A Gamer With A Pen

FPS 101 - Flanking

2011-10-24T12:28:00.000-07:00

You do this all the time in your daily lives: you take the back streets to avoid multiple stop lights on the main road, you consciously choose a longer route to avoid the crowds during Christmas season, and you never approach a group of lions in the wild up front, right? Yeah, me either.

Everyone flanks in one form or another. In the online competitive-multiplayer world though, not many gamers know what flanking is. Too often players seem to take the most direct way toward the opposing team, which means running straight down the middle in the open. It makes sense if the objective is to kill for points, but you want to win at Team Deathmatch and not win with the most deaths.

Flanking works well when the opposing side is camping or defending a specific area. The point is to attack from the side or behind the enemy, but never directly--you never approach a wild animal remember? Several reasons for doing so: they will never suspect you coming, their focus is broken and you might achieve multiple kills out of it.

Take this one video for example on Array in CoD Black Ops:

At the start of the match, I get killed instantly and so did my entire team except one. The location was on one side of the map where the distance between the two opposing respawn points are at its closest. Instead of taking them head on, again, I flank them and attack them from the side.

Another on Jungle:

The enemy team continued to defend from the village throughout the match, which was smart, but they weren't watching behind them (AKA their flank). I am mindful of their respawn point and make sure to look in that direction before I go after the ones in the village attacking my team.

Once I turn away from their respawn point, I am immediately aware that any one of their teammates can spawn behind me, so I have to move quickly. There has been MANY times where I have flanked, only to get shot in the back, so check your surroundings, but move fast, too.

The final one on WMD in Ground War:

This video was meant to poke fun at my friend (who died lulz). I told him to hang tight and I was going to be there soon, but I was literally seconds too late. This is another great example why flanking works in a number of ways, though. You can help your teammates. Or at least, avenge them.

Flanking is pretty straight forward and should be used all the time. It works and if the other team is flanking then let them come to you, just be attentive to all entrances and pathways.

Call of Duty XP in Los Angeles

2011-10-03T20:39:00.000-07:00

In August, I was invited to attend the CoD XP event in LA. This included a press preview night and the two days at the event itself. At first, I hesitated. I had personal (ridiculous) reasons why I was thinking of not going. One of the many concerns was that 1) This would be my first time traveling on my own without a friend or my family. 2) Activision only sent out one invitation and the managing editor of Game Rev asked me to go.

The pressure was on!

Although super excited, I didn't tell anyone because I knew what they would say if I said I was contemplating it. They would call me an idiot, I would cry, and the world would end, especially if they knew the whole trip was free: flight, hotel and transportation.

I suck it up and decided to go. Part of me wanted to test my independence. The other part wanted to see if I can actually travel on my own, which traveling the world is something I want to do eventually. The invitation came in the mail...

...but it wasn't just any kind of paper and fancy writing.

The details of the event, which were included on the other side, were etched onto plexiglass.

Thursday:

I packed my bag and headed to the airport. My parents were concerned, but encouraging. If they said I couldn't go, I probably wouldn't have put up a fight. But they said this is a huge opportunity and something I shouldn't miss out on.

My flight was 70 minutes long. I call Sky Limo and get picked up in a town car. The seats felt good on my tush. For reals.

I arrive at my hotel, check in, get in my room and collapse onto the bed hoping my nerves would go away. It didn't.

Two hours later I went down to the lobby to register and pick up my press badge before heading off to the press preview shindig. Outside the entrance was a huge line of men--it was more like the Great Wall of Men. I sighed, waited for them to board the shuttles, and chose to be the last one in line. Little did I know that I chose to sit next to a guy, who I have already gamed with and known for a while:

"So what site do you come from?" He asks.

"Game Revolution." I say.

"Oh okay, my name is Chad, what is yours?"

"Kuulei."

"... Kuulei, Kuulei, where have I heard that name before??"

"...umm maybe from that Kool-aid commercial?" I ask quizzically.

"Hey, do you know eStalker?"

"YES!"

"Oh okay! I'm a good friend of hers."

Elated that I actually made a friend, we trade stories. He talks about his years in the Navy and how he is from Alabama. I then narrow in on his light southern accent and realize he is from a forum I used to be a part of long ago.

"SHUSH UP!!" I slap him on the arm. "No way!! I like, know you, know you!!"

He sits there and laughs at me. Luckily, he didn't press any charges for hitting him.

Chad ended up being the one person I hung out with majority of the weekend. And with that southern hospitality, I was lucky to have met him. We get to the event, eat some free food, and eventually go into the hanger...

...where they presented MW3's MP trailer, CoD Elite details, the new MW3 limited edition console, and more, before they released it for the world to see the next day.

Afterward, we were let go to get some hands-on action. I was able to play MW3 MP for at least an hour, if not more. I then had to leave to make a 10pm appointment for a group meeting with a head developer. In the mean time, I picked up some swag, which included a customized tee.

Represent!!

Should I mention that we had stripper buses that took us back to the hotel each time? I should:

(In the front.)

(In the back. I thought the image on the TV was totally appropriate.)

Friday:

I didn't get back to the hotel until midnight and didn't get to bed till 3am, which is normal for a gamer, you would think. I wake up at 8am, skip breakfast, start transcribing an hour worth of recordings from last night, and write. I get ready in between then, but don't hand in my preview till 3pm. Ugh, I need to be faster next time around, since I missed getting the article in before the embargo lifted, but I got it in on the same day, which is a plus. Heh.

I head to the event, met up with some people from Twitter and even sit on a panel with them.

You can see me at the start of 47:00 for 30 seconds or so. I'm right behind the girl that asks the question.

Later on that night, after I grab some food with Chad, we head to the Dropkick Murphys concert.

Saturday (last day!):

An hour of hard-of-hearing later, I get back to my hotel and didn't get to sleep till super late. I woke up early though to make sure to get to the event on time to experience all of the fun that I missed out on the day before. I was worried about lines and parking, but the shuttle took us to a different entrance, which was apparently for press/VIP. I skipped this:

That is just a small fraction of the public line. I felt bad, but on the other hand, I was like, "HELL YEEEEAH BISHES!!"

Ahem, anyway, I quickly tell Chad let's play some Spec Ops Survival mode (since he never played it before). The line took all of five minutes. When we left, it was wrapped around the platform, easily making it a 45 minute wait. Chad eventually went back to the hotel to catch some sleep and I stayed, walked around, met people, got ditched by a couple, and stood in line for the Jeep Experience. Other press members were skipping the line, but I didn't think I had the guts to work my "status."

Although I wish I had. Out of all the people I could have stood next to, I was stuck in between two groups of large men. They were joking around, talking about girls, turning their heads when one would walk by.

Oh gawd, can this freaken line move any faster?

It didn't. I held my ground for four hours. In between then, I was seriously getting frustrated. I kept seeing press members cutting the line and it led to feeling really low. I desired to fit in so much, and to be known. But I realized that some of the peeps cutting in were assholes and why should I want to be like them?? I felt so pathetic for even trying to be like that them. I'll remember those that ditched me and others who were so nice to me (which was thankfully, most). The industry though, seriously has its snobs. It's like high school with the cliques, but luckily, also like college, where the industry is so big, that you'll find other people to chill with, who actually doesn't have a superiority complex.

After standing in line for two hours, one of the guys in front of me starts talking to me:

"So what brings you here?"

"I'm press."

"What?"

"I write for a video game website."

"Oooh, so wait, you're press and you didn't talk to us this whole time?"

I laugh and say, "I'm sorry, I'm just super shy."

"... and you're press?"

This guy, Benny, is from Australia and OMG he was hilarious, and made the next two hours so much fun. From then on, I was included in their group discussions as well as being made fun of, calling me "the reporter that doesn't report" and one even said it was his first time meeting a shy reporter! So glad I made his day.

After four hours, we get to the front of the line. We have our bullet proof vests on along with our helmets and we are ready to board the jeeps. Just then a guy comes over and tells us they had to shut it down. I'm pretty sure if I didn't make friends in that line, I would have cried and thrown a little girl tantrum or a big girl bitch fit.

Either way, I had nothing to complain about. I came to L.A. on my own (and survived), celebrated an upcoming title of a franchise that I effing adore, connected with so many people and learned some things about myself... which is, that I'm basically a dork and had really nothing to worry about coming here. All those nerves for nothing.

That's Benny in the background.

And the bags under my eyes is due to some serious sleep deprivation. Running on adrenaline, baby!

Sunday:

After the Kanye West concert, I had dinner with Chad, walked back to the hotel, said goodbye and started packing. I stayed up majority of the night, but got in a hour of sleep before being picked up in town car, which took me to LAX.

As I stood in line to check in, I remember being insanely nervous at the airport in my hometown on Thursday. At LAX though, I watched the crowds of people rushing, being confused, and kids screaming. Despite the chaos, I was calm: I checked in my luggage, went through security (I seriously want a t-shirt that shows a middle finger and "TSA" underneath) and then took a shuttle to my terminal. I did all of that, like a boss.

Even though my trip was reaching its end, it wasn't quite over. Guy Beahm, the community manager from Sledgehammer Games, was in the same terminal as me.

In my head, I tried different ways of approaching him and introducing myself. I also thought, wow, is this what guys go through when they want to ask a girl out?!

Maybe, I'll sit next to him and then...

I watch as he places his bag on the chair next to him.

Or not. Jerk.

Sure enough, he is on the same flight, but by then I couldn't work up enough nerve to talk to him and decided to leave it as is. The flight is smooth and I'm back in my hometown before I can even get a decent minute of shut eye. I walk toward baggage claim and what do you know, our bags are not ready. Guy stands there too, waiting.

I tell myself eff it and walk up to him and introduce myself. My voice cracks. Ugh. But he is extremely nice and makes conversation even though it is clear that he is just as tired as I am. We talk about the event, careers and I found out his hometown is my hometown, too.

"OMG, I don't know anyone from the gaming community who lives here!"

He nods in agreement and says, "We gotta represent!"

Love him. End of story.

It's been a month since I left for CoD XP and I honestly couldn't imagine if I didn't go. This was the event that I was hoping E3 would be. I was hoping to get more out of E3, more of a learning experience, but this trip made up for it completely. I came, I saw, and I kicked ass.

Tick Tock, Tick Tock

2011-08-29T19:20:00.000-07:00

One of the most important things I learned from attending E3 was time management. "There is never enough time in a day when you're at E3" was always repeated as my response when asked how the event went. I wouldn't have gone if it wasn't for Game Revolution. I was sent to do my job and I regret that I let the event get the best of me...

E3 wasn't a bad experience, it was freaken fantastic. I wish though, that I handled my time more wisely and I wish I was a more efficient writer... one of those writers that can dish out seven articles each day. Yeah, that's not me (at least, I haven't tried).

My time was mainly spent finding my way around the convention center, since I got lost more than a handful of times, while being a nervous wreck when I thought I would miss an appointment with a developer. Next was dealing with pressure of being included in everything. I wanted to bond with my co-workers, wanted to meet people from my social networks, and wanted to attend parties, just to get my name out there and establish friendships. In between all of that, where is the time to write? I understand now that I could of picked a place to sit at the event in between appointments and tackle paper with a pen. Meeting people could have been saved later when it came down to partying.

This week I travel back to LA for Call of Duty XP. While this is a much smaller event than E3, it doesn't make it any less significant. So, it's good practice to improve on my writing as well as managing my time.

My goal is to write at the event itself in between whatever is going on. I have all of the necessary tools to write (just need a napkin and a pen right?), so I don't have any excuses. I just hope I can leave the event with fun memories, and leave without any regrets.

FPS 101 - Predicting Moves

2011-07-04T15:53:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to put together some FPS tips for a while now. Most of these tips are obvious, but every player is different and some are unaware of even the most simple strategic moves. A friend once told me he would love to see the game through my eyes, so thanks to Black Ops' recording system, I am able to record some gameplay and show what I see...

One of my favorite things about shooters is predicting a player's next move. I just love it. Sometimes I misjudge, other times I'm correct, so I don't consider myself a FPS guru or anything, but I feel if I can play FPS and hold my own, anyone can do the same.

For the first tip, don't be afraid to retreat when under enemy fire. Don't engage if the opposing player already has a sight on you. More often than not, you will lose. Secondly, be aware: know the maps (aka the environment), know where your team is at, and be mindful of respawn points.

In the video below, I try to kill a couple of guys and fail miserably, and as I throw a grenade in a desperate attempt to get them, another enemy player appears and aims to kill me. After I throw my grenade, I turn to retreat, but he hits me once or twice, so I go prone to avoid his fire. I am aware that there is a little part of wall that gives me enough cover to throw off his aim. At this exact moment, I know he's behind me and more than likely, he'll chase me down, since he knows I'm wounded and I'm within a close distance.

I quickly get up and run. On the radar, I see a red dot in front of me, but I can't engage that enemy player because there is already one behind me, so I choose to deal with the latter (makes sense, right?). I turn the corner, face the direction I expect my assailant is coming from, reload and go prone. It's a considerable distance, but because you can't move as quickly while you're in prone, I make sure to give myself enough space to cover any direction the enemy moves to. I wait less than a second before he appears, as predicted.

You can look at both sides of this video: 1) it's okay to retreat. And 2) Don't be the one to follow any player around a corner, especially if he has already seen you. If you want to get an opposing player so badly then flank. Flanking may not be for the impatient players, but it definitely pays off in the end if the other team is camping or is concentrated on one area of the map. I'll include those videos soon!

Ms. Pac-Man Shoes!

2011-06-03T08:19:00.000-07:00

I've never been a huge fan of Ms. Pac-Man. I've played it and enjoyed playing it, but I'm not a hardcore fan like some people I know. However, I love these shoes. They are freaken adorable.

Interested in getting a pair? Check them out on Etsy.

A Week Ago & From Now

2011-05-31T23:37:00.000-07:00

My official last day of my college career was a week ago today. It's still very surreal. Before then, let's say a month ago, I pulled my hair, I growled, I cried, I had the jitters (from the amount of cocoa cappuccino's I was drinking) and performed all sorts of other mannerisms that a stressed college student goes through when it's crunch time. I tried motivating myself by repeating, "Once this assignment is done, it's one step closer to never doing this crap ever again," over and over, but I couldn't help but feel the symptoms of senioritis...

"A crippling disease that strikes high school seniors. Symptoms include: laziness, an over-excessive wearing of track pants, old athletic shirts, sweatpants, athletic shorts, and sweatshirts. Also features a lack of studying, repeated absences, and a generally dismissive attitude. The only known cure is a phenomenon known as Graduation."

Courtesy of UrbanDictionary.com. Hey, it was either this or Wikipedia. Anyway, the definition perfectly describes me with the exception of track pants and athletic shirts and shorts. In the beginning of the semester, I was happy and confident the next three months would be cake. I was so wrong.

Three classes felt like five: the amount of work that was assigned made me feel like a Freshmen all over again.

"Seriously? Didn't we just have a midterm?!"

"OMG! I have to read ten different books?!"

"Wait ...what do you mean the project is due tomorrow?"

Half-way through the semester, if not earlier, I started skipping classes out of laziness. I was turning in assignments that would at least earn me a passing grade and when I did attend classes, I went without makeup, placed my hair in a simple two minute bun and sported old, worn out clothing. I fell behind on readings for one class and as a result, I felt stupid during class discussions to the point where I wanted to cry out of embarrassment and shame.

By the end though, I don't know if I came to realizing it was the last stretch or what, but I went into the over-achiever individual I once was and pulled through. I turned in every assignment on time. The library was really my second home. My name is listed in three different school publications. And I completed the semester with B's in all three classes. I couldn't be any happier.

In between the days of surviving against stress (sort of), there were exciting things happening outside of school. I applied for several jobs, but only heard back from one. I was able to get an interview and ended up being one of two candidates being considered for the job, but I didn't make the cut after all. It was my first time experiencing an interview process for a job I really wanted. Despite the fact I didn't get it, I know exactly what I did wrong and I'm confident I can nail the next interview with whichever company it may be.

Another bit of exciting news is that a week from now, I'll be in Los Angeles attending one of the biggest and most anticipated events held every year, called the Electronic Entertainment Expo (aka E3).

All thanks to Game Revolution. This place is a video gamer's dream due to the exclusive announcements, parties and hands-on video game demos. I've been assigned to cover majority of the first person shooters (my love!!), such as Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3.

It's also the most important place to be if gamers want to network. It's my first time going and while my priority will be to do my job for Game Rev, I hope to establish contacts. Being shy, this will be difficult. heh. Either way, I know it's going to be a blast.

So far, life as a college graduate has been worth all of that stress I mentioned earlier. I'm not in my "cave" anymore (as my parents refer to my room as) and I have gone out more times in one week than I have in the last three months. I realized how much I have missed hanging out with my family and I am so freaken blessed to have them. I definitely wouldn't be a college graduate if it wasn't for their support.

A week ago, I handed in my last academic essay that I'll ever have to write and a week from now I'll be taking a step toward another part of my life that I hope leads to a positive change. In the mean time though, I will be bugging my family and friends. I swear they'll wish I was still in school.

Just a Little Rant

2011-04-09T23:20:00.000-07:00

I wish I had a machine that could read my thoughts and automatically place them in this post. That would be epic. There are plenty of random stuff going through my mind. One of the main things is definitely school. I am absolutely confident that I am going to pass two classes out of the three I am currently taking this semester. However, the third class is giving me more white hairs each day. I have no idea how I am doing in that class, considering all of the assignments are due at the very end of the semester. On top of that, it seems like the professor is a tough grader. Each weekend, I tell myself numerous times to start my assignments ASAP, so I wouldn't worry about it when the deadline approaches, but each weekend, I become in that I-don't-care-I'm-graduating-bishes!! mode. Then I realize "Well, I'm not going to graduate if I don't pass this class." And THEN I freak out.

Last day of school: May 17th

My last final (hopefully forever): May 24th

So let's see what I can do in between now and then.

Some other thoughts involve life after graduation. What will I be doing?! Sleep sounds good for a while. But after that? Keep up with my writing?

I went to WonderCon a couple of weeks ago and attended the Max Brooks panel with my friends. He is a great speaker and very, um, straightforward. This lady from the audience asked him for advice on how to get started with writing. He explained that the best part about writing is its accessibility: Anyone can grab a paper, a pen, and start writing (the most difficult thing, he said, is being able to set and follow a routine to write every day, but once you do, writing comes easy).

She then said she is handicapped. I couldn't see her, but she must have been in a wheelchair because Brooks responded, "Well, do you have to run while you write?" He then went on to say that he is the last person that should be writing because he has dyslexia...

And he asked her, "Do you have dyslexia?"

"No."

"Well, see! You're already ahead of me! You have no excuse."

He may seem like a douche-bag, but he had everyone laughing, including her. She was a good sport about it. As for the point he made on writing, it's true. It's easy, so why is it so difficult sometimes? One thing he said which I thought was funny and most writers could probably relate to is, "Don't aspire to write, just write." I've seen so many people label themselves as "aspiring writer" (including me!), yet why do that? And why not just say writer?

I didn't become comfortable with that until I started writing reviews for Game Revolution and even then I wasn't confident with my writing when I started. I guess it all comes with time and learning.

I am still here!

2011-03-09T12:30:00.000-08:00

Hi!

This is my last semester before I graduate! Yay me!! With that said, my focus has been on school work and not so much here, which is a bummer. I have fun blogging and sharing my thoughts with others. A friend is encouraging me to do one post a week or at least submit a change to my blog and I'm sure I can do that! Starting with the layout. I have a different design in mind, but it may take a few hours out of my day, but hey, spring break is fast approaching!! Until then I'm concentrating on making sure I don't fail any of my classes (which I'm not, but in case), and writing for Game Revolution as I'm hoping the experience with them will lead to a grown-up job after I graduate. ^_^ yes, a grown-up job, so I can support my family and myself. Here's to hoping.

My "I want!" Games for 2011

2011-01-16T11:59:00.000-08:00

For some reason, I always hit a writer's block after the New Year. Maybe my mind decides to take a break each year, thinking it's a new year, which means a tiny vacation from the previous year--you know, "clean out the old and get ready for the new" type of thing, so I forced myself to create a small post just to get me in the writing mood again without overwhelming my lackadaisical brain. I chose five gamesthat I am most looking forward to, in no particular order. I have listed several reasons why, but of course, the reasons listed do not cover everything about what the game can offer. It's just a few features of the game, which appealed to me...

Bulletstorm:
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: People Can Fly & Epic Games

Why this game?
- The graphics are so shiny!!
- Creatively killing bad guys in a variety of "WTF!?" ways.
- ...where certain moves are given witty, offensive, or funny titles, such as 4th of July, Trap Shooting, Gang Bang, and Sausage Fest.
- Four player co-op. Nothing better than playing a shoot 'em up together, while hearing, "Holy ****, did you see that?!"

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Paris

Why this game?
- Get a chance to feel like Predator with the optical camo, which means being an invisible badass.

- A smooth, yet accurate cover system unlike previous Ghost Recon titles.
- Destructible environments when you take cover to prevent camping.
- Futuristic weapons mixed with the same feel of a tactical shooter... I love it.

SSX: Deadly Descents
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: EA Canada

Why this game?
- There isn't much revealed about this game yet, other than what you see from the trailer, but if you're a fan of previous SSX titles...

"It's tricky to rock a rhyme
To rock a rhyme that's right on time
It's tricky tricky tricky tricky..."

--and well, you get the idea--then you would agree that this game was way over due. And I hope it just means that they worked incredibly hard to make this title the best one out of the SSX franchise.

Gears of War 3
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Epic Games

- The third installment to the Gears of War series. What will happen to the Gears?! Will they defeat the Locust Queen? And finally, depending on the votes, we will see if Carmine lives or dies.
- Humanity vs Locusts vs The Lambent. GO!
- More execution moves? Yes, please! The more you use them, the more you unlock.
- Dedicated severs for online multiplayer as well as host migration.
- New weapons like the sawed-off shotgun, a deadly sniper rifle called Oneshot, and the Digger Launcher:

This new pet shoots explosive diggers into the ground, which pops up to surprise any unsuspecting enemies.

Mass Effect 3
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: BioWare

- 'Nuff said.

Other games I'm looking forward to:
Operation Flashpoint: Red River
Homefront
LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean
Pokemon Black and White
Spec Ops: The Line
Battlefield 3
Brink
Rage
Tekken 7
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Fancy Pants Adventures
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon
Mortal Kombat

Farewell 2010

2010-12-31T14:34:00.000-08:00

On December 31st 2009, I wrote a list of things I accomplished throughout the year and this is what I said at the end of the post:

"Thank you 2009 for giving me a great year with my family and friends. Each of these events gave me something of value, which will stay with me forever. I hope to continue to step out of my boundaries and meet new people in strange new places. I loved 2009 and I look forward to 2010!!"

And boy, have I met people in strange new places and also, went to places I've never been...

WonderCon:
My very first comic book convention, which also had a little bit of video games, art, sci-fi things, and a whole lot of geekery (note: geekery is totally a word, look it up in the Koolaye dictionary). Before WonderCon, I was ignorant to the whole 'con' thing and when my friend invited me to go with him, I said something to the fact of, "but it's comic books isn't it? yeah, comics + me = noooo." He took me anyway and I was (still am) grateful for that as it led to a sequence of events which has impacted my life greatly.

Little did I realize that this 'con' thing was more than just comics I didn't read or toys I didn't collect; there was something else that made me feel right at home. The people. Growing up, I didn't have anyone to talk to regarding my video game enthusiasm considering it was more of a taboo topic to talk about back then, especially for a girl, so I kept it to myself, but struggled to find something else as a hobby in order to fit in. And so, when I went to WonderCon, there were so many people who shared the same interests that it was both overwhelming and exhilarating at the same time.

It's like being the wooly mammoth in Ice Age where he thinks he's the only one of his kind and when he finds other wooly mammoths, he can't believe it, but he's ecstatic. Yeah, it was like that. Within that one day, I felt more comfortable there than roaming the halls of my high school simply because I felt I belonged. Touching moment, isn't it?

Throughout that day, I met some interesting people, such as Max Brooks, author to The Zombie Survival Guide--I got his signature!--Adam Baldwin, who I took a picture with, and Kevin Smith. Although, I didn't get to meet him I went to his panel and I almost pee'd myself from laughing so much. Below is a clip, and if you giggle, chuckle, or laugh just from this seven minute short clip, you can only imagine the mayhem that took place out of the two hours that he spoke.

Game Revolution:
Another person I met at WonderCon is an editor to the website, Game Revolution. He gave me his business card and asked for a writing sample. Since I am a spaz, I spent nearly a week playing Dante's Inferno for the Xbox 360 and another week writing up the review and practically editing it more than a handful of times. Fortunately for me, the staff liked it enough to have me sign a writer's agreement and right there and then I was officially a freelance writer.

Electronic Arts' Studio Showcase:
My first press event as a video game journalist! You can read the post I made about it here. Since then I have attended two more EA events and I also went to Aeria Games to preview Dynasty Warriors Online all by my lonesome self, but Tyler Nagata, a Senior PC editor from GamesRadar was there and it was fun talking to a fellow reviewer. The most trippy thing about the big press events, is that all of the review sites or publications I knew of (before being part of Game Revolution), such as Game Trailers, GamePro, IGN and even G4, were at these events and of course the developers, like Gears of War creator, Cliffy B. I literally stood 5 feet from him, trying to work up the nerve to ask for a picture, but between being shy and thinking it was lame, I backed out. And all I could think of was,Holy crap! This guy isn't on TV or on my Twitter being a wise-ass, but right in front of me! OMG.

The Gilroy Garlic Festival:
While others were at Comic-Con, I was stuffing my face at the garlic festival!! I have never been to the festival and ooooooh, did I eat a lot of garlic: fries, calamari, stuffed mushrooms, bread, and of course, ice cream! The ice cream was the most impressive, but everything was insanely tasty.

I craved garlic for a month after that, probably because I ate so much garlic at the festival that my body couldn't live without it. sigh.

(So YUMMY).

Being in the presence of the Dalai Lama:
Yes! The 14th Dalai Lama himself! who is a spiritual inspiration to millions of people.

He came to my school as part of a tour and spoke regarding his practices. It was also an initiation for those who desire to follow his teachings. Unfortunately, I couldn't hear anything as I was in the back of the event center, still though, it was a spectacle to see. Before he came onto the stage, people were busy chattering away and getting situated into their seats and once he was seen, it instantly fell silent. It was amazing considering it was sold out, meaning an estimate of 6,000 people were there and to silence a room of that magnitude was eery. Yes, for a second I almost thought the Dalai Lama was from another world, who had powers to silence people ...and I was breathing the same air he was! So naturally, I expect to have that same power one day.

(This picture unfortunately shows only half of the audience, so imagine seeing this amount of people on the right side of me, too.)

Dunnys!

These cute little bizarre things were introduced to me by an awesome friend. He took me to a Dunny trading party where these urban vinyl collectors brought their dunnys in to trade with others.If you don't know what they are, check out the website, which provides a perfect explanation: "A curved bunny with a smooth face, DUNNY is a blank canvas designed to be repainted and reinterpreted by artists from many different backgrounds."

To me, it was honestly geeky, which meant it was right up my alley. On a side note, the black one pictured above with a butterfly on its face is my favorite because on its back, it says...

'nuff said.

There are many other things that occurred throughout the year, which are worthy to be included, such as one of the largest sports store you can go to called Scheels in Reno, CA. (it even has a freaking Ferris wheel in the middle of the store!), or the Sex and the City slot machines (where I won $90!), or my family taking pictures of me playing Kinect's Dance Central, but I think this is enough to end the post with.

The main point is to say thank you 2010 for everything: I'm grateful to have my family in good health and to have met some awesome new friends, who have shown me so much. It's been a great year for me as a writer academically and being able to write for Game Revolution is preparing me for a world I'll soon be joining after I graduate in spring. Let's see what 2011 has to offer.

Tron Heels That Kill

2010-12-28T11:00:00.000-08:00

There are reasons why I prefer shoes over heels:
1. more casual.
2. be in them all day.
3. I can run away if someone is chasing me.

However, there are reasons to wear heels, too:
1. sexy.
2. empowering.
3. classy.

I wear heels on occasion, but I generally wear tennis shoes and mainly wear slippers (or flip-flops as some call them), even in the rain. When I first saw the heels inspired by the movie Tron...

I was awe-struck and wondered what kind of dress I would wear with them and where I would be going and... okay, I'll stop.

Bottom line: Every girl needs their own hooker heels and these are it! I think the Tron heels are unique and gorgeous. I may not be able to run away if someone is chasing me, but I will stop and stab them with the heel instead. They are made by designer, Jerome C. Rousseau (above) and is priced at $800.00-ish, which is something I cannot afford and is why it's on my wishlist.

Virtual vs. Reality. GO!

2010-12-27T10:24:00.000-08:00

Last week, a friend posted a link to Kotaku's post, "Call of Duty Is Nothing Like The Real Thing" regarding a short clip showing a soldier with his unit, who unexpectedly becomes under enemy fire. Once you start to watch it, you're glued due to the fact that you can clearly see it's a life threatening situation and it's something that is happening right now at this very moment. It's intense and we all know that reality can be intense, but in the virtual world, anything goes: you die and respawn, you get shot and heal in seconds thanks to a med pack, or it's game over, but the restart button is always there.

Here's the video from Kotaku's article:

Luke Plunkett, who wrote the article, explains that Call of Duty is nothing like actually being behind enemy lines. It's sad if CoD players fail to realize that, but I guess some of us have lived in basements as hermits and luckily, the world has Kotaku to come and save the day.

He says, "The camera's vantage point instant parallels can be drawn with first-person shooter games," and this is obvious. I immediately thought about CoD while watching it--I even compare CoD when I watch war movies--but one statement he wrote, which drew forth a "pfffft" from me was...

"It's surely time we got to play a game like this. Not for some sick thrill of living the life of a soldier, but as a means of education as entertainment. Put someone in the shoes of a real soldier facing real battles, where even small firefights are important, health packs can't save you and allies don't respawn just in time to save the day."

While I admit I have never been in the military and I have never been in a war (unless you count sibling arguments as a war), I do know that a real war is not a game and it can never be realistically portrayed into a virtual world because once explosions go off, what is a player's general reaction when playing a video game?

"Holy ****! Did you see that? That was way cool!"

We look at the special effects, the sound and the graphics, instead of thinking about our family, our friends, or wondering if that piece of projected shrapnel might just sever a critical vein which leads to instant death. That alarming feeling is impossible to imitate in FPS games no matter how many realistic weapons, equipment, lingo, or armor are incorporated into them. Virtual isn't and will never be reality... unless of course, you're Scott Pilgrim.

But hey, there is this:

The Online Gamer Series

2010-12-20T18:15:00.001-08:00

My friend told me to watch a couple of videos called The Online Gamer. It's a series involving a guy depicting the lifestyle of an online gamer, but he's a Call of Duty fanboy, so most of his lingo is CoD based, such as calling people who stays in the bathroom for long periods of time a "camper" or he'll talk a bunch of crap and get scared once someone threatens to literally fight him. It's a series I initially thought I wouldn't like, but now I'm fan and any gamer will relate. Careful though, it's not for the easily offended.

This series made by Reckless Tortuga is so popular that fans demanded for them to make another episode and they did. It released today.

But first, here is the previous episode to catch you up to speed (Trust me, it gets good at 30 seconds in):

And the next two episodes are the newest ones just posted yesterday on Reckless Tortuga:

so tell me, how much can you relate?? ^_^

Confessions of a FPS fanatic

2010-12-16T20:43:00.000-08:00

Part I:

A few years ago, I was never great, good, or even average at first-person shooter games. Maybe it was the fear that I would humiliate myself by doing something ditsy, even though I already do that now, or perhaps it was the intimidation of playing with veterans of the online gaming world.

Call of Duty 2 was my first game I tried on Xbox LIVE. I was first yelled at by some dude to turn my mic off as it was making some loud static noise. I felt the heat instantly rush to my cheeks. I knew he didn't know me and I knew he couldn't see me, but he was still talking to me. The match started and I almost smacked myself with my own hand as I covered my mouth because my jaw dropped. My character was dead within 10 seconds.

It wasn't long though, before FPS cupid struck me with an arrow, granted me magical FPS powers and told me to pick up a grenade launcher and shout, "say herro to my wittle fren!" I somehow went from an average of 2 kills and 20 deaths in the CoD2 days to this in Modern Warfare 2 (click to zoom in):

and then this in Medal of Honor...

And back to MW2...

Where I seem to stay...

until Black Ops came out...

However, my magical FPS powers did not begin with any of the above shooters mentioned. It started way before with Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas. I loved customizing my character, which included armor, attachments, equipment and of course weapons. I tried every type of customization option available, until I found a class that suited me. I also worked up the nerve to try different things on my own rather than bunching up with a team. Instead of killing, I focused on how not to die. Instead of imitating Rambo, I took cover. Instead of running out into the open, I flanked. I incorporated what I learned from RS:V toward other tactical shooters, which led to the end result of what is posted in the pics above.

IGN will torment me in my sleep

2010-12-13T09:45:00.000-08:00

My eyelids became heavy until my phone rang, which jolted me out of falling asleep. I reluctantly walk over to my desk, pick up my phone and notice it was a number with the area code 415. San Francisco? Could this be...? Nah. I put my phone down and paced around the room, hoping the phone would alert me that I had voicemail. It did.

For those few seconds, I was excited of the possibility! I imagined listening to the voicemail with specific words like, "Hello so and so, we have received your application and would like to schedule an interview at your earliest convenience..." or even better yet, "we have received your application and you're one of a kind! Please call at so and so and let us know when you can start work!"

I crouched over my desk as if I was Gollum protecting his precious ring. I was fully alert and aware in comparison to dozing off into la la land just moments before. I listened intently: there was a beep and a second of silence...

"Hello. This is Kasier Permanente regarding important health information..."

Damn you scam!!

Out of all the area codes, you had to use that one?

A couple of months ago, IGN's editor-in-chief Hilary Goldstein posted a job advertisement for an editorial position. I read it, thought it was cool, but didn't even think of applying due to my lack of experience. My friends encouraged me and I refused, yet they still persisted. I said okay, but because I'm stubborn, I still didn't apply.

Then a month or so later, I found that they were still accepting applications. I don't know what motivated me, but I turned in a cover letter, my resume, writing samples and posted a couple of links just yesterday. And it was yesterday that Goldstein posted this.

I read word for word as if it was applied directly to me even though I just sent my application in the same day, so it couldn't have possibly been reviewed yet. While I am confident with what I turned in, I believe it isn't enough based on what I read in his post. Then again, I turned in my application knowing very well that other people have way better qualifications than me.

So what made me apply? I think it's the possibility of what if and imagining what could be: something new, something fun, something meaningful and the list goes on. What if is always a nice thought and I'm sure that thought will carry into my sleep. I'll either dream of getting the job or be rudely awaken by an imaginary scam phone call.

Grenade Necklace

2010-12-10T23:10:00.000-08:00

I present to you a grenade necklace by Triple Aught Design:

"This necklace features a detailed vintage pineapple grenade charm, the first modern fragmentation grenade, which was used by American front-line troops during WWII."

Isn't it pretty? I would gladly wear it to represent American troops as well as representing my love for fragging people on Xbox Live. Pricey though at $169.00.

p.s. I would get more excited over this than seeing a diamond ring.

I sense change is a comin!

2010-12-09T18:04:00.000-08:00

Well, maybe just a little. I want to organize this blog better and of course, be more active. This blog has been with me a long time and it has been a symbol of procrastination more often than not. I do have a legitimate excuse though, as to why I haven't written in the last few months...

Feedback I have given to my classmates on their 52 stories: 16,213 words
My essays, stories, short assignments: 19, 652 words
Reviews and previews done for Game Revolution (from Sept to Dec): 7,034 words

Total: 42,899 words.

Basically, I wrote a scattered novel. I don't think I have ever written over 10,000 words in previous semesters, so I'm in awe. I'm sure my computer and printer hates me.

At least this is good practice for NaNoWriMo if I decide to do that next year. I already have a story in mind! Anyway, that's my excuse for neglecting my blog. I have been writing every day, just not here. What is your excuse?

N7 Armour Stripe Jacket!

2010-10-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

So since I'm sitting here in my class waiting for it to start, I thought I'd quickly make an update--something which I haven't been doing due to being too ~~lazy~~ busy with school and life (my birthday was recently, yay!). This update involves this which I found via Jessica Chobot.

Cute, right? I want!

Black Ops Impressions

2010-09-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

Damn, I wanted to write one more post for the month of August, but since school has started along with my computer quitting on me, the last week of August was a bad time to blog. Either way I'm here now with a new post... and over a hundred pages to read and a couple of papers to write for homework. Sigh. But it's time for some Black Ops goodness!

First (and third) person shooters will never be a simple ordinary battle. It will never be just selecting one class and playing against opponents who have the same class too. Shooters will forever be required to introduce something that gamers have never seen before. While I thought that Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare has set the standard for all shooters, Treyarch's Black Ops definitely has impressive new features to match that standard, if not surpass it.

Combat Training:
This is a first for the CoD series. I truly appreciate developers who consider the skill of every gamer out there. In Black Ops, gamers can experience multiplayer without having to go online in a mode called Combat Training. This will break the ice for the intimidated or shy gamers. They can learn all the features of multiplayer: maps, weapons, killstreaks, etc. without being pressured or being killed repeatedly every three seconds online. If you don't want to play against the bots yourself, you can also invite a friend and play cooperatively. Online multiplayer veterans will also find this feature useful as they too, can practice the maps and get a feel for the variety of weapons. I think this mode is a great addition and I can't wait to try it out.

Theater Mode:

All I can say is it's about time! Ever since I played Halo 3, I thought the theater mode was fantastic especially since you can upload your videos and screenshots to bungie.net as well as share them with your friends online. Burnout Revenge even had a theater mode, so you would think that Call of Duty--being one of the biggest shooters in the franchise--would have a theater mode, right?? I can't wait to play this game just for this feature itself and share clips with my friends of me kicking their booty online. ;)

Currency (aka CoD points) and Contract system:
I have mixed feelings about this feature, but then again I don't have enough information on it to really give an honest impression. From what I understand though, players will be able to use the currency they earned to purchase weapons, perks and customization options for your character after they have been unlocked. So for instance, not everyone will have that same weapon when you reach the same rank. I can be going against ranks who are below me, but they might have better weapons and perks than me. Furthermore, players who like certain guns, such as assault rifles can save their CoD points and use it toward purchasing assault rifles instead of being stuck with different weapons when reaching a certain rank like in previous CoD titles. Sounds interesting and I think this will give more unpredictable moments throughout online gameplay.

On the contrary, I'm unaware of how the currency is earned or spread out. I know you receive currency through kills and wins, but what about the players who don't have enough skill to earn currency? Also, is it similar to XP where you get more points for revenge kills or long distance shots? And for games, will you get more currency in Search and Destroy than other game modes? Someone, anyone answer my questions!

For the contract system, also known as "challenges" in Modern Warfare, you'll be able to buy them and if completed within a certain time, you'll gain more currency. As you may know from MW, there are challenges you would complete using different weapons. In Black Ops, you can buy a contract that is suited to your play style. For example, I'm generally an assault rifle player and I would want to buy a contract with challenges listed for an assault rifle where I can easily complete the contract and earn money for it. Sounds simple enough and I personally don't aim for all the challenges anyway in MW2 for different weapons, so this will definitely narrow down the challenges that I feel I can complete.

Killstreaks:

While the nuke was fun in MW2, it was also irritating as there wasn't any way to defend yourself from it, which is actually pretty damn realistic, but still, at least drop me a basement of some sort that's a 100 feet underground to protect myself from the nuclear blast. Perhaps that'll be in MW3?? Heh. Fortunately, Black Ops didn't follow MW2 and there isn't a nuke involved, at least as far as I know. Here's the list of killstreak rewards:

-Spy Plane / 3
-RC-XD / 3
-Counter-Spy Plane / 4
-Sam Turret / 4
-Care Package / 5
-Napalm Stike / 5
-Sentry Gun / 6
-Mortar Team / 6
-Attack Helicopter / 7
-Valkyrie Rockets / 7
-Blackbird / 8
-Rolling Thunder / 8
-Chopper Gunner / 9
-Attack Dogs / 11
-Gunship / 11
Source

According to Off Topic, the killstreak rewards you earn will not count toward your next reward. Rather, you'll have to earn all your rewards through your weapons. So using MW2 as an example: say I earned a predator missle and I got two kills. These two kills would not count towards a harrier; instead, I have to earn the harrier by killing opponents with my weapon. If this feature is true, I absolutely love it! It will present more of a challenge to players and perhaps lessen the amount of killstreak rewards called in one after another in a match.

Player Customization:
Again, it's about time! For some odd reason, I'm totally excited about being able to choose your own reticle. Yes, I know I'm weird, but it's the little stuff that counts. You can have something simple, such as a dot, a circle, or lines with a dot, or you can have something more dramatic, like bones, a star, a ying yang reticle, or even a heart. I think I'll be using a smiley face though because that's how I roll. Another big part of player customization are the personalized emblems, which will allow for your creativity to come out in full force. This should be fun and I look forward to seeing what these shooter junkies come up with.

In conclusion, I'm really ecstatic about theater mode, but iffy on the currency system. As long as these new features run smoothly and are not too complex then I think Black Ops will be the next best shooter to hit the market. Also, if any information here is incorrect then please by all means, let me know! If you somehow missed the videos that have been posted about Black Ops' multiplayer then here you go:

Below is a video explaining how a Wager match works, a new modes in Black Ops:

Secondly, here is a seven minute video from Inside Xbox giving you more details about multiplayer:

Other sources:
CoD:Black Ops' Multiplayer Hands-On Preview
MP Guide to Unlocks: weapons, Perks, Killstreaks, and More
Inside Xbox

GRRRR

2010-08-22T18:15:00.000-07:00

So I finally played the video game, Dead Space and I'm ashamed. When I previewed Dead Space 2, I wrote that the main character shows his face for the first time and I even boasted about how I know information pertaining to the video games I don't play. Well, I was wrong. Instead of feeling so embarrassed about it, I figured I would own up to my mistake and vent my frustration.

In a previous post, I explained that I have read articles and watched interviews about Dead Space 2, which is where I got my information from. Apparently, I must have heard wrong: It's not the first time the protagonist shows his face, he just shows it more often in the sequel than the first. At the end of the first Dead Space, Isaac takes off his helmet and I was in shock. I said, "wait a minute, that's not supposed to happen!" But there he was with his face clear as could be. Son of a... is what I was thinking and instead of being happy that I finished a scary video game all on my own, I was upset I relayed the wrong information to the public.

Luckily, I'm just starting out in the industry, so I'm not well-known, which means I don't attract very many readers. But the downside to it though is that nobody (ones who played the game) bothered to correct me either. Perhaps the game was too old and most have forgotten about Isaac showing his face at the end. However, that aspect is pretty damn obvious and it's not something that is easily forgotten. --Or people simply just didn't care that I got the information wrong. Either way, it's a lesson learned and I'm glad I experienced it now than later.

I'm Just Passionate

2010-08-19T21:17:00.000-07:00

So I was going through my drafts that I had saved and I noticed this one, which was written almost a year ago--8/16/09 to be exact! See, I was still comin up with idea-ers for this blog, but I just didn't know how to incorporate them. Even this particular post, I don't recall why exactly I wrote it except that I wanted to remember the connection between my dad's passion for being loud and my passion for video games, only because I thought it was funny and I hope he gets a kick out of this post too. Anyway, here it is:

As a child, my dad always yelled. Not at me specifically, but he was just loud. I would say, "Dad, tone it down, I'm only five feet away from you, geez." It was similar to experiencing the side effects of a hangover. His response would be, "I'm not loud, I'm just passionate."

He has always been the sarcastic-humorous type, who consistently made me laugh unless he really did have to yell at me for not initiating or completing a chore and well, his passion must run in the genes. I'm pretty laid back when it comes to most things. If you're an acquaintance or stranger, I won't be outspoken with you unless you want my honest advice or opinion. So if you're wearing something completely hideous, I'll keep my thoughts to myself unless you ask, "does this make me look funny?" then you'll get a genuine answer, otherwise I remain quiet out of respect.

There is one thing though, that I speak openly about, which is anything on video games, especially to people I'm close with. My friend, Bill thought that Rainbow Six: Vegas had four players on split-screen co-op. I simply answered, "No, it's only two." And then it happened:

"well it says up to four players on the back of the box..."
I interrupted, "that's for online co-op only through Xbox LIVE."

He didn't believe me.

"Are you sure?"
"Dude! I've been playing the game for over a year and you just got it, what do you think?!"

If it's one thing I don't like, it's people who argue with me on a subject I have experience in. And if the subject is on video games, I will argue, discuss, and voice my opinion on anything regardless if someone asks for it or not.

After the conversation was over, Bill asked why I seemed mad. I told him, "I'm not mad, I'm just passionate."

Do you have a passion for something? If so, ever gotten mad at people for doubting you?

I am the PRESS!!

2010-08-17T09:24:00.000-07:00

My experience at the Electronic Arts Studio Showcase '10:

So if it's one thing about being the press, it's that you learn a great deal about the stuff you're assigned to cover. I thought I knew quite a bit, but the gaming industry is huge. When video game announcements are released they are a big deal, just like when we first heard about Kinect and how incompetent Microsoft is with spelling or when a video game will feature four player co-op. For non-gamers, a "big deal" is equivalent to when you hear the possibility of a Verizon iPhone coming out next year ~~or Lindsay Lohan going to jail~~ or getting a tattoo on your butt--Now that's a big deal!

I play video games for fun: I laugh, yell, relax and all is good in my world. Little did I know how much power there is behind that gaming disc I insert into my 360 each time. A lot of people have put forth so much energy and effort to develop a game they hope gamers will appreciate and love.

I met some of these developers at Electronic Arts (EA), which is a giant gaming company--so giant that they even have their own water bottle!!--whose history goes way back: they have marketed, distributed, developed and published a variety of games, such as Mass Effect, Rock Band, Dead Space, Burnout and my favorite, the SSX series. Of course, they are better recognized for their sports games like FIFA, NHL, and Madden. Who can forget this catchy phrase, "EA Sports. It's in the game!"

So with this knowledge and the thought of being able to meet the talented and creative brains behind these video games, gave me the feeling of being a wee bit overwhelmed. I arrived to the EA campus (it really is a campus) around noon to register and eat--like I was gonna eat anything, being the nervous person that I was. Once I saw the food though, I was in love: salmon, chicken, shrimp, soup, salad, breads, cookies!! which they had my favorite... snickerdoodles!! I couldn't help but not eat.

After I stuffed my face and met up with the Game Revolution (GR) crew, we were directed to EA's auditorium for game announcements and presentations. You can watch the one hour presentation >> here <<. Next up was the show floor, where I was assigned to cover Dead Space Ignition, Dead Space 2, and Medal of Honor all by myself. When I first heard this, I gave Blake (GR's assistant editor) a blank stare thinking, by myself? You're really going to let me go on my own? What happens if I 'eff up on something?!

But he didn't think so. I realized I couldn't possibly mess up on anything because it's video games! This is my territory! But wait, this was Electronic Arts. This was a building full of developers that most gamers I know would give anything for a chance to meet. And here I was!--Sitting, talking, and gaming with EA developers.

At first, I asked Blake if I could follow him and cameraman Bill around just to see how they work it and then go off on my own. Unfortunately, they had their own work to do and couldn't babysit me the whole time, so the other assistant editor, Nick gave me the tour and some insight on what to do, which I was grateful for. When I saw the chairs and flat screens set up for Medal of Honor, I instantly turned giddy. Anything that is a shooter is my turf!! Yet, I was still shy to go over and sit by myself, which I knew that pretty soon I had to just somehow grow a pair and get over it.

Eventually it was Blake, who gave me a couple of nudges which then quickly turned into pushing that forced me to go right over and grab an empty seat to play Medal of Honor.

Within the first minute of playing the multiplayer online, I died several times. I felt a ton of eyes were on me, but I didn't bother to look as that would have made me more nervous. The nerves died down once I got more involved with the game: unlocking weapons, throwing grenades, flanking, and shanking were all too familiar with me from previous shooters. By that time, I wasn't at Electronic Arts or in a room filled with people, who were possibly watching my every move; instead, I was in my own realm of shooter heaven. I was there close to an hour, exploring each class, weapon, score chain rewards and overall feel of the maps until I felt comfortable enough to write a preview on it.

Next, I had to preview Dead Space 2 and Dead Space Ignition where there was a testosterone filled pack crowding the area, so I wasn't too amped up to go on over, but luckily, Blake and Bill came over to push me along (again). During the Dead Space 2 demo, Blake asked me if it was the protagonist's first time showing his face. Even though I did not play the first game, I told him yes it was.

After the demo, Blake wondered if I wanted to interview the producer. My eyes grew big in surprise. Being a newbie within the GR crew, I felt I would never be asked to interview a developer or anyone else who worked in the industry. I declined and told Blake I never played the original and I have no idea what to ask the producer! Of course, that was just my nerves talking. Blake sensed my uneasiness and told me no worries and that there will be a next time.

I'm thankful I passed the offer because I was able to watch Blake do the interview. He joked with the producer and even got him to use some swear words. I thought, wow, I couldn't pull off an interview like that. One thing though that made me feel good was that Blake asked the producer, "...so Isaac shows his face for the first time, what's up with that?" I was like holy crap! Blake just asked me that while I played the demo. He trusted me enough to ask the producer on camera about something that pertained to a game I never played.

It made me feel good as if I accomplished something or to that effect. I have friends that ask me about information on gaming quite often, yet I have been doubted by strangers. Blake hardly knows me, but he didn't doubt me when it came to a video game, which was comforting. I may not have played Dead Space, but I do know about it from watching and reading interviews and articles. Even if I don't get a chance to play every single video game out there, I try my best to keep up with current news simply because of my passion for them.

If you want to check out more of what was on the show floor, watch the clip below featured from Giant Bomb.

So I survived my first press event. I may have had my hand held majority of the time, but now I know what to prepare for next time. There were quite a few games there that I didn't even get to play because I was too worried about what I had to cover. The games there included ones like Crysis 2, Madden 11, Rock Band 3, and an upcoming arcade game called Shank, where I even came home with a souvenir created by Shank's lead artist, Jeff Agala:

The event ended with dinner, which EA was nice enough to give us some really good food throughout the day! I even joked with a friend, who asked how the event went and what games were there... I said, "man, forget the games! It was all about the food!!" Overall though, it was a great experience: small enough, so I wouldn't be completely overwhelmed, yet big enough to get an understanding of what I'm in for.

OMFG!!!!

2010-08-09T20:27:00.000-07:00

'Nuff said.

Being a writer so far...

2010-08-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

... is quite interesting. I never thought I would be in this position especially when my most hated subjects were English and Math in high school--yet Math is still very much hated, unless I'm counting lots and lots of money that I've earned or won from the Lotto.

My strengths in English were spelling, organization, and grammar, and even then it wasn't that strong. My weaknesses were everything else. In between high school and the first couple years of college, I lost any sort of writing skill I had. I remember doing an "on the spot essay" for one of my general education English classes, since the professor wanted to see where our writing skill level was at. It took me at least 10 mins to even begin an introductory paragraph, which I felt ashamed of. But I thought, "oh well, it's not like I'll be making this my career." Heh.

Even though I have written only several reviews and previews, writing for Game Revolution has helped me greatly by giving me the motivation to actually take hold of this writing thing and see what I can do with it. Writing about something I love is easy, but writing with certain words to convey a specific tone is tough.

When I first met the GR crew, I remember the boss man telling me that some of my words will be changed and I'm not going to like it. I was like oooh no, I'll appreciate it!... yay!! They'll just turn my convoluted sentences into something better!!

But once I read a review I wrote and noticed the changes, I was actually pissed. I felt that they didn't just omit words or add them, but changed the tone of the review completely. I ranted about it throughout that day to whoever would listen. One friend told me, "Congrats! You are now officially a writer!" I rolled my eyes, but then it hit me--Wait, I am a writer?

Later on, I turned in another review, where they also had done some editing. This time though, I was grateful for those changes because it made the review flow and sound better. I never once had these feelings toward any of the criticisms I received from teachers/professors in the past. Perhaps the reason being is that this is something I care about. I care about video games and I care what I'm writing about them. It's understandable that this is all trial and error, and that my writing may suck, but years from now anything can happen.

First Impressions:
Modern Warfare 3: Spec Ops Survival Mode
Gears of War 3: Horde 2.0

Reviews:
Call of Juarez: The Cartel
Call of Duty Black Ops Annihilation Map Pack
LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean
Call of Duty: Escalation Map Pack
Rango
Mario Sports Mix
EyePet
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Apache Air Assault
Plants vs. Zombies
Medal of Honor
LOTR: Aragorn's Quest
Picross 3D
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
Singularity

Previews:
Battlefield 3
Modern Warfare 3
Shadows of the Damned
Dead Space Ignition
Medal of Honor
Dead Space 2

Congrats to the Fall 2010 Cadettes

2010-08-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

A huge congratulations to the new peeps who were accepted into the Frag Dolls' Cadette Academy. One chosen applicant in particular is someone who I just found on Twitter, which led me to her blog. She is a head strong person with ambitious goals and I personally think she'll be a great role model. Her name is Ali Baker and you can see her video interview along with the other Cadettes here.

I've known about the Cadette program ever since it was created and I have honestly thought about applying, but my lack of experience in the gaming industry has prevented me from doing so. That is slowly changing and perhaps one day I will apply. Either way, it's great to see that there are gamers out there like me who share similar perspectives as well as having such a huge passion for video games.

If you're unfamiliar with the Cadette Academy, click this link to learn more about it.