Conversations with IrishPride Episode 16

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If You See Cupid, Punch Him in the Face!!
 
What it is, what it is!  Welcome to Conversations with IrishPride episode 16.  I've realized the last few episodes I've talked a lot about video games, so today I figured I should go back to something random, since that's what this segment is all about.  I want to wish everybody a happy "Singles Awareness Day!"
 
That's right.  Today is not what most people call "Valentines Day", today should be known as "Singles Awareness Day."  Why you ask?  Well, being one of the few people in my circle of friends/family that is actually single, I am constantly reminded of my singleness.  Every February 14th singles everywhere are hit hard with this reminder, that yes, we're single.  Facebook is the worst.  I want to vomit in my mouth when I log on and I see all these "couples" posting love sentiments to each other.  Showing off that piece of jewelry their boyfriend/husband got for them or gushing over the dozen roses that were waiting at work for them.  Give me a break.  Valentines Day is simply a Hallmark holiday where they force all the foolish couples into buying cards, flowers, chocolate, etc to prove their love for one another.  Why does there have to be one day a year where you "have" to prove to your significant other that you care about them.  Why not send flowers to your girlfriend/wife on May 23rd just cause you can.  Why not send your boyfriend/husband an edible arrangement on August 28th?  Come on "couples", Valentines Day is a joke and you don't have to go around making your single friends feel even more, pardon the pun, 'singled' out.
 
A lot of you reading this may think I am bitter because I am single.  That's not the case.  When I was in a relationship, I still hated the concept of Valentines Day.  If you really love and care about your significant other, you would do special things for them throughout the year.  So, all you singles out there, this day is for us!  Go out with all your single friends, grab a few drinks and let the good times roll!  Also, it's entertaining to make fun of all the "romantic couples" so give that a try!
 
This is IrishPride signing off and remember, the greatest holiday of them all is a little over a month a way!
 
~IrishPride

This Weeks Geek - Support

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Geeks are an odd bunch. We fight with each other constantly about if what we like is as good as we say it is. Sony fan boys will boast that their system is better then the Xbox is.  Xbox fanboys will call the Wii a child's toy.  And a PC gamer will call them all simple minded.  But despite all the infighting, all the forum flame wars, we are one people.  As geeks we support each other in our endeavors, even if we try to prove ourselves superior while we do it.

The inspiration behind This Weeks Geek is the amazing speed that Double Fine Adventures got funded.  Tim Schaffer and his company, Double Fine, decided they wanted to make a classic point and click adventure game.  There was one big issues with this though, Tim Scaffer wanted to make sure he can make the game his way.  He does not want to be held down by what an investor thinks should be in the game.  He did not want to have to work on their schedule to make sure they get a return on their investment.  This left him with one real option, crowd scouring the money. Tim setup a Kickstarter for the game with a goal of (I think at least) $440,000. Eight hours later he was funded.  As of now he has made $1,700,000 for his game. We also have Notch who may be funding Psychonaughts 2. Geeks support geeks.

But support within is not all we care about.  We as a people have heart.  This is seen in both Childs Play and Extra Life. Between these two charities geeks have donated millions of dollars to help kids.  Child's Play is a direct charity to Children's Hospitals world wide and in 2011 earned $3,512,340.  Extra Life on the other hand is a 24 hour gaming marathon.  You get pledges for each hour you play a game.  These pledges are then donated to the Children's Miracle Network. Both of these charities show we care about the world that we are in, and that we want these kids to have a chance to play future games.

So how do you support your fellow gamers?  All the examples I have given are monetary based, but that is not the only way. Do you read forums to provide authentic help to people in need? Do you write actual reviews to let people know which games to buy / avoid?  Sound off on how you help your fellow gamer.

This Week(end)s Geek - Sequel Prep

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You may have noticed that we did not have a podcast this week. Due to schedule conflicts we were unable to record one. I did feel bad about it though, so I am giving you all a bonus This Weeks Geek. Our focus for this article is prepping for game sequels, mainly Mass Effect 3.

Now in the event that you live under a rock, or just plain forgot, Mass Effect 3 comes out on March 6, 2012 with a demo coming out February 14. The Reapers have arrived to harvest the galaxy, and only one man/woman can stop them, Commander Shepard. It had been about two years since I last played Mass Effect 2, and when I did not all of my team lived. Mordin, one of my favorites, failed to survive the mission after a shot to the head. I contemplated going to a save file just before the suicide mission to make things right, but I have also purchased a fair amount of DLC since my last visit to the Normandy. With this in mind I made the decision to start a new game. This would allow me to survive the suicide mission and experience new content. While this was my reason for playing again, I had forgotten how much fun this game is. I realized how much I missed the gameplay, the voice acting, and the story they are telling. By starting again with such a large gap between plays it feels like a whole new game. I am also getting reminders of some of the more subtle plot points. This makes me really pine for Mass Effect 3.

There is a downside to playing a game that was so great so close to its sequel though. I am already hyping up Mass Effect 3 to be game of the year material, but now I will have a fresh image in my mind of how good the series is. Many people wanted Uncharted 3 to be better then Uncharted 2, but they were so close to the same that some were not as enamored with the third game as they hoped to be. I slightly worry that I may disappoint myself by not having the game as fresh as possible in my mind. I worry that it will be too much of the same. I may also find that in playing the second game, I will have burnt myself out on the gameplay. This could cause me to put Mass Effect 3 on hiatus for a bit mid way through the game.

For good or bad though, I have started my preperations.  How do you prep for a sequal? Do you play the series through? Do you read wikipedia pages to refresh yourself with the story?  Or do you just look at the media hype and await the day of the release? Share you rituals, or lack thereof, in the comments. I look forward to reading them.

Initial Impressions of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

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Hello everybody!  At the end of episode 15 of Conversations with IrishPride, I said I would have my initial impressions of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning after I had a chance to play it.  Well, after putting seven hours into the game, I'm ready to give you my very quick impressions of the game.
 
The reason this is going to be a very short article is because Assimilator will be posting a full fledged review shortly.  But, I said I would provide you all with my initial impressions and I am here to deliver that.
 
Fun is to be had in Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning!!!I was right about KoAR, it is simply a fun game to play.  The story is intruging enough to make the bland questing not feel monotonous.  All the characters are voice acted, except for you, and they do a pretty good job keeping you engaged.  It's no Mass Effect voiced dialogue, but for the sheer content of this game, the voice acting is good.  Where KoAR really shines above other open world RPG's is the combat system.  Combat is fast, fluid and the animations are spot on.  It is super easy to be striking an opponent with your primary weapon, then add your secondary weapon, followed by a lightning spell.  I'm actively looking for something to kill when I'm exploring the lands because the combat is that much fun!
 
That's all I'm going to say about KoAR since Assimilator will have a kick ass review shortly.  But, if you're impatient and don't want to wait for the review and you are wondering if this game is any fun, I will say emphatically, YES!  It is a lot of fun and I cannot wait to get back into the game.  My rogue character is itching to kill some more bandits.  Stay tuned for Assimilator's review!

Conversations with IrishPride Episode 15

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It's All About the Gameplay Baby!

 

Herro everybody and welcome to episode 15 of Conversations with IrishPride!  While our podcast section is close to the mammoth benchmark of 100 episodes, I'm pleased that I've reached 15, that's good for me *air high five*!  Okay, I'm done patting myself on the back.  Today I'm going to be talking about Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning.Can't wait to get started!
 
It's been awhile since I've bought a new game on release day, this whole trying to buy a house thing really puts a damper on my game purchases!  Anyhow, I've been keeping an eye on KoAR and decided to buy myself a birthday present and get it.  I haven't gotten a chance to play it yet due to work, but I have it installed and ready to go on Steam when I get home from house shopping. 
 
I've played the demo and must say, it is a blast to play.  Sometimes as gamers we forget why we play games.  Or there are some gamers out there, specifically in the MMO world, where they take games way to seriously.  I don't know about you all, but I play games because they are fun.  They are a form of entertainment that I use to forget about daily stresses and not have to worry about bills, work and life in general.  KoAR seems to have struck a fantastic balance for me in the 'just plain fun' department.
 
When playing a new game, a lot of gamers want to know how it looks.  If the graphics are top notch.  Others want to know about the story.  Is the game worth my time.  One of the biggest criteria I look for in a game is the gameplay.  When you're potentially going to be sinking multiple hours into a game, especially an RPG, I need to know I will enjoy my time and to me, flawed gameplay is not enjoyable. 
 
Knowing very little of the story, I essentially bought KoAR simply for the flawless gameplay.  The combat in Reckoning is an absolute blast to play.  I'm a fan of RPG's and am a bigger fan of level progression, loot and action paced combat RPG's and KoAR seemed to be right up my alley.  I'm eagerly waiting to sink my teeth into this game to see if it was worth a day one purchase.  Check back soon and I'll have my initial impressions of the game.
 
This is IrishPride signing off and until next time, go ninja go ninja go!
 
~IrishPride

This Weeks Geek - Day One DLC?

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Day one downloadable content (DLC); more and more games are finding one way or another to include them in your games.  Mass Effect 2 did it with the Cerberus network, Mortal Kombat did it with their restricted access to online play, Catwomen in Batman: Arkham City and Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is doing it with House of Valor faction quests.  Now all this DLC has been free to people that have purchased the game new; but used buyers have to shell out for the content.  Is this a fair or are publishers purposely restricting game content to make more money on their products?  That is the focus on This Weeks Geek.
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This Weeks Geek - Hobby Overload

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Image © Wizards of the CoastEveryone has a hobby or two that they enjoy working on in their spare time. But what happens when you start taking on several time intensive hobbies all at once? That is when you reach hobby overload my friends, and that is the focus of This Weeks Geek.

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NDK Sets Record Hotel Reservations

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As many of you may know NDK is a bit off still, about 8 months roughly away, but that doesn't mean you can get lazy and complacent. Reservations for the DTC Marriott, the hotel where the convention is held, started yesterday. All the normal and atrium rooms for the hotel sold out in an hour. This is a record for the convention and a sign that they are quickly out growing the convention space of the hotel, but we already knew that. At the time of this writing the hotel still had outside balcony rooms available and it is possible a cancellation will open up some rooms in coming months. I personally would not hold my breath on that happening. The anime geeks will be watching for those like hawks.

If all else fails then you can also get a room at the Hyatt and Hilton hotels nearby. From experience the Hyatt (after correction) is a nice hotel with a decent restaurant and the walk over isn't as bad as you would think. It's also good to remember to pre-register for the convention just in case with the attendance cap in place because you don't want to be left out do you?

To see the posts for NDK record hotel reservations, please visit their website here.  If you'd like to pre-register for NDK, you can do so through this link here.  We look forward to seeing you all there again this year!