Blog Assignment

The battle of learning versus amusement is over. For so long we, the students, had been hoping for a fun writing assignment and the blog assignment was it. Not only are we allowed to write what we want but we have an outlet to improve our writing skills. The blog assignment gave students a grade for just the small act of writing about something and everyone has something to write about. Some people chose to try and solve the problems of the world, others write about their adventures or misadventures, and some even wrote reviews or stories for their futures. The only improvements that I would recommend would be one, check to make sure everyone is on track and doing their blogs and two, have less assignments and more freedom on what to write. When I think about writing a blog I try to think about what I like, what I am complaining about recently, or even just what has been on my mind recently and this gives me ultimate freedom on what to write about. Every blog I write is another chance to write a review for a game or write another introduction to a game and by doing those I get to write what I really want to write about and improve in the career I wanted to go into. I really enjoyed this assignment and I hope that the fact that not every student did there blog every week doesn’t ruin it for the rest of us who really worked and had fun doing it.

Mini Manifesto

I’m sick and tired of this ridiculous notion that just because a movie is coming out that a video game can be made about it. These games tend to be poorly made, poorly designed, with poor art, lousy controls, and simplistic plot and gameplay. The primary reason for this is that the person who plans on making the most money on a film feels that they can bank on the hype of the movie and decide to go for more. They give money to a low-level cheap game company and also give them an unrealistic release date, ninety-nine percent of the time near when the movie premiere. These companies in turn throw out a piece of junk to the public filling our new release shelves with so much crap that a gem of a game is buried beneath al the filth.
In the past few years I have seen 300 6, X-men 3: Last Stand 6, The Matrix Trilogy 6, Star Wars Episode III 6, Transformers 6, and Spider-man 3 just to name a few movies and I have seen each of there counter-parts: 300 for PSP, X-men 3: Last stand, Enter the Matrix, Lord of the Rings series, Star Wars Episode III, Transformers: The video game, and Spider-man 3: The video game. Although the movies are of both good and bad quality, none of the games scored higher than a 6.6 out of 10 and anyone who has ever been to school knows that that is a D or less average. What is the remedy? The remedy is these game companies growing a spine.
Accept the job but on the demands that you won’t release the game unless it is for sure to be good or at least playable. If every game company agreed to not settle for less than an acceptable game then a higher degree of excellence will be expected from these companies and better games will be made portraying our favorite movies better. Then the ones who pay to have these game companies make these games will understand that to have a game come out with the movie it must be started when or even before the movie starts being produced. In the end, a better gaming experience will be had for everyone and they will be one step even closer to feeling like their favorite hero.

Perfect Sentence

"You are not the father."
-Maury Povich

Boo!

With the month of Halloween in full swing fear seems to be on the menu. Having no end to the scary movies to choose from we ask what makes us so scared. The unknown is a popular fear probably the only one that all of humanity shares. We have claustrophobia, arachnophobia, acrophobia, agoraphobia, coulrophobia, just to name a few. (Fear of small spaces, fear of spiders, fear of heights, fear of open spaces or crowds, fear of clowns respectively) When we watch a scary movie we always are bombarded by surprise sudden attacks of loud noises and faces or hands where we don’t expect them but after seeing so many horror movies we know the trick and gimmicks, the slow zoom out, the quick corner turn, the sudden lunge grab, the drop from above, the grab from below. Over time the mainstream society has redefined what is most scary/exciting to it from the creature features of swamp thing to the horrors of invading aliens to the mutated human body, to the animatronic creatures of space, to psychological thrillers, to a crazed person with a knife and creativity, to the attack of technology, to the blood and gore of today. (Creature from the Black Lagoon, War of the Worlds, The Hills have Eyes, Alien, Silence of the Lambs, Urban Legends, Virus, and Saw references respectively) Personally, I find the movies that involve some sort of unknown creature or thing the most able to keep my interest because I want to see something that I haven’t seen before that is what draws me to horror movies. What has caused these changes in the populace’s favorites? If everyone has seen everything already why do they still see each new one that comes out? If people fear the unknown more than anything why do they watch the known over and over hoping for the unknown?

Ladies and Gents

My target audience members are the students of Penn State, at least for this paper. With such a large assorted group of students it is hard to find a common ground with everyone. Most likely the only common denominator that we all have is that we all are Penn State students. We are…of mixed genders, sexual preference, intellect, but none of these categories are blatant enough to use and get everyone onboard. Everyone is at least high school graduates, and most people have motivation enough to pursue a higher education. Every person has the money to attend college. To reach out to these groups I can speak about college life involving things like, partying, drinking, dorm food, bathing situations, fast food, and other things that are inherent in college living. I will also talk about working out on campus, extracurricular activities, and dealing with one’s own personal demons called SPI. (Sudden Personal Independence) I can talk about downtown and the food available and how quickly, and easily accessible it is compared to the healthiness of it. Everyone doesn’t have a mutual belief in what is healthy so other things must be found in common. Everyone eats, like food that is fast and of good quality. Everyone has the common problem of once and awhile not having enough time to eat so we all at some point rely on microwave food and things of that sort. Finally, everyone needs to weigh eating with work with school with relationships with more and everyone at the same time needs to think of their health.

How to write right...

When I need to work on an essay, blog, letter, or anything else I need to write, I start by having an idea in my mind. I can develop my ideas anywhere, comic shop, game store, shower, street, car, doesn’t matter. Eventually, if it is a complex enough idea I’ll write down what I want to cover, but if I can keep everything in my head I’ll move on to the next step. At this point I’m ready to sit my ass down at my computer and write. Like most everyone else I start at the beginning with a strong starting sentence. After that I start writing and see where my mind and fingers take me. Every so often I go back and reread what I have written see if it makes sense and see if I can improve it. With a complex essay I might refer to my few notes and organize things a little more if possible. I try to keep on writing without pauses. Also, I try to keep writing to get my idea down on the paper before I lose my momentum. I write and write and unless I get stuck for some reason I finish my essay or writing in one swoop. When I finish, I reread my whole essay, alter things, and have a parent or a friend read it, tell me if it makes sense and give me ideas to improve it. I then finish up by reading my improved essay and printing it or posting it.

Game intro:

Log Date: 6.29.2288
Location: Level SB9, Compartment 14352

This mission was supposed to save Humankind. To have us reach out and find a new home. To start anew on a new planet, to start without hatred of each other, to forget all the atrocities that we had done to others and ourselves, the mission’s name was, Destination: Home.
This ship contains the entire populace of Earth, at least what was left of it. The elders say that war had ravaged the land turning desert to glass with their bombs, forests to uncontrolled fires with there flame tanks, and turn cities to graveyards where the rubble of buildings are the tombstone of those who died. The Earth was on its deathbed and we were the cancer that took more than its fill and was going to die with it. Out of this dark place rose the greatest man of all Aldrin Ivalisa.
He was the great warrior that threw down his weapons and put aside his anger and in doing so was no longer blind. He and his squad of elites, known as the Dragoons, stopped the fighting by taking control of all the communication systems and broadcasting a message of peace and showing the proof that the earth was falling apart. Out of respect, or fear, all of the warriors of the world would no longer fight, forcing the leaders to join together to find the cure for Earth, it didn’t exist. The only choice was to leave earth and the mission to find a new home. The mission was a failure.
If I could call this hell on Earth I would but it isn’t. This place is far too small. The world seems to be constantly shrinking as each faction claims more and more of the ship for themselves. If anyone resist they are killed. People fear walking out of the homes. Religious sects fight each other with what they call righteous fury which is only an excuse to fight to the death, some worship aliens that they believe are out there, some stars, some even the ship itself. There are even whispers that say that there have been mutations on some of the upper levels. This decrepit ship is falling apart and it won’t last forever. We need help, we need a hero, and we need them now.

Redo

Maslow's hierarchy of needs says that food, water, and shelter are nessities but there is something even more important than any of those at stake, our cell phones. Surely we can do without those 200 dollars we spend to get them. Also, we all love those fancy features that raise the price ever so little. How much would your honestly pay to be able to communicate with our parents, friends from home, friends from school, and that sort-of-ex boyfriend or girlfriend living way out in Nebraska. Moreover, how much would you pay to not need to worry about class, parties, working out, eating, and sleeping. But what phone company should we use? By far the answer to this is Verizon.

Star-$

A chill runs down my spine. I fear for my life as I approach the door. I reach out and pull the door ajar and walk in to America’s most popular drug den, Starbucks. I walk to the counter, and look at what to order allowing another patron to pass me. She seems slightly irritated with my lack of immediate and decisive decision. I purchase a tall, although seemingly dwarfed by the other sizes, coffee and a “tall” hot chocolate for my girlfriend. I can proudly say in this day, where people describe cups of coffee to packs of cigarettes saying, “I’m down to four cups a day not including mornings,” to which I can only respond, “Wait! What?”, that this is my first coffee in several months. I pay and we make our way to an open table. She reads a book she is assigned to read causing her to be distracted while I write this. Another chill runs down my back like the first jump into a cold pool. This time it is not because of fear but I realize that the “comfortable coffeehouse” is cold. “Why make something that is meant to be comfortable cold?” The question runs through my mind bouncing off different ideas. My eyes slide back to my coffee. I pick it up for another sip. “Mmm, warm.” It hits my tongue warming me reminding me of being in a warm bed in a cold house, maybe even during Christmas. Holy crap, maybe I’m cold so their product can warm and comfort me. Wow, nice warm drinks at Christmas. My eyes once again drift, I find myself now looking at the lit Starbuck logo in the window. A woman, a crown, a star, and what seem to be fish tails. The woman is not attractive in the least, this company isn’t thinking come have a sexy coffee like so many beer commercials. However, this woman has her arms out as if to hug me. It is welcoming and makes me think of my mother. Wow, good ol’ home brewed coffee, at Christmas. Oh no, they’re at it again this time my neck is an accomplice, it relaxes and my eyes point to the ceiling. I’m nearly blinded by the surprisingly bright lights. The lights are sparse but bright, rays of sunshine on a cloudy day. The very well lit area is the counter which seems to draw me in every time I look at it. Wow, it is Christmas, my family is there, the suns out but snow is still on the ground, and I can have all the homemade coffee I want. Betrayed by another sense of mine, I now hear the music and can’t help but keep the beat by bobbing my head a bit. It is relaxing and almost not there like the conversation of other people downstairs as you’re slipping into a sleep. Wow, it’s Christmas morning, I can hear people talking and mood music, the sun comes in my window and I can smell the fresh coffee downstairs. The walls are covered with pictures that don’t call too much attention they are black and white, not much to notice. Wow, I can see the pictures of relatives on the walls some are downstairs stuffing stockings and having there morning coffee by a bright window. I finished my coffee and now I need to pee. I walk to the bathroom it’s clean enough but not excessively. They are one person bathrooms. Someone knocks on the door and I can hear in my head my little cousin’s voice, “Hurry up! I need to go!” Wow, it Christmas morning, I can hear my relatives, it’s sunny out and the house is cold but I’m nice and cozy. Who knew that Christmas could come more than once a year just by walking into a coffee shop.

I just want to be friends

Danger everyone! You are under attack. Assaulted by those who are attempting to steal your identity. They take your information to do with it whatever they want, take out a loan in your name, use your credit card number, and become you, at least long enough to take all your money. Where do they get this information? They aren’t digging through your trash, stealing your mail, tapping your phone, or even listening to you when you talk to a bank teller. They aren’t some “hacker” or cracker, if you know the difference, sitting in their basement breaking into your bank account while watching the matrix and listening to techno. The ones who are stealing your identity just want to be your friends: confirm or ignore.
Nearly everyone now seems to have their own facebook or myspace page. On this page they talk about there day, their favorite movies, their pets, their favorite moments, as well as myriad superfluous information like: hometown, birthday, full name, and husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend. No big deal, just a few things about yourself that most of your friends already know anyways. This obscure information is exactly what a website wants you to only be partial to. Forgot your password? What is your hometown?/What is your favorite pets name?/Where were you born?/Where you went to high school?/What was the name of the town your high school was in? Amazon.com or ebay asks these questions and they also have our credit card numbers. We are happy to give them the answers but who else do we give the answers to?

Side Effects Include: Drowsiness

Are humans inclined to be discontent or are we raised to always want more? I find myself asking this question more and more as I find my groove with college. One of my favorite movies, Fight Club, a movie that speaks about how we are taught from a very young age that we are incomplete unless we have the most up-to-date clothes, or newest cell phone, has a character that says, "Fuck off with your sofa units and strine green stripe patterns, I say never be complete, I say stop being perfect, I say let... lets evolve, let the chips fall where they may." I believe that so much of what makes us an individual has been stolen, repackaged and sold back to us however, I can't get over the very fact that all through high school I thought just as soon as I get to college it will be better, everything will be better.
In high school I took no lunch and all 8 periods were filled with classes that were not even easy classes like gym or senior cooking, but AP Computer Science, Intro to Calc. , Adv. Economics, and French 4. Moreover, I had to take my gym and my health by correspondence. When I received my schedule for college I was pumped. I didn't need to wake up before 9, I was done with classes by 2:15, I had at least an hour lunch every day, and still had 15 credits. Yes, I know most of you say you lucky bastard and it is true, I was lucky.
The 2007 summer, I would hit the snooze button before my first LEAP class would begin and say, "at least I won't need to do this once I can sleep until 9." Now, I sleep to 9 and hit the snooze button again and again every 5 minutes feeling like I had just fallen asleep. So, my question is this, has something corrupted me to only want more and more. I see commercials for cars, sports drinks, shoes, and say, "That was dumb, this commercial obliviously uses the band wagon and humor technique," yet am I, even in knowing some of their cheap tricks, still falling for them, and has it affected things that don't even relate to them, like the amount of sleep I get? My question to you is: are you getting enough sleep?

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Game Review:

Title: Bioshock

Systems: Windows and Xbox 360

Players: Single-player

Genre: Action-Mystery, First-Person-Shooter

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Description:

Welcome to Rapture. The city that knows no limits. A city built deep below the ocean's surface where it could exist with no opposition. "Where artists would not be censored, scientists would not be bound by petty morality, where the big would not be constrained by the small." This led to unlimited possibilities via the development of plasmids. These plasmids can make you "smarter than Einstein, stronger than Hercules and light a fire with the snap of your finger." Welcome to the future, welcome to paradise, welcome to Rapture.

However, this paradise quickly dissolved into what only be described as chaos.

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Review:

I can sum up my review in three words: "BUY THIS GAME." The graphics, the controls, the story, the concepts, the features, everything is amazing. This game is perfect for beginners to advanced players. This game although it is violent and does have gore has an amazing plot with great objectives and interesting gameplay. You can not possibly think of all the ways to handle any situation in this game. I need to say there is sometimes no greater cure for the blues than lighting a corpse of an enemy on fire then throwing it at a group of enemies that are soon to be corpses themselves. This game plays well on both PC and Xbox 360; however, I recommend Xbox 360 because the control scheme seems better and the graphic are guaranteed perfect. If you choose to use a computer please use the highest graphics, if you can, because anything else just doesn't do it justice. This game is a masterpiece.

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Rating: 10 / 10

About me...

With this post I'd like to not only introduce myself to the class and start on my way to achieve an "A" but also build your trust in my opinions of video games. I'll repeat that: my opinion of video games, by doing this it is my hope that you will be able to decide what games to buy, to rent, and to avoid because they might give you the plague. How much you can believe is up to you and that is what this post is all about: establishing a base level of trust in all who read this blog. I was born here in State College, PA about 19 years ago. Pretty cool place to grow up, Party Town, USA right? Not really, in truth things became quickly pretty dull for a young kid after having no way to get a fake ID and the idea to not shave for a few days to look older didn't work out on the account that I had no beard. Also living in the middle of nowhere with hardly any neighbors around and definitely no kids to play with around the house I quickly fell into video games and fell hard.
One of the few things I can remember from when I was in first grade was playing the green and black Lode Runner on the old computers that the school had and using the real floppy disks that weren't a misnomer. I remember sonic, super Mario bros, super Nintendo, Sega genesis, Sega Saturn, Sega CD, Game gear, Gameboy (aka The Brick), Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advanced, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, Playstation, Playstation 2, Playstation One, Xbox, of course all the computer games I could get my hands on through the years, and everything up to now, I have played them all, yes even the infamous Virtual Boy that cause nausea if you played for more than 30 minutes. From the time I could read I started to subscribe to gaming magazines. My drug was gaming and I was mainlining it. I even at several points in my life, to cope with the three hour (six hour round trip) drive to Pittsburgh every other weekend, set up an intricate mess of wires, consoles, and a T.V. so I could play P.S. 2 during the drive and let me tell you that was before the tiny flat screen panel of today, I had a heavy old T.V. the kind with the antennae and it was from my grandparents house so of course, black and white.
Over time I developed, moved from side-scrollers to shooters to R.P.G.s (Role-Playing Games) and I was never able to leave any behind, I just gained more and more, to MMORPGs to MMOFPSs to beta testing to starting this blog. I've played the most generic shooter (ex. Black) to the most artistic masterpiece (i.e. Shadow of the Colossus). I have even seen the development and growth of the stealth-action genre.(i.e. Metal Gear Solid, and Splinter Cell) My life has been games, my life is games and my future will hopefully be games too(I want to own and run my own game company) and I want to share my life with you.