Poll Results - What game are you most excited for?

So here are the belated poll results:

What game are you most excited for?

Mass Effect 2 = 4 votes
BioShock 2 = 3 votes

With the exception of Final Fantasy XIII these two games are probably the most anticipated sequels to come to an Xbox console this year. Unless, of course, Star Wars Battlefront 3 miraculously shows up this year. But since Final Fantasy has a more limited appeal to people I kept the choices to two out of the three "biggies".

My vote this time was easy. I voted for BioShock. Why? Because I've finished that game. I hadn't gotten very far in Mass Effect before it was stolen so I wasn't in it enough to get all gaga over the game. Dain's letting me borrow his disk so that I can get caught up so I can eventually play the sequel. So far I like what I see but I haven't finished it yet.

BioShock on the other hand is one game I have played to completion and loved every minute of it. I remember the first time I played it with a torrential rainstorm happening outside and all the lights off inside. It scared the bejeezies out of me. I played for maybe an hour before I had to play something happy and bright so I don't keep jumping out of my skin. That was also at the time when I had a really loud neighbor in my apartment complex. Sometimes their noise would get so loud I couldn't hear my own TV. I invested in a pair of stereo earmuff type of headset. It was wonderful because it almost completely drowned out all the neighborly noise and the sound from the game came in in stereo. That meant I'd hear a Big Daddy coming from the right and when I'd turn my character around that way sure enough he would be there. Of course a bunch of times I would actually turn my own head and not my character. I think that was the best way to play BioShock.

I still haven't unpacked that headset yet but I'm hoping to find them before I play the sequel. I don't need them to block out noise but it made playing the game so much easier, enjoyable and scarier than hell. But I wouldn't change a thing.

I'm sure I'll enjoy finishing Mass Effect, and playing the sequel, but for me I'm more excited to see if the developer of BioShock can carry over that same scary, but wonderful, feeling that players had playing the first game. And the multiplayer option should be interesting to see how that plays out. Let's just hope they haven't screwed up the game just to get a "multiplayer experience" that some people thought the first one was lacking. Personally, I thought the first one was great just the way it was. Either way, I know what game my friends have been playing for the last couple of weeks . . . and I know the next game they'll be playing the next couple of weeks. I think if people could have voted more than once this poll would have been tied. And as a gamer, I'm not complaining.

Thank you Weasel

Sometimes a girl can get a little gloomy. It just happens. But I'm glad I have Hell Weasel to cheer me up. The picture you sent was wonderful. And now I have incriminating evidence for blackmail . . . I mean fond memories to last a lifetime. Yeah, that's it. Thank you.

The key to any great relationship is . . .

The key to any great relationship is . . . communication. Or so I'm told. And finally last night I saw some communication while playing video games.

We had a full team of 6 players for Team Deathmatch in Modern Warfare 2 when a couple more friends jumped online. Normally there are several people who would rather stick needles in their eyes than play a Domination match but last night they bit the bullet, stayed in the group and we got a full team of 9 players for Ground War. That's when the fun began.

I don't have any problem playing Domination. I like having an objective and a purpose to all that running around and killing (or in my case, dying). It gives me an area to concentrate on. A place to defend and wait for the enemy to show up in. It gives me determination to take a particularly difficult flag from the enemy. I'm kind of stubborn like that. Tell me it can't be done and I'll show you how to do it. But not all my friends feel that way.

There were a lot of moaning and groaning when the first Domination match started. And we feel behind rather quickly. But we persevered and eventually won the match . . . once we all started talking to each other. And I don't mean the "soap on a rope" talk that usually prevails with my friends (not that I'm complaining). We finally started to communicate enemy positions, our strategies and team goals. Once we got to the point where we knew where everyone (enemy and friendly) were going we had a handle on the situation and we never lost a Domination match that whole night. Team Deathmatch matches were another story.

When the map options showed Team Deathmatch we reverted back to our individual play styles and the communication dropped off. People were off on their own looking for the enemy wherever they wanted to go with no regards for what the rest of the team was doing. If we had a bit more of a game plan for those Deathmatch games we might have won a few more of them. And we also wonder and complain when the other teams travels in packs or small groups where we kill the first guy we see only to be gunned down by his buddy. Jeez.

I think we all realized our communication style was changing when we started to point out the things we use to say. Like "you bastard" (when spoken towards the enemy) which meant the enemy was coming at us from behind. Or "they're over here" which meant we didn't have a clue where the enemy was. Especially when the person who just died couldn't define where "here" actually was. And "they're coming across" means they were doing a center, direct line assault on our position. Or "I can't find anyone" meant we were being flanked. It all seemed so funny when we realized we were talking to our teammates, but we weren't really saying anything to them. Kind of like an old married couple, I guess.

Maybe this one night of insights into how we communicate will change things going forward. Maybe we won't be a rag tag bunch of "lone wolf" types who do their own things but a more cohesive group of killing machines. We worked together when we played Gears of War so there's hope for us working together now. Or maybe we'll just start some marriage counseling. So tell me . . . how does that make you feel? I'm listening.

New Poll - What game are you most excited for?

Okay, so most of you didn't vote in the last poll so I'm going to make this one easier. I hope.

What game are you most excited for?

Mas Effect 2
BioShock 2

They both come out relatively soon so I know you've got one (or maybe both of them) on your radar. If you could pick only one which would it be?

Poll Results - Best game of 2009

Okay, either my polls suck or you guys have gotten bored reading my blog. Either way I lose. Here are the (pathetic) results from the last poll:

What was the best game of 2009?

Assassin's Creed 2 = 2 votes
Halo 3:ODST = 0 votes
Modern Warfare 2 = 1 vote
Left 4 Dead 2 = 0 votes
Dragon Age Origin = 0 votes
Borderlands = 0 votes
New Super Mario Bros. Wii = 0 votes
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 = 0 votes

Maybe the reason why some of you didn't vote was because of the economy and you couldn't afford to get some of the latest games. Maybe you just don't care anymore about what the latest/greatest game is. Or, like I said, maybe I'm getting boring in my old age.

I was just getting into Dragon Age when I was robbed so I don't know if the rest of the game is just as exciting as the first part. And while I owned (past tense, another victim of the robbery) Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 I hadn't played it yet (because I hadn't finished the first game). I played the demo for Left 4 Dead 2 and realized that it would be nearly impossible to play single player. That's a game best played with friends. Borderlands is a cool game but I haven't come across anything in the game that says "Whoa! this is unlike anything I've seen before". Maybe that's just me. I'd love to play Halo 3:ODST but I didn't have the money to buy it when it came out AND I wouldn't play it until I had played the earlier games AND those earlier games got stolen so I just don't see the point of buying it now to see what it's like. And seriously Nintendo? How many times are you going to "port" your original Mario Bros. game and call it "super" or "new" or both? As for Modern Warfare 2 it's got some problems.

I hate the fact that you can't jump into your friends party lobby. No can do. You've got to wait for an invite if you want to play with friends. And if your friend is already in the middle of a match you've got to send him a message saying you want in. If he stops to read it he might get killed. And do you want that on your conscience? And what happens if your party jumps out of a pre-game lobby to pick up a friend only to find out they want to play something else? Do you know how many "easy" rooms we've left only to find ourselves in those rooms where nothing goes right and everybody on the other team is glitching?

So that leaves Assassin's Creed 2. And that's the one I voted for. Even though I haven't played it (haven't finished the first game - another robbery victim). So how can I know it's the best game of 2009 if I haven't played it? I've read a lot about this game. And I've listened to what my friends have been saying. It's the game that the first one promised to be. It's the game that changes how you move and play through a game. It's also the game that opens up the game industry to approach their games differently than a standard hack-n-slash or FPS. Much like what BioShock did when it came out. And since I love BioShock why wouldn't I love Assassin's Creed 2 even if I haven't played it?

American Idol duets?

American Idol is back on the TV again. When it first started I watched the show. And just like everyone else I found the terrible auditions too grossly fascinating to turn away from. Even Simon Cowell's retorts were entertaining. But that gets old rather fast. There just so much of a train wreck you can watch before it doesn't effect you any more. And besides, they make everyone sing as a solo artist.

What about those people that are already in a band but want to try out? Ditch the band. They don't want them. Why not an American Idol duets show? There have been lots of musical duos and trios through out history. Simon and Garfunkel, Hall & Oats, Captain and Tennille, Sony and Cher and don't forget c5ride and El Sand Dog. What you haven't heard of them?

As far as I know they've only had one very limited performance and I was lucky enough to be in attendance. Allow me to set the scene.

We were infiltrating (or was that defending?) the Sub Base in Modern Warfare 2. c5ride took exception to some of the opposing teams performances and proceeded to voice his frustrations so loudly that I think Russia put their finger to the button until they figured out what was going on. Once all negative emotions were purged from his system c5ride got really quiet. That usually means he's going to jump out as soon as the game is over, whether the rest of the party does or not. In the silence that followed Sand Dog yelled for one of us on the team to turn around. That's not unusual, but what followed was.

Very softly, in a quiet but controlled voice, with just the right amount of emotional angst, we heard someone sing "every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you're never coming around". Someone picked up on the line and said "Turn around" again. At which point we heard "Every now and then I get a little bit terrified but then I see the look in your eyes". By then Sand Dog picked up on it and kept repeating "turn around" to which the rest of the time we would hear another verse.

It took me a while before I realized that it was c5ride singing the verses to Total Eclipse of the Heart. It just seemed so unlike him. But his quiet voice with Sand Dog's deep part made a perfect performance in my ears. Of course I laughed so hard that I died three times in a row, which didn't help our cause (a losing one, by the way) at all. After c5ride's eruption something like this was so far from what I expected. I mean, who knew he had it in him? I laughed so hard I thought I was going to hyperventilate. If it's possible to have an enjoyable loss this would be a perfect example.

It's also one of those memories that has been cemented in my brain and will stay there until the day I die. I might even be on my death bed and a grieving family member might innocently tell me to "turn around" from the light. The smile that will grace my lips won't be because of the peace and love that white light might bring, but this single memory of c5ride and Sand Dog's one night only performance. And if that's the case, than my last memory would be a very happy one.

So if American Idol ever does decide to have a duets competition I'd willing to contribute funds or services to get c5ride and Sand Dog back together for an audition. I know they'd do well. And I'm sure their performance wouldn't be the train wrecks we've all come to enjoy. But then again, maybe their sound is an acquired taste. Either way I'd buy one of their albums. I wonder what song they'll sing tonight. And do they take requests? I can't wait to find out.

Gamer's alter egos and hidden identities

Super heroes have alter egos and hidden identities. So why can't gamers? Superman hides behind glasses and the name of Clark Kent. Spiderman is know by Peter Parker. Even Dr. Jekyll had a Mr. Hyde. Okay, not quite the same but you get the idea. If you spend any time playing online games with an open microphone you know that sometimes gamers have alter egos and hidden identities too. And we're not just talking about descriptive gamertags.

There are mild mannered, polite husbands and fathers who turn into raving mad men when something sets them off. It could be snipers and knifers and glitchers oh, my! It could be friends jumping out of a game just before the last kill because they don't want to take a particularly bad loss. At those times that sweet, polite, considerate, jolly good, well mannered individual becomes a raving, slobbering, ranting, poo-flinging lunatic. And that might be a mild case.

And what do I do when grown men de-evolve to poo-flinging monkeys?

I laugh.

I'm sorry, I can't help it. Every time I experience the transformation to Mr. Hyde from someone's previous Dr. Jekyll I'm reminded of the song "One Week" by Bare Naked Ladies. The line in particular is "I can't help it if I think you're funny when you're mad". That just sums it up right there. They rant and snarl and nash teeth. I laugh like a hyena. Hopefully with my mic muted.

I'm not an angry person. And I'm about as patient a person as you can find (sometimes I think that's a fault and not a virtue). But yes, sometimes I get pissed off while playing video games. I express my displeasure with a carefully chosen word or two and then the moment has passed and I've put it all behind me. Listening to my friends erupt in a fiery bit of verbal diarrhea strikes me as totally hilarious when it comes from those mild mannered friends. And from those that constantly spew their eternal dislike and hatred towards a game or player don't stay on my friends list for long.

I've had players direct some of their venom towards me. Friends and strangers alike. Strangers do it because they're ignorant assholes. My friends have done it out of frustration. Do I hate them for it. No. It just makes me uncomfortable and self-conscious, but I know it's based on something I should have done, or something I shouldn't have done. I usually deserve it. But all eruptions directed towards me are mild little bubbles compared to other Mr. Hyde appearances.

Do I wish we could all just along? Sure. But then where would I get my nightly entertainment when Mount Saint MadMax erupts? I know my friends are not Mr. Hydes in real life. And as long as they continue to be Dr. Jekyll they'll stay on my friends list. Remember, "I can't help it if I think you're funny when you're mad". Just don't be offended (and start yelling at me) if I start laughing when you start slinging poo around. And maybe one day you'll see what form my alter ego/hidden identity takes on. I just might surprise you.