Update...and a few deals

I apologize for the lack of posts lately. I've been so busy with work that the blog hasn't even crossed my mind. Maybe it's because I'm getting my video game fix at work now? By the way, have I told you that I love my job? Whatever it is, I'm going to try and make a conscious effort to keep up with posting. We'll see how it goes.

Anyway, I wanted to share a couple of great video game deals I've seen recently.

• Fallout: New Vegas Collector's Edition (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) $29.99 from GameStop

Amazing game at a crazy low price. I can't really remember seeing a deal like this at GameStop. Ever. Definitely suggest you all pick up this one. I got mine a few weeks back.

• Portal 2 (PS3) $34.99 (PC) 29.99 from Amazon
• Portal 2 (360) $39.99 from Best Buy

Another great deal on an innovative puzzler/shooter. If you haven't played Portal, wait, who am I kidding, everyone has played Portal, right? I haven't grabbed this sequel yet, but it's on my list.

• Mortal Kombat (Xbox 360, PS3) $39.99 from Amazon

Yes, they're still making Mortal Kombat games. Anyone filled with nostalgia?

Not sure how long these bargains are running, so jump on them soon!

Hooray!

It's happened! After years of searching, hoping and praying, my life-long dream of working in the video game industry has come to fruition. As of last Thursday, I am officially now an employee of Bethesda Softworks. I'll be working in Quality Assurance and couldn't be more excited. Tomorrow is my first day, and I can't wait to start.

I seriously couldn't have imagined this in my wildest dreams. I kind of equate it to becoming a professional athlete, you know, on that sort of level. I am so blessed and appreciate all of the support from friends and family members.

Check out this video. It gives a brief tour of where I'll be working. Pretty cool, huh?

PAX East recap - Part II

Major Nelson, me, lollip0p, e, Stepto

So, in addition to all the games and goods at PAX East, I was able to take in some panels and meet some well-known industry professionals too.

Sacrifice. It's all about sacrifice. There were numerous amounts of panels throughout each of the three days. This being my first time at PAX, I was somewhat overwhelmed with the amount of topics that were lined up. I found myself in plenty of dilemmas, trying to decide which speakers, podcast, Q&A I wanted to see. Let me tell you, with such a vested interest in video games, it was painstakingly tough.

I was, however, with relative ease, able to line up a few that I just couldn't miss. These were informative topics that were basically focused on how to jump start a career in the video game industry. Each panel was comprised of folks already working in the industry, and I was able to learn a bunch just by listening to what each had to say. Never stalk a company because you want to work there -- it understandably creeps people out. On the plus side, in-person networking is a great way to introduce yourself and try to get your foot in the door (one reason why I decided to go to PAX East).

While learning how to break into the industry was a top priority, I also wanted to check out the 'fun' panels. And I thought the lines for the career panels were long. For these more entertaining topics, people lined up almost two hours early. With limited space, if you wanted to see one of these you had to follow suit and line up to ensure you'd get in. Luckily I was able to conquer the lines and got to attend some cool events. I have to say, many of the live podcasts were awesome. I went to the Joystiq Xbox fancast, IGN podcast, and my favorite, the Major Nelson podcast. Larry Hryb, aka Major Nelson, is pretty much the face of Xbox. He's the Xbox Live Director of Programming and does a lot of press for Microsoft. After his show I got to meet him and the three other co-hosts of the podcast; e, lollip0p and Stepto...awesome time and again, very cool people (check out the photo at top).

Each podcast was unique and quite comical. The Q&A sessions that were opened up to audience members were probably the highlight of each one. Not only were prizes given away at each podcast, but there were some pretty ridiculous questions asked and equally as interesting answers.

I also attended the Joystiq breakfast and was able to meet Justin McElroy, the Reviews Editor for Joystiq. If you remember, he's the one who hooked me up with all that swag when I won that contest back in December. Surprisingly, as soon as I mentioned Splatterhouse he knew who I was. Anyway, he's a cool guy, and I'm definitely glad I got to meet him.

Justin McElroy and I

The most memorable panel I went to was entitled, When I Grow Up: It's Never Too Late to Try Something Crazy. It was here I got to preview a documentary about Sean Baptiste, a well-known Community Manager with Harmonix, who found out...well, here's the preview we were given for the show:

Two years ago, Sean Baptiste was at the top of his game. A wunderkind in social marketing in the game industry, he traveled the country meeting fans and celebrities- promoting games he loved.But an inoperable brain tumor and a series of surguries led to long ICU stays over several months. He came home and discovered that he had major memory problems-at times even forgetting his own name. Struggling with simple tasks most take for granted, Sean decided to do the scariest thing he could think of: stand-up comedy.

I got to hear Sean's amazing journey and how much he's overcome. His outlook on life is inspirational to say the least. It was very touching to hear how he's impacted others who've had to deal with severe medical issues, and how he continues to push through obstacles in his life. The actual documentary we got to watch about how he became a stand-up comedian was hilarious. Although an amateur, he's actually quite funny. I laughed a lot. Definitely a cool story and an ever cooler person. If you want to check out some clips from the show go here.

Overall, both the stuff, games, swag and the people/panels were enough for me to line up plans for next year's PAX. It was a great time. Not only did I take a lot away literally, but I got educated and learned some techniques on how to land a job in this great industry...exactly what I was looking for.

If you missed Part I of my PAX recap you can see it here.

PAX East recap - Part I

 

I've decided to break my PAX post into two segments. There was so much to see and do that trying to fit it into one post would be insane. In this first part I'll be focusing on the stuff - showroom, games, swag. For the next post I'll talk about the people and panels.

Amazingly enough, I was able to accumulate a ton. I scored a bunch of shirts, game-related pins and buttons, posters, beta codes, and some exclusive in-game items. Aside from the goods, what's so cool about PAX is how it's geared towards the fans. There were games galore on the showroom floor, most of which are being released later this year.

The only downfall...the lines. When it came to the waiting times to play games, it felt more like getting your license renewed at the DMV rather than a game expo. It seemed that every other attendee had the same thought that I did about getting the chance to play games that haven't been released yet and because of this, the wait for some games, Gears of War 3, L.A. Noire, and Portal 2 just to name a few, stretched out as far as three hours. I guess that's the price you pay for the opportunity to check out the games before anyone else.

Despite this complaint, I was able to try out some cool games like Red Faction Armageddon, FEAR 3, and BRINK. Playing BRINK was by far the highlight of the trip. Maybe it was because I played the game at a cruise terminal or maybe it was because the first 200 people got to play the game with the developers. See, publisher Bethesda Softworks and developer Splash Damage decided to throw a special event in honor of their game. The event was held on the waterfront at the Boston cruise terminal and gave gamers the opportunity to try out the game and play it with some of the development team. Genius idea. In order to ensure I would be one of the first 200, I decided to show up about three hours early. Crazy, yes, but I wasn't going to miss it. My extreme punctuality payed off, as I was first in line. Not only did I get a shot at being the first to play the game, but I was able to meet the Lead Writer at Splash Damage, Edward Stern. Totally worth it.

While I didn't get to play all of the games I wanted to, I was still able to try out a few and at least watch gameplay of others. The BRINK event more than made up for anything that I missed. After attending PAX, I'm pleased to let you all know that based on the different games I saw, we, as gamers, should be excited for what's coming in the near future.

Stay turned for Part II of my PAX recap, where I'll let you in on the different people I met and what they had to say.

 

  

PAX East bound

Bags are packed. Tickets in hand. I'm headed off to Boston for PAX East early tomorrow morning. I've ironed out the schedule for what panels and events I want to see and can't wait for the gaming festival to begin. There's lots of free swag to be had, and I'm hoping to score some. Check back in the coming weeks cause I'll have plenty more to share once I get back.

For real, it's real

Bask in the soft glow of this neon sign. I know I am. 

I remember first hearing about this promotional item when Fallout: New Vegas was released back in October. The folks over at Bethesda Blog auctioned one off for charity a while ago, and I remember seeing one on display at my local Best Buy. As soon as I discovered this gem for sale on eBay I had to snag it.

Fallout: New Vegas, what's that? Post-apocalyptic and Las Vegas...enough said. If you haven't checked the game out yet, you should. Then you can delight in your own virtual Fallout sign.

Happy Birthday to me

Like I said in my last post, my wife and I celebrated my November birthday last Saturday when we attended Video Games Live. First things first, the concert was awesome. Other than a little kid constantly tapping the back of my chair with his foot, it was a memorable experience. I would most definitely go back again.

Before the show kicked off, we got our photo snapped with Mario and Sonic. Both were overly excited to meet us, as clearly shown by their expressions in the picture. Following the photo shoot, we made it to our seats just in time for the opening of the program, an assortment of music from old school games including Punch-Out, Duck Hunt, Gauntlet and Donkey Kong. Intermittently throughout the show, the host and creator Tommy Tallarico would get the crowd involved through various games. He invited one audience member to come up on stage and play Space Invaders and another to play Guitar Hero. The orchestra and choir were involved in both contests, playing and singing in sync with the actual game.

The highlight of the evening, however, was a segment that featured Martin Leung, the blindfolded pianist. Leung is a youtube sensation known for his blindfolded piano version of the Super Mario Bros. theme song. The video has over 3 million views and his live performance didn't disappoint. I'm still baffled at how good this guy really is.

Generally, music is overshadowed in games by graphics and storyline. It's not common to hear, "man, that soundtrack was sick." Having the opportunity to hear these video game songs live absolutely gave me an appreciation of a forgotten aspect of video games. Next time you're playing a game, take time out to absorb the tunes and delight in the music.

 

Preview: Video Games Live

My birthday is in November. Tomorrow, February 26th, I will be celebrating my birthday. My long-awaited gift is finally here. Mollie and I will be headed to Video Games Live at the Strathmore Music Center in Bethesda. She got us tickets back in November to see this event, and I can't wait.

Video Games Live is an orchestra and choir concert featuring video game music spanning from old retro classic games to now popular next-gen games. I guess it's sort of a medley of the evolution of video game music.

I'll be back with another post to let you guys know how it went.  Meanwhile, I'll be humming the Tetris theme song in anticipation of the show.

Get the most out of your games

In the past when I've finished a game I usually put it back on the shelf just to forget about it. Before I know it, I have accumulated a collection that rivals a video game store.

Now, instead of letting the stockpile sit there and collect dust, I take a proactive approach...I sell them! I've made large portions of my purchase price back by selling my old games on eBay or Craigslist. To get the most bang for you buck, however, it's all about timing and to make the most gain from your games you must unload them at the right time. 

This is especially true for sports games because new games are released each year. A sports game from 10 years ago isn't going to make a killing now. Because athletic seasons are so long you've got a nice window to get rid of your games. In addition, if there's a big sporting event coming up and you have a game in that particular sport, try to list it. Dropping Madden right before the Super Bowl is a good move.

If you buy a game and complete it in a relatively short time and know you won't pick it up again for a while or even at all, in order make the most profit and get the most value, you want to sell it as soon as possible. Like I said, it's all about timing. The closer to the release date of the game that you sell, the more potential monetary earnings there are to be made.

Finally, do your research. Look to see how much your game is going for. You want to make the price comparable to what's out on the market. Why would a buyer choose your game if it's $10, $20 more than what's available already? Offer certain perks that would make the consumer purchase your game like free shipping or include any extras that came with the game itself.

I'm no marketing or economic buff, but this model for selling games has been working for me. If you need to make a few bucks try it out and watch the cash flow in.

Review: Stacking

A matryoshka doll, also known as a Russian nested doll or a babushka doll, is a set of dolls of decreasing sizes placed one inside the other.

-Wikipedia

After reading that definition you're ready to play video games, right? Me too.

Double Fine Productions manages to center Stacking around the most obscure but genius idea in recent memory. Pairing great visuals with simple gameplay, the game places you in a world of animated Russian nesting dolls with the central story focusing on a family of chimney sweeps. Yep, chimney sweeps. You play as the smallest doll in the family, Charlie Blackmore, and are pitted with the task of saving your loved ones from an evil industrialist known as The Baron, who's captured and forced them to work for him.

In this third-person puzzle/adventure game you are able to stack inside and unstack out of dolls. The only catch is that in order to stack into the body another doll, the doll must be one size larger than you are. Each doll has a different special ability that you must utilize to solve puzzles throughout the game. For example, early on you must stack into a doll with a key on his head to open a gate. And later, into a bird that flies so as to gain access to an open window. Finding solutions to these various challenges gets you closer to reuniting your family.

Complementing the main adventure are several added elements that add to the lasting appeal of the game. In addition to multiple solutions to each puzzle, I found myself searching for unique dolls to unlock and actually spent quite an absorbent amount of time attempting the many side quests.

Stacking goes for a cool $14.99 and is well worth it. Playing a game with the focal point based on such an uncommon idea was refreshing. I believe it's this outside-the-box concept that makes the game so appealing.

Video game artwork

About a year ago, my wife and I ventured to National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland.  After checking out the restaurants and shops, we stumbled upon Art Whino, a DC-based art gallery.  From the outside it didn't look like much, but upon entering we were visually treated to some really nice pieces.  As we were leaving my eye caught the gem above entitled NEStalgia.  It's a compilation of various Nintendo video game characters as uniquely interpreted by the artist.  Not only were some of my favorite video game personalities plastered up on a canvas, but I appreciated the non-typical look of each of them.  See Mario, Donkey Kong, etc.

I'm somewhat indecisive with certain things.  If you know me you can probably attest to that. We were staying for the weekend, so I had a couple of days to ponder whether to purchase this artwork or not.  The fact that I could wait to decide didn't help.  Actually, it probably made it worse.  Investing in art can be expensive, and I was perplexed.  The day we were slated to head home (and with a little convincing from my wife) I decided it would be worth it and bought the painting.

Almost a year later, and I've finally gotten around to hanging it up.  Maybe it was laziness or just plain forgetting about it, but now that it's on display I'm really pleased with how it looks.

Listen up

Compared to typical stereo audio, gaming with surround sound makes for an entirely different experience. When that surround sound is literally pressed up against your head, it's euphoric. For Christmas I got a Turtle Beach Earforce DX 11 headset. It's a mouthful, I know, but it offers full Dolby digital surround sound. Hopefully having this noise constantly encompassing my ears won't have any long-term effects. I'm too young to be hard of hearing.

One month in, I'm very impressed with these bad boys. I have no idea how they pack the headset with so much audio goodness, but I'm not complaining. There's been numerous occasions while gaming where I've felt marginally bad for a second for using these. I can hear EVERYTHING. For instance, footsteps behind me, the direction of gunfire, every sound effect in the game. It's as if I'm somehow cheating. All right, honestly, I don't feel bad at all. It's more of a I'm-better-than-you feeling, and it's all thanks to this headset.

The DX 11's have really changed my gaming sessions for the better. Everyone needs a quality headset, so quit using that flimsy thing you got with your console and get yourself a real device. You can thank me later.

Headed to PAX East

Tickets are booked. Even though it's over a month until this thing actually takes place, I figured I'd let you share in my splendor. This will be my first game expo, and I'll be fervently waiting for March.

An old college buddy and I are traveling to Massachusetts for the semi-annual Penny Acrade Expo (PAX) held at the Boston Convention and Exposition Center. It's going to be a three day festival, March 11th-13th, where we'll take part in a keynote speech, concerts, game industry panels, exhibitor booths, parties, and game tournaments. An all inclusive weekend for all things gaming.

Mark your calendars. I'll make sure to grab some photos and let you in on what happens.

Bulletstorm impressions

I've been waiting to try out Bulletstorm since I first heard about it back in the spring.  As soon as the demo was available, you better believe it was in my queue.  Come on, anything with a tagline of "kill with skill" demands a look.

Developed by People Can Fly and Epic Games, this first-person shooter is unique to say the least. With a multitude of over-the-top weaponry, you must dispose of enemies using a skillshot system.  Basically, as shown in the video, the more absurd, bizarre and somewhat comical way you can take out these foes, the more points you rack up.

I have to say, this game is extremely fun.  Instead of the typical mindset of how can I beat this level, I found myself trying to maximize my score by kicking, sliding, shooting and doing whatever I could to score more points. While the demo gives us just a brief glimpse of the game, I loved every minute of it.

The demo is now available for download on Xbox Live and Playstation Network, so definitely give it a try. 

Thanks, Joystiq

Okay, so here's the deal.  Back in December, right before Christmas, I entered a contest at Joystiq entitled: 12 Days of Joyswag.  For those of you who don't know, Joystiq is a very successful video gaming blog with tons of readers. So, with countless readers and free items you can imagine my thought process.

Free items + many people who want free items = chances of winning not so good

With no expectations I quickly stroked the keyboard with my entry in the form of a comment to the post...two days later Christmas came early for me.

Much to my delight (seriously, ask my wife. I kind of acted like this kid) I was informed that I had won the Splatterhouse, Terror Mask statue, and weird collapsible speakers giveaway.  Me! Out of 704 people I was randomly chosen!

All right.  Great job.  You won.  Well, here's where the story gets even more interesting.  I got an email from Justin McElroy, who's the reviews editor at Joystiq.  Long story short, there was a mistake made in the post about what system the game was on. I was supposed to receive an Xbox 360 copy of the game but all they had was the Playstation 3 version.  So to make up for the error he ended up sweetening the deal.

Here's what I was supposed to receive:

-Splatterhouse for Xbox 360

-Terror mask statue

-Two speakers

Here's what I actually received:

-Two copies of Splatterhouse for Playstation 3

-Tom Clancy's HAWX 2 for Xbox 360

-Borderlands: Game of the Year for Xbox 360

-Terror mask statue

-Two speakers

-Some advice about the game industry from a well-known journalist at Joystiq

Pretty sweet, right? Here's a couple more pics.

So, this is it. With a name like Cook the Grenade, you're probably wondering what kind of blog this could possibly be. In short, it's going to be about video games. I'm not exactly sure how it'll shape up, but know this...it's gonna be awesome. Just bear with me while I learn the blogging ropes. Since my wife is already a pro at this whole blogging thing, it shouldn't take long.