon has such stupid, blind faith in her. Not that he really realized it, but hey, he's a stupid human. His confession to her at the end of the anime was very much like what they tell you in church: If you love God, God will grant you eternal life in paradise. You won't get left behind. So, I guess that vindicates the ending. ;-p

The rest of the characters were a lot of fun and much less annoying. They were rather stereotypical, but I think that was the point. What better way to invite religious and philosophical debate among people who normally just sit around and talk about ninjas and video games? Create an anime with all the things that otaku like and put a story that forces introspection at the heart of it.

The DVD's were released in Japan and here in Haruhi's order, which is different than the order in which they were aired. I think that's very 残念. (Too bad.) You'd get to see the ending during the 6th episode out of 14. I'm glad I watched them in the order that they were aired. And I'm glad I watched it. I won't watch it again and I won't watch the new series, most likely. I like to believe that God is more level-headed than that, so I'm not all gaga over it like so many others. Still, it wasn't a waste of my time.

Now I can go back to watching other stuff.

M$ Update #1

2007-08-31T14:36:00.000-10:00

As clichéd as it is, I'm going to share my 360 repair experience as it progresses:

I called M$ twice yesterday. The first time was while I was work. I was curious to see if I could start expediting the process even though I wasn't in front of my flashing red lights. After getting through the voice activated menu (I really hate those), the fellow I was talking to spoke English and was moderately rude. (It was within acceptable limits, though, since tech support is rarely nice.) When I explained to him what was wrong, he laughed. He asked me for my serial number, which I didn't have. He also told me that even if I had the serial number, he wouldn't be able to process the repair if he didn't walk me through some basic troubleshooting over the telephone. When I explained that I was concerned with getting home in time, he kept interrupting me. I told him that I had already done the different things listed on the website. (The website suggests you do this, actually, to make the phone process shorter.) He said that there were other things I had to do, but wouldn't tell me what. Needless to say, my anger was rising, but without being in front of my 360 and not having my serial number, it wouldn't do me any good arguing with him, anyway. So, I politely thanked him for his time and hung up the phone.

For the rest of the afternoon at work, I was forming what I was going to say in my mind. I was ready to rip someone a new one. No swearing or insulting, but making sure they were very clear about how upset I was about not being able to play Blue Dragon.

When I got home, I called again. Again I had to get through that damned voice activated menu thing. When I finally got through to a human, he spoke English and was friendly. I told him what was wrong and this is what he said:

"Before we get started, let me just take a minute to tell you that I'm really sorry that you're having this problem. I know how stressful this can be. I'm going to do my best to help you resolve this problem as quickly as possible."

He sucked the anger right out of me. I thought I was calling the wrong number, to be honest. I was totally calm and nice for the rest of the conversation. He asked me what troubleshooting steps I had already taken and I told him that I did the ones on the website, including removing the cables and hard drive, then reconnecting. He said that was sufficient to determine that the unit needed to be sent back and he would be sending me a box for shipping. I asked him how long the whole procedure would take and he said about 2 to 3 weeks. (Honestly, I'm thinking it's going to be closer to 6, but that's just my opinion.) When the whole conversation was finished, he apologized again, thanked me for my patience, and wished me a good rest of my evening.

I'm still in a state of shock. Nowadays, when you call customer support because something isn't working properly, they don't apologize and they don't take responsibility. I think the guy I talked to was an exception to the norm, but I'm glad he exists. Other people in customer support could learn a lot from him. An "I'm sorry" and/or a "Thank You" can diffuse about 85% of pissed of customers. It works on me and most other people I know. I've worked in retail and customer service for my whole life. When I first started helping out my Dad and Grandpa in their store when I was 6, there were a couple of basic rules they taught me. The first was that the customer is always right. Even if they're wrong, they're always right. Second, if a mistake was made, regardless of who made it, apologize. Third, ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS say, "Thank You." Oh yeah, and smile. :)

DENIED

2007-08-29T21:48:00.000-10:00

A bunch of games came out today. I bought three:

Dynasty Warriors Gundam (PS3)
Wild Arms 5 (PS2)
Blue Dragon (360)

I also got two postcards of Blue Dragon art with Hironobu Sakaguchi's signature scribbled on the front. Very cool stuff. I'll post a picture later, when I'm not screaming mad...

I popped Gundam in first because playing a Dynasty Warriors game is not something that I take very seriously. It's fun. It's body-count. And in this case, it's Gundam. While I'm not a huge Gundam fan, I like giant robots. Dynasty Warriors type fighting + giant robots = Super Fun. I played the first mission and once I got the hang of the controls, started wiping out robots everywhere. I saved my game.

Then I turned on the 360. It went to the menu. I ejected Lost Planet. I put in Blue Dragon. It just sat there. I turned it off. I turned it back on again. Drumroll... RED RING OF FUCKING DEATH. I'm so mad that I have no energy. It's been sucked into the atmosphere or something. Work has been absolute HELL this week. I was REALLY looking forward to playing this game. I'm a Final Fantasy fanatic. Hironobu Sakaguchi and Nobuo Uematsu are like idols to me. When I saw them, along with Yoshitaka Amano at the Final Fantasy Dear Friends Concert in Los Angeles a few years ago, I thought I was in heaven. I like Akira Toriyama's characters designs, too, especially from the re-issue of Chrono Trigger and Dragon Quest VIII. (I HATE DragonBall.)

So, yeah, I'm REALLY upset. So now I have to figure out what the hell to do about this. Fucking Microsoft. Fucking 360. And it's not like I was playing a game and it killed it. It didn't even get past the 360 dashboard. Grrr...

Sugar/Caffeine Crash

2007-08-28T20:05:00.000-10:00

I tried that Halo 3 Mountain Dew Game Fuel this afternoon. It was sweet. Really sweet. So in addition to the extra caffeine, there was a LOT of sugar. I was jittery. Then I crashed. I still feel crashed. I think I'll sleep soon. It tasted alright, I guess. I'm not a big soda drinker, anyway. Drinks with sugar make me more thirsty, so I just drink unsweetened stuff. The only time I like drinking soda is during "that" time of the month. So, I think until then, I'll pass on drinking any more of it. I'm definitely going to sleep early tonight, though.

Fighting Fire With Fire, Apparently

2007-08-23T22:22:00.000-10:00

There are a bunch of problems with Bioshock. Mostly involving installation issues, widescreen, and the fact that it's so graphically intense that it's melting 360's. Apparently, people are REALLY upset about this. I'm just going to wait until bugs are fixed and whatever. Then I'll buy it. Maybe the price will have gone down by then. Or I might just borrow ddaydj's copy. We'll see. I have so many games to play right now, I'm not really worrying about it. But, yeah, people are upset. So upset that the guys over at Kotaku made a post called:

Hey Bioshock PC Users: Calm the Fuck Down

The last time I checked, if you wanted to get someone to calm down, swearing at them was NOT the way to do it. Fighting fire with fire typically just makes the flames bigger. /sigh It's not like I'm offended by swearing or anything. I swear like sailor sometimes. And I'm not disagreeing with Luke's post, either. It's just, well, JUST AS STUPID as the people he's bitching about. So, I lump him into the same category as the morons who are all pissed off about Bioshock not working the way they want.

I often have to remind myself WHY I read Kotaku in the first place. Curious? Because it pretty much posts everything from different sites in one place, so I don't have to go to twenty billion different sites to find out what's going on in gaming. The down side is that I have to deal with their commentary. I wouldn't mind that so much if the different writers had different opinions, but for the most part, they're like clones. At least when it comes to game blogging. I often get the impression that they're just typing what they think we want to hear. I'm probably being hard on them, but I can't help it. Their site has sponsors and stuff. They travel all over the WORLD to bring us game news. I expect different responses to different things. I expect maturity and intelligence. Okay, maybe I don't really EXPECT it, but I WANT it. Still, I will continue to get an RSS feed from that site because it really does cover just about everything.

Paramount Sucks Balls

2007-08-21T11:45:00.000-10:00

Okay, not a very intelligent sounding title, but, dammit, I'm fucking pissed. In case you haven't heard (maybe you're living in a cave in the middle of nowhere, but in that case, how the hell are you reading this?), Paramount has announced that they are going to be publishing their High Definition movies (with the exception of Steven Spielberg's crap...I'm mean movies) exclusively on HD-DVD. In addition to that, they have canceled all previously announced movies coming out on Blu-ray.

Before you go accusing me of being a Sony fangirl, let me clarify a few things. Paying an extra $150 for a HD-DVD player on my XBox 360 is not a problem. If I couldn't afford that, I wouldn't have the hobbies that I have. My hobbies are expensive. I budget them into my lifestyle.

I already have a Playstation 3, which functions as a Blu-ray player. In fact, right now that's almost all I use it for. I'm still waiting for games that I want to play to come out on it. (We won't go into that right now...) For the most part, all the movies that I've bought on Blu-ray so far are available on BOTH formats.

Based on current sales trends, Blu-ray is beating HD-DVD 2 to 1 or something like that. If Blu-ray is going to win, I don't want to waste my money buying a player for HD-DVD's that is ultimately going to become outdated. Another reason I haven't bought the extension for my 360 is that it's exactly that: an extension. It's not available as a built-in unit. This is because the HD-DVD drive can't play DVD's fast enough to run games. It reads fast enough to play movies, but not games. I like my stuff to be all-inclusive.

However, I'm not suggesting that Paramount go Blu-ray exclusive. Supporting both formats was best for everyone involved: filmmakers, publishers, AND consumers. Everyone gets what they want. Forcing people to choose is just stupid.

HD-DVD disks hold 30 gigabytes of data, while Blu-ray disks hold 50. Both formats looks damned nice and definitely better than regular DVD's. Personally, I like Blu-ray better, so I want Blu-ray. But what I'm really upset about is not giving consumers a choice. The money I spend on movies comes from my wallet, which comes from my paycheck. I should be allowed to choose how I spend it. So, as of right now, I'm going to do everything I can to avoid buying or watching anything from Paramount. This includes Dreamworks, MTV, CMT, VH1, Paramount, Nickelodeon, Spike, TV Land, and Viacom. I'm also going to avoid visiting the GameTrailers site and eating at Bubba Gump Shrimp Factory. Thank God I don't watch TV.

Has someone started a petition or anything for this whole Paramount bullshit, by the way? I haven't seen one yet...

PC RPG vs. Console RPG

2007-08-20T13:55:00.000-10:00

There's this guy at work who plays PC role-playing games. You know. Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Icewind Dale, Elder Scrolls... Games where you create an avatar and determine his skills, alignment, and play as if you were really that character. Role-playing.

I started playing console games before I got into PC games. And I played console role-playing games. Final Fantasy, Wild Arms, Dragon Quest, Breath of Fire... Typically, there is much less customization and actual role-playing in these games. I'm not saying that they are totally devoid of it, but there's a LOT less. In addition to that, the game mechanics are different. Console RPG's typically have some kind of menu with options like Attack, Magic, Special, Defend, etc.

Since PC RPG's are based on table top RPG's, I'm going to say that those came first. Even if they didn't, it doesn't really matter. PC RPG's actually have role-playing while console RPG's typically put the player in another character's shoes. (There are exceptions to this, but even with games that make the player feel like they are the main character, it's still much more rigid.)

So, I think we need a new genre name. I've been trying to think of something, but nothing's coming to mind... Anyone have any thoughts?

Imagine

2007-08-07T22:28:00.000-10:00

There's an article about Ubisoft making games for girls.

Ubisoft Imagine Series

The article itself is probably more sexist than the topic. Leave it to the guys at Kotaku to think they're being all anti-sexism, when in reality, they're encouraging it. After reading all the stupid, sexist comments about how Ubisoft is being sexist, I broke my rule about not commenting on random sites anymore to post the following:

"I don't even want to think about the flames I'm probably going to get for writing this, but here goes... First of all, when I was in elementary school, there were no Gameboys and the like. When I was a little girl, I absolutely adored playing "Mommy." I had one of those dolls that you could feed with the bottle and it would actually wet its diaper. After I discovered Hot Wheels, though, that was it for girl stuff. Most of my female peers, however, were playing dress up, acting out "House" with their Barbie and Ken dolls, and having tea parties with their stuffed animals. Many of my coworkers have daughters (I only have a son) and while they may not be as stereotypically female as I was when I was little, I notice that early elementary school females still like to play "house," dress-up, and have tea parties. Whether we like to admit it or not, the demographic still exists. It has certainly changed and it might not be as big (honestly, I have no idea), but it's there. I hate being put into a gender stereotype as much as the next woman, but why NOT make games that target the group of girls that actually LIKE playing house and stuff? I don't see a problem with it. I'm not going to play it, but I'd be willing to bet good money that someone else out there will."

I probably won't go back to see if anyone says anything to me. I'll just get pissed off like I always do...lol. I'm gonna go back to playing Dragon Quest 8 now.

OMG That HURT!

2007-08-06T20:42:00.001-10:00

Okay, I did it. I'm gonna go find some alcohol to drink now... *cries*

Seriously, though, that was hard. Really. I love all my games. I just don't have the time to devote to them.

/cry

2007-08-06T12:28:00.000-10:00

I currently have active paid subscriptions to the following MMORPG's:

EverQuest I
Vanguard
Final Fantasy XI
City of Heroes/Villains
World of Warcraft

I also have Sword of the New World, but that one's free to play.

This comes to about $75 a month in online game fees or approximately $2.50 per day.

If I played all these games regularly, I'd probably be getting my money's worth out of them. However, a good chunk of those games get my attention for MAYBE 2 hours a MONTH! Considering that I'm also trying to play my console games (I'm currently on DQ8), I'm wasting a lot of money every month.

So I'm going to quit all but 2 of the paid ones. (Honestly, who cares if the free to play one keeps going. I can play it whenever and I'm not wasting money on it.)

It was REALLY HARD for me to decide to do this. And, just so you know, I haven't done it yet. I'm planning on doing it tonight... I'll let you know how it goes.

So I'm keeping World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XI. I considered how many people I play with currently and the amount of time, energy, and effort I have invested in each game. I have friends who REGULARLY play WoW and FFXI. Not to mention, WoW is a family affair for me, since I play with my husband and my son.

Why am I getting rid of the other three?
- EverQuest - HUGE time investment, but I solo my Beastlord and know NO ONE who plays anymore.
- Vanguard - I have one friend who plays, but the game is so damned buggy. They need to fix it and then maybe I'll come back. I'm level 18. Not a lot of time invested in that one.
City of Heroes/Villains - I have one friend who plays, but I have very little time invested.

I like ALL these games. So, I'll report back tomorrow and let you know if I was able to do it...

Aeris

2007-07-30T18:34:00.000-10:00

So I reserved Picross for the DS because my husband is a Picross fanatic. He still has the Gameboy game, which he can play on my SP. I reserved it at Gamestop. Now, for those of you who are living in a cave somewhere, a recorded message calls you the day before your game is supposed to be available. She sounds like a 30-something mom, not some cutesy anime voice. She calls herself Aeris. WTF? Doesn't it creep anyone else out that Aeris calls you to tell you your game is out? Dude! She's DEAD! This time was memorable because she pronounced Picross like "pie cross." For a second, I thought she was telling me about pie crust... /sigh Dead people shouldn't try and pronounce games. Maybe I'm wrong about the pronunciation, but I thought Picross was a cross between picture and cross... Just me?

/random

2007-07-30T11:07:00.000-10:00

RANT #1:

Comic-Con 2007 just ended and there was a lot of game news. Now, I realize that where there are comics, there are geeks and where there are geeks, there are games. But for crying out loud... I think I read more game news during Comic Con than during E3. According to most, this year's E3 was a failure, so maybe game companies are trying to make up for that by showcasing all their really cool shit at other venues. So, stop dicking around and create a NEW venue. Stop intruding on other people's territory. I love games. I love comics. There are cool games based on comics, but this does not give the video game industry free reign to force Comic Con to transform into Game Con. With all the digital media that's available now, the comic industry is having to fight harder and harder to maintain its foothold in the geek-entertainment industry.

I know what some of you are thinking... "Maybe if these game companies show their flashy stuff at a comic convention, it will bring more people to the convention and in turn increase the number of people reading comics." Maybe, but the chances of that making a noticeable difference are pretty slim. I'm reading an anthology of Metamorpho comics right now. (He came and went long before I was even born.) Comparing that to the latest trailer for Metal Gear Solid 4 is like comparing apples and oranges. Geek culture is changing. Video games are mainstream. People want flashy graphics, excitement, and realism. Comic books don't give you that. (Hint: They aren't supposed to...)

RANT #2:

I found out this weekend that the anime Toward the Terra was licensed by Bandai. This TV show is a remake of the 1980 movie, which was an adaptation of the manga, which was serialized from 1977-1980. I had been downloading fansubs of this and had gotten about halfway through the series. Now that it's been licensed, I have to wait for it to come out on DVD. I'm not too upset about that, actually. This is just part and parcel of being an anime otaku.

What I'm pissed off about are those times that I feel coerced into buying something. I'm also curious as to how anime companies in the US decide what they're going to license and what kind of treatment each anime will get. It all seems so inconsistent.

I'll use various animes as examples.

Victorian Romance Emma. This is definitely one of those niche animes. It's like reading a Victorian romance novel, but in Japanese, and it's animated. Personally, I really enjoyed it. I watched the first season (only 13 episodes) and then started watching the second season when it came out. Three episodes before season 2 was ending, it was licensed. Why, all of a sudden? I pay pretty close attention when I'm downloading stuff. I see how many leechers and seeds there are. Yeah, Emma was not exactly being downloaded by thousands and thousands of people. So now I have to wait for the DVD's in order to watch the rest of it. Had I watched the entire series fansubbed, I probably would have bought the DVD's, anyway, because I really liked it. Now, however, I HAVE to buy them in order to watch the end. (I know I could rent them, but finding anime is kind of hit or miss with DVD rental places.) So I feel like I've been coerced into spending the money. I spend a few thousand dollars a year on video games, anime, movies, action figures, music, and manga. As Metamorpho would say, "That's a lot of bubble gum!" I spend a lot of time on figuring out what I buy and I like to feel that I have complete control over how I spend my money. I feel like control has been taken away somewhat. In Rightstuf's defense, though, they are (thankfully) NOT dubbing it. They're leaving it alone and just subtitling it. However, if they think that Emma is going to bring them a lot of income, they're definitely barking up the wrong tree.

Now let's turn to anime that thousands of people are watching. I'll give one good example: Yakitate Japan! There are a lot, but this is one I've watched. Yakitate Japan! aired for two and a half seasons, I think. Maybe 3. It had an odd episode count, so it's hard to say. Anyway, while that show was being fansubbed, every time there was a new episode, THOUSANDS of people were downloading it. Seriously. Over 4000 seeds and over 4000 leechers at any given time. Now, the episodes are available in batches and there are still people downloading them. SO WHY THE HELL HASN'T THIS BEEN LICENSED YET? I've watched the whole thing. I'll buy the whole thing.

There's another anime that's being fansubbed right now that I think should be licensed just because of sheer popularity, but I won't say what it is so that maybe I'll get to watch the end first. Which reminds me, sometimes I feel like American anime companies wait until the plot gets REALLY good and then they announce the fact that they licensed it. That way, they force us to buy it when it comes out. There have been quite a few animes that I've felt that way. Bastards.

Finally, let's talk about Limited and Collector's Editions. And this discussion can be applied to both anime AND games. I believe that all things should have collector's or limited editions. When they are available, I buy them over their regular counterparts. Period. I realize that this is not realistic, however. So how do companies figure out whether or not they're going to make a limited or collector's edition? Trinity Blood got a fancy shmancy Limited Collector's edition. I'm not complaining, but I AM wondering why. I can think of a number of series that rank higher on the popularity list. For example, it makes perfect sense that Ghost in the Shell anything should have collector's editions. People all over the world are CRAZY about that show. While we're on the subject, is there a difference between Limited Edition and Collector's Edition? Yes. Should there be? No. Limited implies that only a limited number are available. Collector's should imply the same thing. If the Collector's Edition is a dime a dozen, what the hell makes it collector's? If you go into any Gamestop right now and look in the bargain bin, you'll see Final Fantasy XII Collector's Edition in there. That's just stupid. If it's so collectible, why are there so many un-bought copies? Having limited quantities makes anything collectible. Manufacturers of anime DVD's and video games should realize this. Retards.

お久しぶり～！

2007-07-26T12:53:00.000-10:00

Sorry, I haven't posted anything lately. Nothing of note, you know? I had my first party in FFXI last night in well over a year. I didn't kill us. We died once, but it wasn't ONLY my fault. Anyway, I had fun. :) I was kinda stressed out, but as I do this more, I'll get back into the swing of things...

Anyway, I'm searching for advertising specialty products for one of our clients at work. They want something "different" and functional. During the course of my searching, I suddenly became overwhelmed by this HUGE desire to decorate my cellular phone. You know, with stickers and gems and stuff... WTF? I don't do shit like that. I hate bling. Otaku-bling is okay. Maybe I'll try and find bishounen boys on stickers or something. But... AH!!! WHY? WHY? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME???

Oh, and just so we get this straight, I'm talking about Japanese pop-culture style decorating, NOT American bling-bling... Have to be VERY CLEAR on that.

EASoft & MicroArts

2007-07-17T11:44:00.000-10:00

When I called XBox Live to cancel my PSU Hunter's License or whatever they were calling it, I could remember my gamertag, but not what address or phone number I used to create it. I don't use my 360 much. At all. I admit I downloaded stuff from E3 and I played the Eternal Sonata demo. Aside from Elder Scrolls Oblivion, that machine collects a lot of dust. Now that some Japanese developers are making games that I like, I'll play it more, I'm sure. But yeah, Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment department doesn't do shit for me. And I think Peter Moore is an idiot.

The last EA game I played that I really liked was Escape From Monster Manor on the 3DO. I still have my 3DO, just so I can play that game once in awhile. Yeah, I'm a weirdo. Anyway, all they do now is sports, sports, football, sports, football... I HATE HATE HATE SPORTS. Oh yeah, they do all those movie ones, too. If there's parental brainwashing involved, EA steps in to provide it.

So the big news right now is that Peter Moore swapped places with the president of EA. Ordinarily I would think that leadership change is good and might offer promise for the future. However, dumb and dumber are switching places in this case in my opinion, so nothing is changing. Nothing at all. Sad, really. So much potential being wasted.

/sigh

Someone shake things up a little somewhere... Please?

Score a Point for Sony

2007-07-16T13:03:00.001-10:00

About two years ago or so, my husband and I bought a new TV. At the time, it was top of the line. 60" Sony WEGA. It has 1080i, which is good. (1080p wasn't available yet. This should give a good estimate as to when we bought it...) Anyway, the model of our TV had a defective part. One that didn't manifest until AFTER the manufacturer's warranty. The optical block went bad. This part costs something around $1100. Not cool.

Now let me give you a little history. I don't think I've EVER owned a television that WASN'T a Sony. My family, my husband, and I have always been willing to spend the money on their sets because they're awesome and they last a LONG time. We had one from the 80's that we got rid of only because there was nowhere to put it. It still worked. Old push buttons and all.

I have been a loyal Sony customer for as long as I can remember. I have 3 Playstation 2's, 1 Playstation Portable, 1 Playstation 3, a Sony surround sound receiver, and 3 WEGA's. I think there are other random Sony electronics hanging around the house, too. I just can't think of them at the moment.

Needless to say, I was not pleased at the thought of having to buy a part for my 2 year old TV for over a thousand dollars. I don't have that kind of money. And seriously, I spent like $4000 on the TV when it was new. I expect those $$$ to last for more than 2 years.

My husband called Sony and arranged for a technician to come to the house and look at it. This was going to cost us $70 up front, but hey, that's a small price to pay for not having to take a 60" TV to them. He expressed his disappointment in the Sony brand and told them how we've always bought Sony. (This really isn't an exaggeration.) I made sure that I would be home that day to express my frustration and whatever else, if necessary.

On Tuesday, the technician showed up and started looking at stuff. He took a big part out of the TV and replaced it with a new one. Then he said we were all set and he left. The bill: $0.00. I didn't have to argue with anyone. I didn't have to write letters. They acknowledged the defect and fixed it. You have NO idea how happy this made me. :)

Thank you, Sony~!

Scheduling My Games

2007-07-02T16:29:00.001-10:00

I finally did it. I started using Google Calendar to figure out when I should play what. (I'm not done yet, though.) Although this is probably the equivalent of tattooing the word "LOSER" on my forehead is REALLY bright colors, at least I can start to devote a decent amount of time to everything I play. I spend good money on games, so when I neglect them, it's a waste. Gasoline is up to $3.30 a gallon. If I'm going to pinch pennies, gaming would be where I should do it. After all, gaming is a hobby, not a necessity. Well, this is debatable, but honestly, if I had to choose between food and games, (and I'm not talking about eating 10 cent ramen for a week until payday...I mean ACTUAL starvation), I'd choose food. So I start thinking to myself, "Hmm... What haven't I played lately?" Then I realize that I miss that game I haven't played in a month. So I play it and don't stop paying for it. Or I play it and don't trade it in. (This depends on whether it's an online game or a console game.) If I actually devote so many hours per week to my online games and my console games, I'll get my money's worth out of my online ones and actually BEAT the console ones. Think of it as making that TO DO list when you're trying to organize all the work you have to get done at your job and then allotting time to each item. You get things done. Loser or not, I'm looking forward to actually finishing games.

Speaking of finishing games, I finished Final Fantasy XII a couple of weeks ago... /cheer

Voice Chat, Viral Marketing, Manhunt 2... The list goes on...

2007-06-20T12:35:00.000-10:00

Let me remind you that I hate people. Also, I don't play Halo. It makes me seasick. Sorry. Most of the popular game topics right now have a LOT to do with that first statement.

1. Voice Chat Can Ruin the Mood. No shit. I must have read at least 2 or 3 versions of that article yesterday. Personally, I don't voice chat. The main reason is that I like to play male avatars. Ever since I was little, I wished that I was a boy. I felt that they had it easier. They could pee standing up, they were stronger, they were taken more seriously at work, etc. As an adult, I tend to exhibit masculine personality traits (depending on the situation), but I have found that there are perks to being female, too. Video games are a fantasy world where I can be a strong, handsome man, brandishing a big sword and saving the little people. Can you imagine if you were playing with some big warrior guy wearing plate armor and you got on voice chat and heard me? Yeah, that would be weird and not a part of the fantasy universe at all. On the other hand, voice chat is useful for communication when you're doing a complicated raid or something.

One can argue both sides of the debate on whether or not to participate in voice chat. That's not what irritated me about all the voice chat articles yesterday. People were acting like this was some new thing. Talking vs. typing is different. OMG, really? I never knew! Where the hell have people been? Living in a cave? Different forms of communication have always had distinct differences. Face to face. On the phone. Written on paper. Each mode of communication expresses things in a slightly different way. THIS IS NOT NEW.

2. "Viral Marketing." The following is from Wikipedia:

"Viral marketing and viral advertising refer to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness, through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of pathological and computer viruses. It can be word-of-mouth delivered or enhanced by the network effects of the Internet. Viral marketing is a marketing phenomenon that facilitates and encourages people to pass along a marketing message voluntarily. Viral promotions may take the form of funny video clips, interactive Flash games, advergames, images, or even SMS text messages."

I hate viral marketing. I don't give a rat's ass about hype. If the game is good, then it's good. No amount of hype is going to make me more or less inclined to play a game. A game can suck really bad, but still sell very well because of this viral marketing. Those people standing around cities with signs of Halo 3 propaganda and that ARG game... That's viral marketing. Show me screen shots, game play, and make press releases. Don't waste my time with stupid crap that clogs up my inbox and lowers my productivity at work.

And speaking of hype...

3. Manhunt 2. I did not play Manhunt. I had (and still have) no intention of playing Manhunt 2. Not my kind of game. I guarantee you, though, that if and when Manhunt 2 finally gets released, it will sell. A lot. Why? Because it got an AO rating. Even if they tone it down to achieve M status, it will sell more than it would have originally. Hype.

But, again, that's not why I'm irritated. There are two reasons. First, I'm over 30 and allowed to play whatever I want. The AO rating makes it harder for me to obtain games. Retailers won't sell them because kids might buy them. Card us, then. It's like alcohol or cigarettes. I have no problem showing you my ID for something. In fact, I'm happy that you think I might not be old enough. That means I look good for my age. ;-) Second, Sony and Nintendo (America) refuse to let those games be available on their systems. Excuse me? I can buy PORN games for my PS2 and my DS in Japan. PORN! (Keep in mind that the only other games to ever achieve AO status in the US besides Grand Theft Auto San Andreas were ALL pornographic.) While I agree that Americans are not mature enough to responsibly deal with pornography, it's available in magazines and video. No one has the right to tell me what I can and can't fuck up my life with, thank you. America is supposed to be a place that allows us to make our own decisions. These decisions are being handled for me more and more every day. Not cool. My life. My decisions. My consequences. I'll deal with them.

4. The AMA and Video Game Addiction. Addiction is a real problem. It doesn't matter what you're addicted to. Addiction is addiction. It's important to note that something does NOT need to cause physical harm to be considered an addiction. I think it's great that the AMA is considering recognizing video game addiction as a real problem. (I've seen people lose their jobs and flunk out of school because they were addicted to online gaming.) However, how is sitting in front of a video game and INTERACTING with it for hours at a time any worse than those people staring at the boob tube (television) for hours at a time? I know. You're thinking... What about that feeling of compulsion? You know... The "I MUST play...must...play..." Try taking away the TV from someone who watches a LOT of TV. They get that panic feeling, too. And then there are those people that schedule their lives around raids in online games. Is that any different that those people who schedule their lives around specific shows? I don't think so. I know people who will go out with their friends after work or something, but when it gets close to some show starting, they have to get home to watch. As if their lives are going to be ruined without it.

There are a LOT of people like me who play hours and hours of video games and still manage to graduate from college, have a family and a life, and hold a good, steady job. Am I addicted to video games? Yes. I get anxious and grumpy when I can't play. I get a rush when I do play. Do I play more than 6 hours a week? Hell, yeah. Am I overweight? No. Do I have real life friends and do I go out with them? Yes. Am I fucking up my life by playing 4-8 hours of games a day? Nope. I go to work. I have a life. I have a family. We spend quality time together, with and without games. I look forward to seeing my doctor next month and telling him that I have a video game problem. He'll know that I'm being facetious. I seriously wonder, though, how many people will end up going into game rehab just because they play certain types of games for more than the "normal" number of hours when there really isn't anything wrong with their lifestyle. Again, "the man" or "Big Brother" is watching us and determining what we can and can't do. Not cool. Not cool at all.