Guess My Writing Doesn't Suck Afterall...

I've got GameSpot's Member Spotlight for the week.

Check it out http://www.gamespot.com/community/blogs/community-blog/909185261/26995225/weekly-report-captionate-me.html

Slim PS3. Thick Rumors...

Rumors about a slim PS3 have been going around for months now. Today a "leaked" picture from a future Best Buy ad was posted online showing the PS3 Slim being available September 6th for $299.99. I believed it at first, but the closer I look at it, the more I'm starting to believe it was Photoshopped. The white outline around the PS3 slim get's me for starters. The biggest red flag for me is the description. 160 GB hard drive, 4, USB Slots, and backwards capability. My PS3 only has 2 USB slots, and Sony got rid of backwards capability (Good Riddance) like a year ago. Why bring it back? If that were the case Sony should just give away the PS3 Slim it'd be so under priced.

Do you think the latest rumor helps or hurts the PS3's chances of catching up in this war? I think if the PS3 Slim shows up costing more than the $299.98 pictured on the right it could hurt. The PS3 has been overpriced since day one, and the overall sales of the PS3 shows it. It has an edge over the Xbox 360 because of it's Blu-Ray Player, but $399.99 for a console that's almost 3 years old is ridiculous. Especially when it's closest competion, Xbox 360, is $199.99. If you wanted Blu Ray with your 360, you could buy an Insignia Blu Ray Player for $149.99. You could use the extra $49.99 to buy a decent game. Even if Sony is real about their intention of using the PS3 for 10 years $399.99 is still a ridiculous price for hardware, when it's software is $59.99 a piece.

We all know one day the PS3 will get slim and have a lower price, but what does that mean for the bulky PS3's that would still be available? Do their prices stay the same, or do they drop as well? Wouldn't it be cool if they were available for a smaller price than the slim PS3? We all know the PS3 Slim will be the new hotness when it arrives, if I meant saving money I would go with an older PS3. The rumors should be cleared up next week in Germany at GamesCom. Guess we'll just have to deal with the rumors until then...

Do Winners Ever Cheat?

If you use a strategy guide to help you through a game. Is that considered cheating? You had to put in the effort to finish the game, but does knowing extra information make you a cheater? Would you rather enter cheat codes to finish a difficult game, or struggle your way through it? Does it matter if somebody cheats their way through a single player experience? To each their own if you ask me.

I've used cheats in the past, but none to the extent that I took Pokemon Blue to. I was determined to find me a Pikablu, or any Pokemon that was outside of the original 151 listed in the game. To do that my first step was to buy a GameShark for my Gameboy Color. When you turn on the game with the GameShark attached to it, the first screen you see is a warning saying that this a bad idea. I didn't care I played anyway. After about a month I "caught" all 151 pokemon. It was time for me to find a Pikablu. I would go from forum to forum looking at rumors as to how to catch one. There were stories about Bill's secret garden, Underground Caves, and Secret Gyms that were to be discovered with a GameShark. After trying each and every code I could find I will say that none of the rumors are true for Pokemon Blue...

The cheat codes finally caught up to me on the day I needed Pokemon Blue the most. I had been talking to a friend at school for months about battling him. All of my pokemon were Level 100 thanks to an unlimited supply of rare candy. How could I lose? We finally set a date to battle each other in school. I didn't sleep much the night before. I was too busy thinking about what Pokemon he would use, and the moves I would use to destroy them. I woke up excited the next morning ready to win a Pokemon battle. I get out of bed, turn my Gameboy on, and find that my file had been erased. I stayed home sick that day...

Ever since then I've kind of lost my mojo when it comes to cheating in games. Don't get it twisted, I definitely cheated my way through last generations Grand Theft Auto trilogy, but the extent of how I cheat has changed. I haven't bought a GameShark since the Gameboy Color and I don't plan on doing so. I don't think there's anything wrong with cheating in a game. I just think it takes away from the overall experience. What do you do when you run out of bullets and your low on health? You wouldn't know if you had unlimited ammo and health. Cheating makes a game too easy for me. It's kind of like being in the passenger seat of a nice car. Yea your along for the ride, but the best you can do is tell the driver to turn left or right.
Cheat codes helped shape my perspective on life. I feel like if everything came too easy, I'd find myself pretty bored. Sure I would have plenty of things to do, but my sense of accomplishment wouldn't be there. I take pride in the things I've accomplished. I don't think I'd enjoy as much as I would if I took my time and played by the rules. They say cheaters never win, but do winners ever cheat? Maybe...

Boycott Activision?

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is going to cost £55 in the United Kingdom. That converts to $91.81. That's a lot of money for a video game. Activision Blizzard's CEO Robert Kotick was recently asked about this and said something along the lines of if it were up to him he would make the price higher. That has caused a bunch of gamers to get upset, and talk about a boycott against Activison has been going around ever since.

We all know Modern Warfare 2 is going to sell millions of units regardless of whether you buy it or not. If I were going to protest it I wouldn't buy it right away. I probably wouldn't buy it at all. It's not like it'd be hard to find on the internet. I know people who only play Call of Duty, and I bet they wouldn't mind paying extra for it. Even though paying $91.81 plus tax is serious these days. As far as I know, the price increase only affects the European Market.

As far as the CEO's comment, we should ignore his judgement for reasons that seem pretty clear to me. I'd say he's not feeling the brunt of what's going on today. Activision's stock is feeling pretty good these days. He's probably not the only CEO who feels this way. Don't let it bother you too much. He's entitled to his opinion just as much as you. If you don't like it. Don't listen to him. It's simple. At the end of the day, it's up to you to decide whether or not your going to buy Modern Warefare 2. It's not my cup of tea, but it's probably going to be an excellent game. An overpriced excellent game if you live in Europe...

Top of the line

I look around at other blogs about video games, and I'm starting to notice a trend. Most of the posts I see are about old news, crazy rumors, or lists. News is important, rumors keep the fire burning, but why so many lists? I really don't care about your top 10 masturbation sessions or your top 8 MyFace friends. The readers deserve better quality in blogging. Gamers have taste. They invest their time and money to the luxury of video games. Why don't blogs represent the quality and elegance that goes along with this luxury?


That's where I show up. I won't feed my readers with lists. I'd rather not write anything. The news I care about mostly is release dates and deals on games because this recession is serious. This industry needs more cool people to steer it in the right direction, because it is not on course. All I see is a bunch of clowns that claim to be more real than you. If I wasn't a gamer, most of the blogs out there wouldn't convince me to ever pick up a joystick.

Tough Love

Fuck the Wii. That shit is so wack. Somewhere far along this road Wii lost our soul... to a motion control. What the fuck happened to making hardcore games Nintendo? I won't buy a game just because it has a lot of blood and swears in it. If I wanted that I'd go see a Rated R movie. It's a lot cheaper these days...

Fuck the Xbox 360. That shit is so wack. Microsoft's Red Ring of Death is inFamous. Who releases a product knowing most of the units are defective? I'm guessing they're trying to go green. This billion dollar fuck up feels like Microsoft's version of recycling...


Fuck the PS3. That shit is so wack. Where the fuck is the price cut Sony? Your piece of shit has been overpriced ever since it hit the market. Stop being a bitch and lower the price. If it wasn't a birthday present, I wouldn't break my wallet just to use the Dualshock 3. It's not that serious.

I Run Liberty City

Running is not the way to go in Liberty City. Tapping A (or X) every 2 seconds gets annoying, and crossing streets can be a pain. Imagine the amount of time you would waste walking from North Holland to the Gun Store in Chinatown. Use your time to enjoy the luxuries of Liberty City. If your well connected, a trip to the gun store is pointless. Just call Little Jacob and he'll probably meet you in Middle Park West with discounted prices.

Now's about a good time to take a car. I'd go with a Turismo at Grotti in Middle Park East. Don't feel like driving? No problem. Just give Roman a call and Mohammed will be on his way. It's the only taxi ride worth taking in Liberty City. Mohammed is hilarious, and the ride is free.

Now that your in Middle Park East, stop by Perseus for a new outfit. Across the street from Perseus is Grotti the car dealership. I recommend shooting the window of the Turismo you want from Perseus. The car alarm will stop by the time you get inside the car. Now that you have a warnted star, get your ass to Purgatory to the Auto Limbo to change the color of your car. I would go with a bright color, but to each his own. Now that your car is a new color, might as well wash it. The High Speed Highway Car Wash is down the street. Shine Bright.

Now that your car is fresh, your having a good day according to Busta Rhymes. Might as well cruise somewhere. How about Star Junction? You could visit Split Sides and see a stand up performance from Katt Williams. A friend could join you. Maybe you should invite Jacob for hooking you up with weapons. If you see the show by yourself, you might get a phone call from Brucie as you leave. He might want to go on a helicopter ride. If you choose to go, you'll get my favorite view of the city. Brucie will want you to take him to a landmark in Liberty City. It could be the Statue of Happiness or the Dragon Heart tower to name a few places. Anything is possible in Liberty City...