Fatherhood, Video Games, and Ice Cream

Couch to 5k - Week 6

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:05:00 +0000

Week Six turned out to be a bit rough for me. I pulled a muscle in my left foot on my 2nd run of the week and had to take nearly a week off from running. The good news is that the muscle pull came from a 5 mile run that I did with a friend...I wanted to see (and learned) how far I could push my self. So, I did the three runs across two weeks but am now back to full speed and on track again.

I'm now in the point of my 5k training that there are no longer intervals in my run. It started with a straight 22 minute run and next week will move up to 25 mins. I'm anxious to see how my body handles no walking breaks, but so far so good.

I have found that the GPS on my phone is not very accurate when running and was adding about 20% to my distances and making my times seem better than they should be. After trying a couple of other apps to confirm this is the case, I decided that it's time for me to get a GPS watch.

After doing several days of research, I settled on the Garmin Forerunner 910xt with heart rate monitor. This watch not only has extremely accurate run data but is also designed to handle swimming and biking info. I plan to add these two activities to my training in the near future and felt it was best to spend the extra money to get a watch that will work long term for me. It arrives today and I can't wait to try it out!

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Couch to 5k - Week 5

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Wed, 09 May 2012 01:19:00 +0000

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Week 5 turned up the run/walk ratio intensity to much more running than walking. The 2nd run was 8 mins running, 5 mins walking, 8 mins running...while the final run was just a solid 20 minutes of running with no break! That is quite honestly the longest that I've ever run straight and I actually felt like I could keep going...I hit some kind of stride in the last 5 minutes.

My runs are coming with ease now and I find that i'm able to push my speed since I have no concerns of finishing strong. Only one more week of run/walk/run before the last 3 weeks of the program are long runs and gradually building my endurance to 3 miles without a break. Wish me luck :)

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Couch to 5k - Week 4

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 13:34:00 +0000

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Week 4 sends the intensity up a notch with the run/walk ration now at 2/1...run 3 mins, walk 90 secs, run 5 mins, walk 2.5 mins, run 3 mins, walk 90 secs, run 5 mins. I'm still really enjoying the timing method since it gives me short spurts to look forward to and keeps my mind focused.

My first run of the week ended up a distance of a 5k!(3 miles) and the overall time was 34 mins since I do a warm up and cool down walk. So, I paid closer attention to the distance on my 2nd run and was able to complete the 5k in 28 mins. The third run got the time down to 27 mins and the overall distance was 3.98 miles.

I'm not at all concerned with distance right now, but am having fun seeing how my time improves with each run and wonder how things will progress as the program has my run/walk ratio getting even further apart. I look forward to my run each day and found that I'm having to fill the off days with strength training since I need to let my legs rest.

Sarah says she wants to get some pictures of me running with Bailey so maybe I'll have something to share soon :)

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Q&A: What Is A Typical Work Week Like?

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 03:20:00 +0000

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Today's question comes from Cody (coteee26) who asks:

"What is the typical work week like in the industry?"

This varies greatly depending on what stage of development your project is in, even with that...it varies greatly so below is what I have experienced over my career at mainly larger game studios.

During Pre-Production a Game Designer will spend a large amount of their time in brainstorm sessions trying to nail down the ideas that they want to pursue for the game. A lot of time is usually spent playing games of similar type and doing competitive analysis. The focus of this stage of development is to create a compelling set of features and get everyone on the same page about where the game is headed.

The pace is generally relaxed and people feel free to explore ideas and focus on the types of things that get thrown out quickly in later stages of development when the going is fast and furious. Work hours tend to be more 9-5 and spouses aren't acting as single parents.

Once you start moving into Production, the focus changes to implementing and iterating. You've, hopefully, just spent Pre-Production proving out your ideas and are ready to get moving. Building that first version of a mission or balancing that new player attack almost always gives you ideas to improve and sometimes even find your ideas didn't work at all the way you hoped.

The meetings start to lessen a bit as people are at their desks more...but there is usually still a fair amount with continual reviews of your work, etc. Home life can stay normal for the biggest chunk of production, but at times you'll work extra because you fall behind, hit bugs, or just really want to make that certain part of the game shine.

Post Production is when things change to "Stop adding stuff and make sure it's not broken". It is often a very busy time with lots of bugs needing fixed and the final polish needing to go in to get your scores up. Meetings are almost non existent at this point and you often feel chained to your desk. If a top priority bug comes in, you will get a phone call any time of the night to get in and fix it now...or else everyone else could be hosed and unable to work.

This is by far the most stressful part of development in my opinion, but also feels very productive and you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. You know it's the last chance you have to make this as special as you can and soon everyone is going to be able to experience your hard work. After this...the cycle repeats for your next title, unless you get tossed onto something else that needs help finishing! :)

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WDW Tips: Disney Transportation

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 03:42:00 +0000

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I'm a big fan of the Disney Transportation system and use it extensively on every trip, but it is HUGE and can be intimidating if you don't know how to use it properly. I'll go over the best ways I've found to get around the Disney World Resort using this free mode of transportation.

Monorail

There are 3 monorail lines that all meet at the Ticketing and Transportation Center, this is the parking area for the Magic Kingdom.

Magic Kingdom Express Monorail
This is the most direct route to The Magic Kingdom and just runs directly back and forth from there and the TTC. There are only those two stops, so no getting lost :)

Magic Kingdom Resort Loop
This line goes from the TTC and makes a stop at each of the Magic Kingdom Resorts (Polynesian, Grand Floridian and Contemporary) while looping around to the Magic Kingdom entrance. When getting on the Monorail at the Magic Kingdom entrance, only use this line if you are staying at one of the resorts or want the scenic route to the TTC.

Epcot Monorail
This line runs directly from the TTC to Epcot and back with no stops in between. So, like the express monorail line, there is little chance of getting lost here. It's a nice long ride that takes you into Epcot for a bit giving you a unique view before pulling into the station in front of the entrance.

Going between Epcot and Magic Kingdom
The only way to do this is to transfer at the TTC. You'll have to get off, walk down to the Monorail entrance area and then go up to the resort line you need next. It's still a very fast and easy way to get between them.

Bus System

There is at least one depot at each Disney Resort where you can catch a ride to all four Theme Parks, both water parks, Downtown Disney, ESPN Wild World of Sports, etc. Buses begin running about two hours prior to park opening so even if you have a breakfast before park opening, the buses are still a great option for getting there.

Every Theme Park has buses that will get you to any resort, so if you need to get from one resort to another(say for a dining reservation)...it's often best to bus to a park and then transfer there.

Park Exit Strategy
Using the bus system to get back to your resort at park closing can be a long wait since everyone and their brother rush to the exit as soon as the fireworks are over. If you leave with them you WILL wait for an extra 30 minutes or more for a bus.

Keep in mind that the shops stay open for at least an hour after the park closing time, so we've found it's best to hold off on any shopping until this time and let the bus lines thin out. This gets us the benefit of a shorter wait but also gets us precious time during the day that we don't spend shopping.

Boats

I'm not much of an expert on using the boats, but will tell you what I do know.

Epcot Area Boats
There's a boat line that runs from Epcot to Disney Studios with boats arriving every 20 minutes. If you need to get between these two parks, want access to Disney's Boardwalk, or one of the Epcot resorts then this is a great option for you!

Magic Kingdom Boats
These boats run all over the Seven Seas Lagoon which is a man made lake next to Magic Kingdom. From the TTC you can take a Ferry over to Magic Kingdom instead of the Monorail. There are also smaller boats that will take you to the nearby resorts as well. We used them to get from Magic Kingdom to Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue and they worked really well.

Resort Hotel to the Parks

If you decide to stay off property, then you'll likely be driving to the resort each day or using a provided shuttle. Staying at a Disney Resort gets you a parking pass for the duration of your trip good at all Disney locations that would normally charge ($14 a day adds up fast otherwise).

Getting to Epcot
If you are staying at a monorail resort (Polynesian, Grand Floridian or Contemporary) you can take it to the Ticketing and Transportation Center stop and change trains over to the Epcot Monorail. This is the fastest way to get there and one of the key benefits to staying at these locations.

If you are staying at an Epcot area resort (Swan & Dolphin, Yacht or Beach Club, etc) you can either walk a short distance to the International Gateway entrance or catch one of the boats which will drop you there as well.

The fastest way from most other resorts is to drive and park at Epcot. Getting there early will get you a spot up close, if you happen to book through AAA you'll get a special parking pass that gets you right up close anytime.

Last, but certainly not least, is the bus system which we use for most of our transportation on property. The buses arrive every 20 minutes and will get you to Epcot in 15-25ish minutes depending on which resort you are staying.

Getting to Magic Kingdom
Monorail resorts get you to Magic Kingdom without having to even transfer to another monorail and are by far the fastest way, taking only a few minutes. They also have walking paths if you feel up to it or are traveling before or after park hours. Monorails usually run an hour before and after hours.

Driving to Magic Kingdom should only be done if you have to...it is the most time consuming way to get there. You have to park, get across the enormous lot to the Ticketing and Transportation center and still take a ferry or monorail over to the entrance to the park. Huge time sink :(

For most resorts, the bus system is by far the best way to get there. The buses run every 20 mins, drop you off right near the entrance to the park and take about 15-25 mins depending on which resort you are staying.

Getting to Disney Studios
There is no monorail access to Disney Studios, but you can catch a boat from any of the Epcot Resorts that will get you there in relatively short time.

If you are staying at one of the Value resorts and have a car...driving to Disney Studios is likely the fastest bet. You can be there in under 10 minutes. If you don't have a car, the bus system will get you there in the normal 20 minutes from just about any resort on property.

Getting to Animal Kingdom
There is also no monorail access to Animal Kingdom and just like Disney Studios is a short drive from any Value Resort. The buses will get you there in the normal 20 minutes or so and do so pretty consistently

IMPORTANT: If you have a breakfast reservation at Tusker House before park opening you should be leery of driving and parking at Animal Kingdom. The parking lot sometimes doesn't open until closer to park opening time and you'll miss your reservation entirely! We've always taken the bus from our resort and gotten there in plenty of time :)

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Couch to 5k - Week 3

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 21:43:00 +0000

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Another successful week of running is in the books and went well. Each run was the normal five minute warm up walk and then two repetitions of 90 secs jogging, 90 secs walking, 3 mins jogging, 3 mins walking. I've been consistently taking my dog, Bailey, with me which gets him some exercise.

I also signed up for RunKeeper Elite this week, you can check out my profile HERE. As I start doing longer runs, I'll be able to have it show my progress in real time for people to see. My wife can also use it to find me passed out on the side of the road somewhere :)

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Currently Playing: iPad 3

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 01:32:00 +0000

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I've had my Windows Phone 7 for a year and a half now and love it, but have been frustrated with how much great content is out there for iOS that I don't have access to. I had been trying to hold off for a Windows 8 tablet, but instead decided that having access to more stuff was more important to me than being on a unified platform. So, I picked up the 64gb WiFi version and over the last couple of weeks my gaming has consisted almost entirely of recommendations from friends games that I should try.

Words With Friends

This one was really about playing something that a ton of my non gamer friends are in to so I can interact with them on a more consistent basis. It's also nice that you can sit down and complete a turn in as little as seconds sometimes.

Draw Something

I have to admit that the appeal of this game is also part of what turned me over to the full potential of a tablet device. I'm a pretty terrible artist, but have been looking for ways to develop a bit so it couldn't hurt right? The game surprised me at how addictive it became and they did a good job by providing a simple color set and letting you earn coins to improve your color choices.

ME3 Datapad

I stopped playing Mass Effect 3 when we went on vacation and was happy to find the ME3 Datapad app that allows me to play a simple time-based game to improve my Readiness Rating. When I soon get back to the Xbox 360 version of the game I should have a high rating to finish the campaign with.

Infinity Blade

I've only put a few battles into this one, but am really impressed with how great the game looks. It also has some really fun and intuitive controls for a tablet game and was surprisingly easy to play. I've seen a lot of action type games come through that are really difficult for me to control.

Hero Academy

This game is beginning to absorb all of my time. I'm a huge fan of Turn Based strategy and this game is a light version of the game I've always wanted to make (and some day hope to). It is fully functioning for no cost, but I'm already tempted by the small purchase amount for some new army types. I'll likely pick one up soon just to support such an awesome game.

Any other games or apps I should try out?

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Disney World Tips: Airport to Resort

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 15:00:00 +0000

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So you've landed at MCO and are wondering how on earth you are going to get to Disney World property? Well I hope this helps you make that decision before you actually get there :)

Rental Car

I rented a car on my first several trips to Disney World because I wanted to get to and from the airport when I chose to and driving to some of the parks is faster than buses. I found that Alamo generally had the best rates and if you join Alamo Insiders and book online you get to bypass the counter, swipe your card at a kiosk and walk straight out to pick any car you want (in the class you chose). Very convenient, fast and hassle free.

Driving from MCO to Disney property is pretty simple and all highway driving. Once you get on property, they have tons of signs to get you anywhere you need to go. One IMPORTANT thing to know is that a GPS will not work very well, it includes roads that are for Disney employees only and you'll do a lot of turning around and getting lost. So, stick to the signs :) It helps to know which park your hotel is closest to since those signs will get you in the general area before getting more specific to your resort.

Checking the rental car back in at the end of your trip is super easy and very fast. It usually only takes 3-5 minutes and you get out right next to the terminal area, so you don't need to factor much time for this. The total cost of a car is normally in the area of $250 - $300 for a week or so and you can often find really good deals at MouseSavers.com. Car seats cost extra, but you can check them for free with the airline if you bring your own.

Town Car
My wife and I decided to try saving the rental car money on our 10th Anniversary Trip, but wanted to get to and from the airport with some haste. So, we decided to try out Tiffany Town Car and had a driver, Waseem, waiting for us at baggage claim holding a sign with our last name (I've always wanted to do that). Waseem helped us get our bags and carry them out to the town car which was parked very close to the baggage claim area.

The driver will make a 30 minute stop at a grocery if you request during your reservation, but we decided once we got there that we would rather get something to eat so he found us a 24 hour McDonald's that was still open (we arrived late). He then got us to our hotel quickly and with pleasant conversation.

On the day of our return flight, a driver was waiting right outside the hotel lobby two hours before our flight. He loaded up our bags and had us to the terminal quickly. The total cost for a town car round trip is $104 if you book online and they provide car/booster seats for free. They also have larger vehicles if you need them. We had such a great experience that we used them on our March trip and will likely do so for most of our future trips...we even had Waseem again!

Magical Express

If you want to get to and from the airport for free, you have Disney's Magical Express at your disposal. They will pick you up near baggage claim and will actually transfer your luggage to the bus for you, so you get to bypass the hassle of getting your bags! You then get to sit back and watch Disney cartoons while they take you to your resort hotel.

The reason we have never used Magical Express ourselves is the extra time commitment. You are often required to be in the hotel lobby 4+ hours before your departure time so they can fill the bus with various people and flight times. The bus also makes multiple stops to and from the airport depending on how many people they need to take, but they do offer check-in services for most airlines right at the resort lobby.

If this time isn't an issue for you, then Magical Express could be a great option.

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Couch to 5k Week 2

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:01:00 +0000

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I've just finished up week two of Couch to 5k and am still really enjoying the program. I look forward to the runs each time and can tell that the method is getting me in shape to run the next stage. My problem with running in the past was that I didn't know how to properly build up endurance and never really enjoyed it.

I took a week off the program for our Disney vacation and though we did a ton of walking there, I found that I was a little more sore than usual after the next couple of runs. Week two consists of the five minute warm up walk and then alternating 90 seconds of jogging and 120 seconds of walking for an additional 20 minutes.

I've found a nice route around the subdivision that gets me close to home as my run ends. I may need to find a way to lengthen in a bit since the coming weeks moves toward more jogging and less walking, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

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Disney World Tips: Resort Hotels

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 02:39:00 +0000

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When planning your trip to Disney World, one of the first things you need to decide is where to stay. My family always stays "on property" and I want to go over some of the benefits so you can decide if it's worth it for your family.

Disney Transportation System
There is a system of buses, trams, boats and monorails that will take you anywhere you want to go! This system is available for any guest, but the benefits start right away for resort guests who have buses coming to their hotel every 20 minutes for all popular locations around the property. I'll go into the transportation system in depth in another post, but you truly can use it for ALL of your travel on property at zero cost.

Parking
Resort guests are given a parking pass for the length of their stay that can be used at any of the locations on property that have a paid parking lot. The theme parks cost $14 a day to park your vehicle! Be sure to consider this cost if you are going for a cheaper hotel outside of Disney property. You may find this cost along with the added gas for the distance eats up into that savings fast.

Extra Magic Hours
This is probably my favorite reason for staying on property. Every morning and evening one of the four parks is open extra time that is only available to resort guests. There are cast members at each ride entrance and you must show a room key for each person riding to prove that you are staying on property. Getting an extra hour before park opening or 3+ hours at night is a HUGE benefit, especially with the amount of people that actually take advantage of it.

Disney Decor
Every resort on property has a different theme and is filled with those "Disney details" that makes you feel like you are surrounded by the magic. My son loves finding all of the "Hidden Mickeys" in the room that they put in the tiles, towels, etc.

Free Wi-Fi
All Disney Resorts have just added free Wi-Fi that can be used in all common areas and in every room. Some would say this should be standard for a hotel, but it's not always free elsewhere and Disney used to charge for wired connection daily.

Which Hotel Should I Choose?
Disney Resort Hotels are broken down into three categories: Deluxe, Moderate and Value. Along with the obvious cost difference there is also varying degrees of theme, amenities that come with each.

Deluxe Hotels
These hotels generally provide the largest rooms with good views and tend to be closest to the respective theme parks. They also have some of the best table service restaurants on Disney Property making it easy to have a great meal without any travel.

The three original hotels (Grand Floridian, Contemporary and Polynesian) all fit into this category and are also include one of the best reasons to stay there: Monorail! The monorail system actually has a stop at each of these hotels so transportation to Magic Kingdom and Epcot is quite simple and very fast.

The pools are the best on property and usually have some kind of elaborate slide and are themed heavily as something like a volcano or pirate ship. Really cool stuff.

Moderate Hotels
These hotels are a nice way to get some of the luxury feel of Deluxe hotels without the extreme cost that comes with it. They tend to have a really nice theme with great decor and some of them even have a table service restaurant.

The towels are nice and fluffy, there's a nice coffee maker and usually there's two sinks with a separated toilet area. We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside on our recent anniversary trip and found the noise levels to be much lower than Value resorts...we also found the bus waits to be much lower.

Value Hotels
We almost always stay in a Value resort because we feel it's the best option for our young son, Pop Century is by far our favorite. These are by far the cheapest option and also tend to have the least amenities. No table service restaurants will be found, but the quick service options are usually pretty good.

These the the best rooms for families with young kids who don't spend much time in the room itself. The beds are comfortable, but the rooms are just big enough to get by. Two double beds or one king and a small table with a couple of chairs. They did just add a free fridge to all of the value rooms, that used to cost $10 a day.

Basic heated pool that may have a fountain, but no slides or anything of that nature. But a great simple room that gets the job done, doesn't force to you to pay for frills you may not want, and gives you all the benefits of being on property.

If you want to get details and reviews on each of the individual hotels, check out the latest version of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World.

I hope this helps you make your decision, let me know if I can provide any further details!

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Disney World Tips Series

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 02:31:00 +0000

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I just got back from our spring break visit to Disney World and have some new tips to share :) A friend (Hi Sophie) suggested that I do a blog post about dos and don'ts for Disney World beginners...so I decided to start a series of posts that cover various tips that I think should help new visitors.

I hope to have the first post ready soon so be sure to check back!

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Couch to 5K Week 1

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 01:11:00 +0000

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Now that I'm off my diet and beginning my journey into living healthier, I'm trying to decide what type of exercise I want to incorporate. I've really been interested in running some of the Disney marathon races, so I've decided to focus on running as my main exercise.

I've been using the elliptical for 30 minutes 3-5 times a week for the last 3 months and have had good results along side my diet. So, it seemed like the transition into running shouldn't be a difficult one for me. When I found out about the Couch to 5k program...I felt it was the perfect way for me to build up my endurance properly.

The program consists of three exercise routines per week, at about 20-30 minutes each, over a nine week period. The first week is a five minute walk and then alternating 60 second jogs and 90 second walks for 20 more minutes. Since I'd been doing so much of the elliptical, I wondered if I should skip ahead in the program but decided to just do the first day and see how it went.

I quickly learned that different muscles get used in running :) My endurance was good from the elliptical, so doing the routine was easy...but the next day my legs and feet were really sore. I ran the 2nd routine after taking a day to rest and my legs were sore right from the start...it took until half way through the routine until they felt warmed up again.

I'm pleased with the workout that it's providing so far and look forward to each run. I'll post weekly as I make my way through to give updates on how it's going. Next week I'll be at Disney World (yes again) and will be doing tons of walking but will be taking a week off of the routines.

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Main Street Bakery

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000

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Every time I visit the Magic Kingdom...I mean to go to the Main Street Bakery and never have gotten around to it. So, on our recent trip I made sure that we got there to try two snacks that I've been hearing about for months now.

The first snack that I was anxious to try was the Cinnamon Roll...this thing is HUGE and delicious. I'm bummed that I waited so long to actually get one and will likely have one for breakfast on every trip in the future.

Once my wife saw what I was ordering she had to have one of her own. Not only that, but she also took the one that they dumped extra icing on top of...

Later in the day we headed back to try the hand dipped ice cream sandwich. When you order, they take two fresh cookies and then add two scoops of vanilla ice cream before mashing it together.

When I had mentioned it to my wife before she thought I was just talking about one of the pre-packaged ice cream sandwiches and once she saw it she had to eat half of it. Again, this is something I'll be getting on every trip in the future.

The best part is that both of these are available for a snack credit if you are on the dining plan. I can't wait to have another one in a few weeks.

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Teppan Edo

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 17:00:00 +0000

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We decided on dinner at Teppan Edo for our second night of the trip since our son isn't a fan of Asian foods. After a short wait, we headed back and my wife was complimented with "You look very young!" when the hostess noticed we had been married for 10 years. We were seated with 5 other people, but were on the end of the table so we felt a bit like we were on our own.

Chef Yasumasa started off by spreading out some onions, mushrooms and zucchini to get things going while confirming our orders for the meats we'd like along with it.

He did a great job of engaging the table and keeping us interested in what he was doing. He then began stacking up the slices of onion...

After being assembled, he poured some oil into it and turned it into an Onion Volcano!

Chef then began cutting the tails off of the shrimp he was preparing and then launched them into the air before catching them in a bowl he had in his off hand. He was cracking us up with comments and facial expressions the whole time.

After preparing all the vegetables and adding in the noodles he gave everyone a nice portion...then gave this to me.

He then said to me "What...not enough? Ah! you need a noodle." This is what He gave me at that point :)

After seeing my sadness at this he then gave me this wonderful portion of food that was delicious while waiting for my steak and chicken.

I put the camera down at this point and began eating but the rest of the evening was a total blast. We enjoyed the food and then had the Ginger Chocolate Cake for dessert...which they brought out with candles to celebrate our anniversary.

We exited the restaurant to find that the Japan Pavilion is beautiful at night. So, I spent a few minutes taking pictures while Sarah shopped in the stores below.

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From Mickey & Minnie With Love

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000

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I wanted to do something extra special for my wife on our 10th Anniversary, so I arranged for a little magic to be in the room when we returned from our amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's Chef's Table. I called up disneyflorist.com and ordered the From Mickey & Minnie With Love package which they delivered during the dinner.

When we entered the room...this is what we saw. I can't tell you how many times my wife walked around the room just saying "Oh My Gosh" :) There were surprises everywhere you looked around the hotel room.

There were rose pedals on the ground that lead to the bed where they were also arranged into this beautiful heart.

At the foot of the bed were some really nice towels that were embroidered with each of our names along with a mickey chocolate on top of each.

Mickey and Minnie had left us a special signed picture to celebrate our 10th Anniversary along with the first of three candles that were around the room adding a special romantic feel.

Looking up we found Tinker Bell herself with a light that slowly changed colors and added a nice glow to the room.

Mickey and Minnie had left a beautiful arrangement of roses that Tinker Bell had sprinkled with her special pixie dust for a nice golden glow.

Lastly we found a nice spa package that my wife could use to relax on our trip and take home to enjoy later.

So, I was able to achieve my goal of surprising my wife and giving her a gift that shows her just how much I've enjoyed our 10 years together. I'm also hoping this helps convince her to stay around for another 10...

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Q&A: Where Are The Entry-Level Game Designer Positions?

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 22:29:00 +0000

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Today's question comes from Terry Vallo who asks:

"Why is it that there are far more Senior positions available on Game Job boards? Is it due to a major lack of experience on AAA titles or a major crackdown in the HR department?"

This is something that has been common in the Games Industry for as long as I can remember. Game companies get lots of resumes all the time for jobs that they post and a good percentage of those applicants are often under qualified for what they are applying for.

Imagine how many more applicants they would get if they actually posted an entry level position that requires no game development experience? This coupled with the fact that in today's industry with so many schools around we finally have avenues to find out who the ideal candidates are instead of going wide to the general public.

I don't remember ever seeing an entry-level position being advertised anywhere but the truth is that they are often there if the right person shows up. I got my second job by contacting someone I had met at GDC to just ask if there was anything available, even though no Design positions were listed on the site. He brought me in and hired me shortly after...so it never hurts to ask! Send in your resume along with work examples to all the places you're interested in and maybe they'll give you a look.

Most of these positions that I have seen filled come from recommendations of current employees who know of a tester or recent game development graduate that they think will be a good fit. Personally, I contact Full Sail any time that I have something available to see if any recent top of the class grads are looking for work. So, who you know still makes a huge difference in this industry.

I hope this helps and keep the questions coming everyone!

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Chef's Table at Victoria & Albert's

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 17:52:00 +0000

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I first heard about the Chef's Table at Victoria and Albert's about 6 months ago while watching a Disney Parks movie on Netflix. We had been talking recently about what we could do to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary, so I decided to call and see if it's available that day. I was nervous since there is only one reservation each day...but it was available so our trip planning began!

The reservation was for 5pm and we were told to expect an all evening event. Jackets are required for the men and evening dress attire for the ladies, so we came dressed to celebrate. We were escorted through the main dining room which was rather small, only about a dozen tables at a quick count. We then headed through the kitchen, being greeted with happy anniversary from many staff members as we made our way back to the Chef's Table.

They had cleared the table normally used for up to 10 people and set two places that faced the kitchen just for us. We had two servers that were always available at a moment's notice and the first one quickly poured us a champagne toast to celebrate our anniversary. We were also escorted through the kitchen and dining room any time we needed to use the restroom or stretch our legs...which was needed because the meal was over FOUR HOURS :)

We decided to do the wine pairings with each course and are so happy that we did. We are also very happy that we decided beforehand to take a taxi to and from the restaurant. They brought in this awesome cooling bucket to keep each serving of wine chilled. Oh and they also brought out a special stool for my camera and a separate one for my wife to put her purse on. Fancy.

Our entire 11 course meal was tailored for us by Head Chef Scot Hunnell and he came by personally for each one to describe it for us. They even gave us a special menu at the end of the night that listed each course and the paired wine. It's a good thing because I never would have remembered all of it.

On to the food! The first course was a Soft-Poached Quail Egg with Galilee Caviar, Chicken Liver Terrine, Cauliflower Panna Cotta and Porcini Mushroom Cappuccino. It was paired with Piper Heidsieck Curvee 1785 NV Brut. This was my first time having Caviar and quail egg for that matter and the pairing was amazing. Actually, we said the word amazing so much during the night we realized our vocabulary was too limited for this experience. The Cauliflower was so smooth it was like eating yogurt.

Next up was Gulf Shrimp and Heirloom Tomatoes with Charmoula Sauce. It was paired with Michel Redde Sancerre "Les Tuilieres", Loire 2009. This is where I should probably mention that the food over the course of the night became a blur, but each course was truly unique and tasteful.

A huge part of the experience was not only being able to see the chef's at work, but by asking questions about the things that they were making. Chef Joe was great about describing what he was working on and answering any questions we had.

Next course was Cold "Smoked" Niman Ranch Lamb with Fuji Apple and Curry Dressing. The lamb tasted great on its own as well as the apple with radish...but tasted even better when combined at the chef's suggestion. It was paired with Grans-Fassian Piesporter Kabinett Riesling, Mosel 2009.

Not only was the dish beautiful in it's smoking presentation, but it also left a nice fog on the table...that my beautiful wife used to draw a heart for me.

The first main course contained Alaskan Salmon with Bamboo Rice and Soy Beans. In the background you'll see REAL Wasabi served on shark skin! It was quite an experience especially when paired with Kanbara "Bride of the Fox" Gohyakumangoku Junmai Ginjo, Nigata...or as we called it: "Sake"

Next they brought out our first course of bread that is made in house by a fantastic pastry chef. The bread was the softest I've ever had and was served with a black truffle butter.

The next course was Poulet Rouge with Calamarata Pasta, Forest Mushrooms and Black Truffles. I'm not a huge mushroom fan but it was the best tasting part of this dish! It was paired with Hartford Court Land's Edge Vineyards Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 2007.

Next up was a Minnesota Elk Tenderloin with Braised Red Cabbage Tart. This was my first time having Elk and really enjoyed it, to be fair...I enjoyed everything that was brought to me :) This was paired with Ceretto Rossana Dolcetto d'Alba, Piedmont 2010.

The final main course contained an Australian Kobe-style Beef with Garlic-Potato Puree. There was also a second bread course served with it, but it was a much stiffer bread and we both just thought it was good...nothing like the previous one. This was paired with Mollydooker The Maitre D', Cabernet Sauvignon, South Australia 2009.

Now we move into the last courses starting with this fantastic cheese course with Fiscalini Cheddar, Gouda Reypenaer XO, Colston Bassett Stilton and Sottocenere al Tartufo. It was paired with Quinta do Crasto Late Bottled Vintage Porto 2006 which was one of the best Ports I've ever tasted.

They brought out this really cool Cona coffee maker and we watched it slowly brew over the next few minutes filling the air with an amazing coffee smell.

The first dessert course was Green Apple Baba with Sour Cream Ice Cream. It looks like an apple, but is actually a soft spongy consistency and laid in spun sugar. The Ice Cream was very good even though having Sour Cream sounds odd.

The next dessert course was Peruvian Chocolate Cylinder with Elder Flower Sauce Chocolate and Navan Bubble. It was truly a work of art as the thin chocolate sculpture tasted great and looked beautiful. On the front of the plate you'll see "Caramel Caviar" which added a great taste to the chocolate.

The final course was a plate of various chocolates that were made in house including a chocolate covered cherry that still had the cherry pit. By this time we couldn't finish all of them as we were entirely stuffed :)

This was the most amazing dining experience that we have ever had and are so happy that we were able to celebrate our 10th Wedding Anniversary this way. Yes...it was rather expensive, but was a once in a lifetime experience that we will always remember and never regret.

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Kouzzina Review

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:32:00 +0000

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Our main goal on this trip to celebrate our10th Anniversary was to do things that our 7 year old son wouldn't enjoy...which meant we couldn't enjoy ;) We decided on the scenic route to get there which meant a nice boat ride from Hollywood Studios over to The Boardwalk and then breakfast at Kouzzina.

What we quickly discovered is that Kouzzina has, by far, the best coffee that we've found on Disney property. Every morning after we joked about making the 40 minute trip on Disney buses just to have this coffee.

I had the delicious Breakfast Skillet which had Pequillo peppers, Neuske's Bacon, onions, potatoes and greek cheese topped with Arugula. In the past, I would have scrapped off all the Arugula but my recent diet has changed my taste buds drastically and this dish is amazing as it's prepared.

My wife had decided weeks ago when looking at the menu online on what she would be having. There is no way she could see the title French Toast Baklava and choose anything else. It was made on a grilled Fig and Anise bread and served with bacon. She begrudgingly let me try a bite and it made me second guess my choice...but only a little.

We also found a Hidden Mickey in the lobby on our way out. My son has become quite interested in finding these so I may have to make a quick trip back with him now that he knows this one exists.

What a fantastic way to start our anniversary! Breakfast was amazing and now we are just a short walk from the International Gateway entrance to Epcot. We walked around Epcot for a few hours while and burned some calories to prepare for our big dinner that night.

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Co-Op w/ Kian: Lara Croft & the GOL

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 04:42:00 +0000

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One of the other Designers at work has been telling me for months that I have to try the co-op in Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light but I hadn't had gotten around to it. I picked it up recently and Kian asked if we could take a break from Rayman Origins to play it, so we jumped in...and didn't stop.

I took control of Lara and my son was anxious to play as Totec...since that was the "boy" (He hasn't yet acquired my taste of playing as a female character whenever possible!) I ran around shooting guns as he threw spears at our enemies. Using dual stick controls for moving and aiming isn't normally one of my favorite things, but it is done well here and is easy to use.

The co-op gameplay is where this game really shines. Lara has a grapple that she can use to grab hooks in the world and then swing across a gap or climb. Totec can also walk the wire that this creates or she can attatch to Totec directly and use him as an anchor. Totec can also lift his shield over his head for Lara to jump on and reach greater heights. The levels were set up with some great increasing difficulty that challenged us to use different combinations of abilities to get through some of the more elaborate setups.

We found ourselves enjoying it so much that the time would fly by and it would suddenly be his bed time. The game was pretty large in scope for an XBLA title so we definitely felt like we go our money's worth. The addition of challenges in each area encourage a replay to try and get a higher score. Well done all said :)

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Currently Playing: Resident Evil 5

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 01:28:00 +0000

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This is one from WAY back on my Gamestack of Shame...I bought it bundled with the Limited Edition Red console back in 2009 and just never got around to it. It's another one of those games I kept saying I'd play co-op with someone but then it never happened. But now...I have finally finished Resident Evil 5.

The controls took some getting used to, just like any other Capcom game and was fairly frustrating at first. But, it does add some extra tension to a survival horror game so I didn't mind too much. The game looks amazing with great detail in the character and environments. They did a good job of keeping areas tight which allowed for greater visual density but also helped create tension on the gameplay.

Since this is the first Resident Evil game that I've played more than an hour or two of...I found myself not entirely interested in the story. Since I didn't know anything about Jill and they focused a lot of the main character's motivation on finding her, I found myself having trouble relating.

The boss battles were often frustrating since the real solution was to run away and let the next stage of the encounter progress. That would be better if they actually let you know this was the case instead of me sitting around wasting ammo until I happen to walk into the corridor that triggers the mid-battle cutscene. Some of the other sections of the game did fine by letting me know that retreating was required, so I was left wondering why it wasn't always the case.

I don't want to sound like I'm only harping on the game, because I enjoyed it quite a bit! The missions were a lot of fun and I felt compelled to keep playing because I wanted to get to the resolution with Wesker. The AI of my partner was almost always quite intelligent, especially when I load her with healing options to keep me upright. I'm looking forward to seeing what Resident Evil 6 brings to the table this fall.

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Gaming Weight Loss: Diet Finished!

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:55:00 +0000

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As of this morning, my wife and I are done with the diet! We have been mentally ready for some time now to make this transition, but kept on the plan because the last phase was preparing our bodies to eat normally again.

I weighed in this morning to find I'm down another 1.8 lbs! That makes a grand total of 52.4 lbs in 11 weeks on the diet.

We now enter the Maintenance phase which is just regular life with healthier choices. I learned so much on this diet about how to eat better and what things to have in moderation. Our first cheat day is today and I can't wait for Indian Buffet lunch along with Mexican dinner :)

I'll probably do my updates once or twice a month now just to keep you up to date with how that is going and what games, etc I'm doing for exercise.

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Currently Playing: Gears of War 3

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:21:00 +0000

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Next on my list of backlog clearing is Gears of War 3. I've been playing through Gears of War 2 Co-Op with Drew but wanted to start playing some of the multiplayer in this one so I jumped ahead. I enjoyed playing it so much that I went ahead and completed the campaign in the next few nights.

The controls in this third installment are somehow more responsive and much less frustrating than the previous games. I often found my self accidentally jumping to the wrong cover or bypassing it completely in earlier games, but that issue seemed to go away almost entirely without me changing anything in my play style. I also found enemies easier to target than before and it gave a much better feel to the experience overall.

The change from emergence holes to single enemies erupting from the ground was awesome from both a gameplay and development standpoint. The enemy going several feet into the air helps ensure the player will see where they are coming into the battle, but also gives the Designer the ability to feed enemies into the battle at any time or place without breaking the intended flow of the level.

The visual quality of the world also took a big leap upward with lots of color added giving a much less drab visual like the earlier games. Being color blind, I had a lot of issues with the first two games in seeing enemies effectively as they would often blend into the background easily. A lot of that was solved with the visual improvements in this edition.

The environments always have a massive feel even when the playable space might be much tighter in reality. Epic have become masters at making the game space feel huge which is something it seems a lot of games have issue figuring out effectively (self included). The addition of allies other than the 3 with you helped this feel in certain battles as well...It felt like a real war was going on.

I also tried a few of the multiplayer modes, but want to wait until I have three others with me before I really delve into it. But it seems like there's a lot of longevity there and a lot of fun to be had. I might have to jump in with the Pixel Damage Podcast guys soon on one of their weekly play nights.

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Gaming Weight Loss: 10th Weigh-In

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:49:00 +0000

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Having breakfast again was everything I hoped it would be. I'm really liking how this diet phases you off gradually and conditions your body to handle carbs and creating the proper insulin. People often gain back 2-5lbs during this phase, but it's water weight and not fat...inches usually still go down.

I weighed in this morning to find I'm down another 1.4 lbs! That makes a grand total of 50.6 lbs in 10 weeks on the diet. It feels so good to hit that 50 lb mark...I didn't think I'd actually get there.

I continue on this plan for one more week and then I'm officially off the diet. I'll continue to make healthy choices and exercise, but will also have one day each week where I can eat anything I want. Next Wednesday is the first day like that and I can't wait!

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My Own Opinions

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:12:00 +0000

I wanted to be sure that everyone understands anything I say on this blog or any other social media is entirely my opinion and doesn't represent the view of my employer.

I have a lot of opinions about game development and the gaming industry in general and will occasionally toss them out there. My post on the used games market was based entirely from a developer perspective and was originally posted on a developer site to start a conversation.

-Jameson

Co-Op w/ Kian: Rayman Origins

noreply@blogger.com (Jameson Durall) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:22:00 +0000

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I picked up Rayman Origins when Amazon had it on sale right before Christmas and we've finally got a chance to jump into it. My first impression is that it's a beautiful game with a very fun art style and a great soundtrack. Kian also laughs nearly the entire time we are playing.

The loading screens allow you to move your character around and attack so we've turned each one into a mini game where he tries to get away from me without getting hit. He actually succeeds more often than I do :) The game is filled with goals to achieve and each mission gives you a counter at the end to let you know how much of it's secrets you've found.

The mission lengths are quite short, maybe 5 mins or so each...but that is perfectly fine. The action requires precision movement and quick responses to get the maximum amount of stars by the end so you are ready for the break when it comes.

One of the things I found disappointing is that the second player doesn't get achievements. This is something I need to research a bit because I'm not sure why this choice would be made. I know we had this same issue with The Simpsons Game, but that was just because Co-Op wasn't part of the Godfather engine we were using.

We're having a lot of fun with it and I'm curious how big the game is. I'll add some more comments as we get further along in our play through.

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