Daily Musings . . . mingled with insights.

• 9Oct 08

  Continued Relevance

  It's no secret I have been playing Burnout Paradise just about non-stop since it was released. Right now it is my favorite racing game of 2008. The way Criterion has continued to update the game and deliver game-changing content has been fantastic. While the title hasn't gotten additional achievements, it has delivered consistent and enjoyable gameplay that has kept me sincerely interested long after I harvested the achievements.

  On the other hand, I grew weary of Halo 3 before I even finished getting all of the achievements. When Bungie dropped the new achievements, that was what put the game back in the tray for me. Old roommates, dear friends, and other players in need rarely got me to budge on the malaise I felt. Nerfing my completion percentage certainly got my attention.

  This morning's announcement of Halo 3 Recon. . . that got my attention. The idea of playing as an ODST, a special operations every man, is intriguing. I hope there is more stealth. I hope there are different weapons, and I hope there is no interference by Master Chief. The trailer (below) may not be much, but it made me smile.

  • Posted Oct 9, 2008 11:30 am PT
  • Category: Games
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• 8Oct 08

  The to-do list

  I am almost 60 days away from holiday vacation. Thus, the time has come to prioritize what games I am going to play and when I am going to play them. While the recent coverage of Need for Speed Undercover only gives me hope I can return to the grand gameplay of Most Wanted (if not the fine location of rockport), there are other games vying for my attention. Easily, that is my most anticipated game of the year left to be released.

  To help oprganize my time and my sanity during the fall release calendar, I made a schedule of when I will be playing which games . . .

  Before holiday break:
  Gears (Before November 7)
  Gears 2? (some time during November)
  Cars: Mater-national (next on the list)
  Fable 2 (Oct 22)
  Hellboy: Science of Evil
  VP: Party Animals (Finished!)
  NFS: Undercover (Nov 17)
  
  
  Games to play during holiday break:
  Prince of Persia (Dec 4)
  Monopoly (Oct 22)
  Rock Band 2
  Viva Pinata 2: TiP
  Star Wars TFU

  My decision to play certain games during holiday break was mainly determined by my schedule to visit my in-laws (who are even more conservative about game content). I tried to break all my private gaming (usually titles rated M, or even stuff I know my daughter would enjoy sharing) into the pre-holiday category. Anything that would mean great family fun on vacation. . . that got the bump to holiday.

  My recent decision to give Gears of War a chance (despite two years of willfully abstaining) came in part due to the inclusion of an option to turn off the gore (and swearing) and the notion that most of the people I wouldn't want to play with have moved on to Call of Duty 4 by now.

  One of the luminaries of the Sunday Driving crew has even agreed to walk me through an Insane playthrough so I can get all of the single-player achievements in one go. Those of you who know me, know I like both unlocking achievements and getting things done right the first time.

  In addition to what's on the list, I am certain I will be playing a lot more Castle Crashers, plenty of Tab Tenn, and I refuse to quit Vegas until I hit Elite.

  • Posted Oct 8, 2008 2:40 pm PT
  • Category: Games
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• 2Oct 08

  Retro is the New Depeche Mode

  Back when I was a kid (in the 80s) my mom loved listening to Oldies from the 50s. When I walk to work I frequently pass by a restraunt that still broadcasts these antiquated tunes from their speakers. Recently, I noted that what the 50s are for me, the Classic Rock I enjoy will be for my children.

  

  While I would love to go back to 1979 for a variety of reasons, this morning I felt like I was there. On my way into the office, I passed a guy wearing plaid slacks with a camelhair sportcoat. He was a young, urban professional dressed in the styles of days gone by. On top of that, whilst carrying on a conversation with one coworker, another was recounting the socio-political climate of the 1980 election. I was surprised at how much I knew/remembered about that whole time period and how inclined I was to break my no-politics-at-work policy.

  UPDATE: Speaking of flashbacks, I couldn't really let this piece of awesomeness go unlinked:

  

  • Posted Oct 2, 2008 11:17 am PT
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