On The Subject of Comfort Levels

Here we see Shoko feeling comfortable enough to risk getting pinkeye from her cat's butt.

Okay, so I haven’t published a lot of my writing about games, or really anything, in recent months. The truth is, it’s really pretty rad. I’ve been able to dance and run more. I’ve been playing through my PS3/PS2 backlog. I built a gaming computer. Next month I’m hopping back into photography with a new fancy camera. Things have happened. Things are happening.

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Commercial Break: Metal Gear X Lupin The 3rd?

[This one is for my homie Emiko, I'll see you soon! Enjoy.] 

Finally an anime and possible fighting game idea [that I just made up and retain all monetary rights if said game is made in the future] that I can blindly support without any reservations as to how amazing it would be. Unfortunately, everything in this video is fan-made. It isn't real and therefore Earth's biggest tease.

Or is it?

It's no secret that Japanese studios love reaching back into this current cultures nostalgic nerd-past. There's also the sad reality that Japanese games aren't really clicking with American audiences like they use to. I'm going to send this to Konami and try and feel out their excitement level. 

Who knows, maybe this could be what we need to *save Japanese games.

Enjoy the funny and possible spoilers to be had in this homage to [what I feel] is one of the most ambitious franchises in gaming.

*it's debatable if Japanese games need saving seeing as games, in general, appear to be going through some sort adolescent growing pains. Jussayin.

Commercial Break: da Vinci Robot Is Both Expensive And Peels Grapes

As the title indicates, the surgical da Vinci robot is clearly being used for it's intended purposes. That purpose being: stylin' on all other robots that wish they had the swag and technological bling that this one cleary possess. What with having them arms and grape peeling power. One day, yes, one day this surgical robot will see the inside of -- a melon.

[In all honesty, The da Vinci robot has been quite the achievement for modern medical science. It's been zapping cervical, prostate and all sorts of cancers for years. For more info, go here]

Season's Beatings: Velocity -- The Aftermath, The Photos, The Phoenix

This year's Season's Beatings will be known for a great deal of surprises. I'm very proud of Godlike Entertainment from building this, once small event, into an international mainstay.

For three days the fighting game world had all eyes on TeamSpooky's stream. Attention was drawn to a medium-sized, Asian cuisine-themed restaurant in Momo's. For the past six years Godlike Entertainment has been working hard to get the tournament known locally. Then it was known on the East Coast. Then people started calling it "a major." 

This year's Season's Beatings: Velocity, proved itself internationally. It may be lost on hardcore fighting game fans, and those who are only passively involved via live streams [a.k.a. stream monsters]. Having players from Korea, Japan and France put Columbus, Ohio on their itinerary -- kind of a big deal. 

At least it is for me.

Below are the results, my thoughts, and some photos.

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Commercial Break: Boom! Thirty Minutes Of My Life, Wasted

It's come to my attention that a fair amount of you come to my blog to waste time at your daily jobs. Hey, it's okay. I do it too. However, did you know you could be wasting even more time? That's right. My pal [though he doesn't know it yet] Micheal Badger has been doing these News Views videos for quite some time now. 

He swears it's not a joke and all intentionally shot in a retro-manner. It's supposed to harken back to a time where the news was just that, the news. No spin, no fluff. 

I don't remember it being so, well, you know. But hey, you wanted to waste a moment of your life right?

Enjoy!

E3 2011: The Unsurprising Corporate Edition

E3 attendee resting his eyes during the Nintendo's press conference. -- Photo by Janine Dong

Full disclosure: My day job is currently requiring I work longer hours and do heavier lifting. I'm currently writing this after imbibing one hell of a riesling and several cupcakes. Don't judge, but recognize that I may not be at my sharpest.

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Gaming Sensitive

Games as a means of exploiting the sensitive topics of pop culture and current events has never been the medium’s strongest suit. If Thrill Kill and RapeLay are the best we can do, then we are a far cry away from “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”. Six Days In Fallujah could have been one of few first-person shooters that ignited a discussion on the war in Iraq between gamers and the general public. This growing schism of what gamers want versus what gamers actually play seems to go hand in hand with how the culture has matured. Do we want our games to comment on our environment? Is the quality of a game a factor when the plot is meant to be the focal point? Where is the line between addressing matters in our culture that are topical and when do we cross that line into insensitivity?

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Oh I'm Sorry, I Didn't See You There...

Me And Keanu Relate. Sometimes You Have To Take Time Out And Eat A Donut On A Park Bench.

The lurkers are getting restless [so I'm assuming]. I haven't been posting much in the past couple weeks. "But Why?" The three of you ask.  Because I've been too busy writing. Watching movies and playing 'dem vidya' games.  Well, I do that all the time, but honestly I just needed a break. Life's been really crazy and fun on this end of the keyboard and I needed to realize I was missing a world out there. That and I've been planning the August 8th, 2010 Brog Anniversary posting. The likes of which could mean full-blown armageddon for this very internet in which you are surfing upon.

In the mean time...enjoy these Keanu Chops.

PWND: Wall Street Gets The Vaccine Before You Do

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Oh word? I mean, I guess if it weren't for these guys we wouldn't be able to...well...hmm. I'm not quite sure what were to happen if everybody on Wall Street got sick and specifically the swine flu. Maybe we would lose our way in the world and start eating our own poop [I mean, once we've kept the demons away by flinging our poop surplus]. I could never get a vaccine. I mean...I really couldn't, this has nothing to do with my morals to getting vaccinations, but if you were to include that I would still be hacking up a lung for the sake of someone who may be worse off than I am.

Not Wall Street though. These guys are white collar gangsta. It just goes to show you ... you can't spell Swine Flu without WIN. And Wall Street got this round.

Source: MSNBC

Things You Should Check out

Music Wise:

I may be late, but I'm at least posting something.  Just in case the 7 of you reading this site didn't know.  My writing skills [or lack thereof] have been being spread at The Start Screen and the Pro Photo Show blogs.  My new favorite site has enlightened me to some new soul and funk music.  I strongly suggest you check out the free audio samples for Baby Charles and Kokolo.

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