Skyblocks Series

In my quest for things to post about I have also come upon a series that one of my friends has started in regards to one of his passions, something a lot of us geeks share:  Minecraft!

I myself am not much of a PC gamer, and I have divulged this on multiple occasions, but I do have mad respect for Minecraft and what a lot of people do with it.  It’s impressive to say the least.

My friend, thecapn09, has recently started making videos regarding his adventures in Minecraft, and his first group of videos regards Skyblocks, a game mode created by players for Minecraft.

thecapn09‘s videos, which can be found at this link and also on his channel, chronicle he and his friend as they try to complete the challenges for the game.

Instructions on how to get a hold of the game itself and the challenges can be found: HERE.

Skyrim has Morrowind

So I came across something interesting this morning, and I don’t want to steal this fellow’s thunder so I’ll go ahead and let you read what he posted over at his blog:  PPSh-41.

As a 360 gamer, I don’t really have access to a console needed in order to use nifty commands like the no-clip one.  However, I can appreciate this little discovery.  It’s interesting that the game’s creators would leave that in the game.  Makes me wonder if they have any plans for it in the future.

A Song of Ice and Fire: A Game of Thrones

So today I finished a book I started a year ago.  No, I’m not that slow of a reader.  Actually… I once finished three 400+ page books in a day, so no, not at all.

It was a series of occurrences that kept me from finishing the first book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin.  I originally started it while I was in school during the last fall semester.  I was about halfway through the book when the finals rush hit and thus it had to be put aside for the sake of passing finals (slightly important if you get my drift and holy hell this lab keyboard is a piece of shit, you wouldn’t believe the typos I am having to back up and correct).

When I finally got to Florida for the winter break and had the chance to continue, it was borrowed (forcefully, I might add) by my father who wanted to read it before the series aired on HBO.  I agreed, seeing as I could just take the book back to college with me and get it read easily by the time the series aired.  That did not happen.

You see, I am not a procrastinator in any way.  I like to get things done long before deadline.  However, when something has no deadline, it quickly gets tossed aside for things that do.  So here I sit, one year later, having just finished this one book.  Awful, I know.

I enjoyed the book, as long as it took me.  It’s really common for me to adore the story in a book a whole hell of a lot more than I enjoy the author’s writing style.  This book falls under that category.  This book has soooo many characters that appeal to me.  I’m particularly fond of Catelyn Stark (and we all hate Joff).

I recommend it as a read if you’re willing to put up with the publication schedule of the author which is, I’ve heard, erratic and hard to predict.

Now, my projects have finished saving and I’m exhausted, so I’m going to drive home and crawl onto my couch and show off the fruits of my labor to my roommates.

A Taste of the Skyrim Review to Come

Posts have been spotty at best lately, and while I can blame a variety things, I won’t waste my key tapping on such a boring topic.

I recently finished the main quest of the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and must say that Odahviing is pretty much my homeboy. No lie, he is my favorite dragon in the game. Parthurnax was cool too, sure, but I murdered his ass (relatively easily I might add, he barely put up a fight).

I have also had the chance to watch the horrid quality of Skyrim on the PS3 over a friend’s shoulder and it is horrifying. I didn’t play it of course, standing by my Xbox loyalties, but if you bought it for the Playstation oh my I feel your pain.  The issue is resolved by simple saving and restarting your console, but it’s still rather annoying.  In comparing my 360 version to the PS3′s I’ve also seen the difference in the shadowing quality, it is markedly improved on the Xbox 360.

This is by no means a full review, I’ll have one of those coming in the near future.  This is just a summary of some points that stick out in my mind at the moment when I should be studying for a Press Law test.

I play a Khajit as I have in the past games and was thoroughly excited about the possibility of marriage in the newest installment.  Sadly, I had to settle for some racist nord (you can only hear “I’m going to make a rug out of you!” so many times).  None of the marriage options are of the khajit race, something I will be writing the game designers about, however there are more nords to choose from than you will ever need.  A shame.

That was just a taste of my review that’s coming.  Most of the things here are negative, but I assure you the game is fantastic.

Another hack in the hack fad.

In a continuation of the hacking fad, it seems that Steam is reporting they too have been compromised.

Yes, I said fad.

Valve confirmed that Steam was indeed hacked and a multitude of information was taken.  Initially it was thought that the hackers had only gotten into the forums and defaced them.  However, it was later found that they had gotten into the Steam database containing everything from usernames and passwords to credit card information.

It seems as if quite a few people are saying that this “isn’t as bad as it could have been” and “isn’t a big deal.”

I take issue with the fact that these companies which hold a grand multitude of information are getting hacked and information is getting stolen and they are able to simply shake it off with an “oops.”

If it was banks that were getting hacked then this would be an enormous deal.  People don’t seem to understand that both PSN and Steam hold a lot of the same information that banks do, more than enough to gain access to your account.

This hacking fad is getting out of hand.  I’m usually very pro the wild web and the hackers and pirates that dominate it, but these people need to be prosecuted, not only the hackers, but the companies that are getting hacked.  If you can’t keep people from hacking into your database and stealing information, you shouldn’t have any of that information in the first place.

Shame on the hackers, but most of all… Shame on PSN and Steam.

Sources:  Game Breakers | Tech Crunch | eWeek | Forbes

CoD Madness

Immediately following the release of their newest installment, Call of Duty franchise creators were quick to announce a follow-up already in the plans for next year, probably to be released in November once again.  However, this little headline is by far the least interesting thing relating to CoD (mostly because, duh, we already knew that).  I’m more focused on some of the other stories that have come out.

It seems that people are consumed by the hype that is November for gamers, a time when games are released by the boxful just in time for the holidays.  It’s interesting, to me anyway, to see what happens when people don’t get what they paid for.

In one instance in Colorado, a man who pre-ordered Call of Duty:  Modern Warfare 3 was not able to get the game he ordered when the store ran out of stock.  In response, he asked employees when they got off work saying that he was going to shoot them in the parking lot.  He also mentioned “leveling” the store.  Check it out.

I’m not even going to comment as a journalist at the poor quality of that package.  Moving on…

In another story coming from the Kansas City Star, a man trolled a local Gamestop watching for people picking up the newest CoD and then followed one to his home before trying to rob him of it at gunpoint.  What a nice fellow.

However, where most gamers with a lick of sense would shit their pants and hand over the game, which is worth a lot less than their life, this gamer said hell no.  The robber then returned to Gamestop to troll for someone else where police caught him after the first victim called the authorities.  Duh.

Interesting stories showing how stupid some people can be.

Today is Wednesday, tomorrow is not Friday.

It’s Wednesday, and while I’m swamped with papers, projects and interviews courtesy of my major, there is only one thing on my mind:  Skyrim.

The obsession has taken over since the beginning of November, no, October, no, this year.  I can honestly say I haven’t been this excited for a game since Halo: Reach, another game I attended a midnight release of.

Days filled with the times and trials of a college student are all livable as I know that Thursday night at midnight I will have in my hands the future game of the year.  (I feel kind of like some sort of sicko writing this.  Addict much?)  However, my excitement has been blotted by one major blemish.

I was assigned to do a VOSOT for a broadcasting class I have to take for unknown reasons (I’m a print person, myself).  Amidst my bigger than full schedule, I was at a bit of a loss as to what to do it on and when.  Then, like I think with all my projects, I thought to turn this into something that could bind with my love of gaming.  I do better work when I cover what I love, and it’s more enjoyable, so I try to do this as much s possible.

I would cover the midnight release of Skyrim at our local Gamestop.  Pan line, interview of someone explaining their excitement, shot of Skyrim poster on wall, shot of Gamestop employee announcing that it’s midnight and starting to hand them out, close up of first person in line as they get their hands on the first copy, interview of how excited that person is after all the waiting, shot from outside of the store looking in, close.  Ideas rushed into my mind of how glorious this would be.  It would be a piece of cake!  Something I was already knowledgeable about!  Feelings I could easily translate to my audience!  A universal theme… fulfillment.

So I trotted down to my local Gamestop yesterday to do a pre-interview, tell them what I was about and make sure that there were no issues so it wouldn’t be a surprise when I showed up.

BRICK.FUCKING.WALL

I was informed that no audio or video recording devices are allowed on the premises and that I would be thrown out of the store and not welcome back should I break the rule.  I could interview in the parking lot if I liked, but that’s not going to give me what I’m looking for.

Now, I understand company’s needs to protect their asses.  The website People Of Walmart has pretty much ruined any sort of friendliness directed towards those of us in the journalism area.  But, I’m a student at a local university.  This is a one time event, not me setting up a camera in the store and harassing customers.  I’m not fucking paparazzi, I’m a professional, with a goal.  It rubs me the wrong way when I get rejected after going out of my way to extend a hand of friendship.  I could have just showed up with a camera and been rude like I know a lot of journalists would.

While I could go out of my way and get in contact with someone in Gamestop’s media relations, I don’t feel it’s worth it this time around.  But I am disappointed, and my disappointment lingers.  I hold no grudges though, I understand the reason for the policy and put my blame entirely on past journalists who have ruined relations between us.  When a journalist fucks up, it doesn’t just ruin their subject’s day, but many days in the future when another journalist tries to step into the same area.  Shame on them.

Still looking forward to Skyrim on Thursday, I’ll keep you posted and you’ll probably see a post Thursday night.

Halo Anniversary with Kinect

It has been announced that the newly remastered release of the original Halo: Combat Evolved, will have Kinect support.  By this, I don’t mean you will have to obnoxiously stand in front of your television and wave your arms, trying to get that shot just right to blow the head off an elite.

Hell no.

According to the announcement, the Kinect will add on certain features that make it so one can throw grenades without the use of the controller.

Uhh… what the fuck.

Whether it means me yelling out “GRENADAAAAAAAAAA!” in my living room or nearly nailing my television with the controller, I will not be doing it.

It’s been confirmed that Mass Effect 3 will be coming with some kind of Kinect support (though not required) to allow you to communicate and order your teammates.  This:  Is a useful feature that utilizes the Kinect.

“Garrus, go curb stomp that mother fucker.”

It’s a good day when I can say that to my tv.

Let me clarify something.  I like the Kinect.  My brother has one, though he never EVER uses it, because the depth of our game room at this time is barely 9 feet (hello entertainment center).  Ever tried to play Kinect in a small space?  Don’t, there won’t be a Kinect left after the rage.

However, while I enjoy the Kinect, I believe in only fixing something when its broken.  The Kinect is a neat future toy that will probably become mainstream soon (nevermind Nintendo’s trolling by having their next console trash the whole movement idea and instead giving you a screen on your controller.)

TROLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLL!

I don’t want to scream grenade at my tv, I don’t want to throw my controller.  When I’m seriously playing Halo, every little second counts and it takes a lot less time to thump that left trigger than do anything else.

This week is hectic for me, so you won’t be seeing the usual at least one post per day.  I sorry.    Hugs for everyone.

Servers for Charity

In, what I think is, a neat idea to raise money for those in need, Blizzard has decided to auction off some of their old server hardware in order to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, according to their website, makes sure that families never have to pay for treatment not covered by insurance companies.

The server blades, which fell out of use some time ago with updates made to enhance playability, were originally used in the early days of World of Warcraft.  However, now they are just a piece of history, a piece that any hardcore fan might be happy to get a hold of.

Blizzard has been known to find interesting ways to raise money for charity with their sales of the Moonkin pet in-game raising more than $800,000 for the Make-A-Wish foundation.

The server blade auctions will run from October 17 to November 14 according to Blizzard’s auction page on e-bay.  The auction is divided into multiple dates, and on the auction page you can find which servers will be auctioned when as well as which realms are located on each of the server blades.

As a World of Warcraft fan, you can not only get a piece of gaming history by participating in this fundraiser, but help those in need as well.

Objection!

The roster for Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 was announced a bit ago, but it wasn’t until yesterday that we got our first look at some gameplay with some new faces in the upcoming fighter.

A new video put up by Capcom-Unity has a title that suggests it was shown at the New York Comic-con.  Regardless, the video gives us a good look at Nova and Pheonix Wright set to appear in the upcoming game.

Though fighters aren’t really my type, I can’t say I won’t be interested to see what these two new characters play like.  Maybe I’ll have to rent it or bum it off one of my friends.

Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 is set to land on November 15 for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.