PAXessing Sunday


Way too tired for short sunday write up. Also, uh, not much to write up. it was pretty much line-event-line-event-line-event-end-depression. but that doesn't mean it wasn't awesome because it was totally awesome. I'd go so far to say it was a bonafide ride on the U.S.S. Awesome!1. And you know who the captain of that ship is.


In short: Old Republic looks incredible, wil wheaton is awesome, and I've never yelled so hard about a match of skeeball in my entire life. These are the things only PAX can provide and now that it's gone I'm definitely feeling the loss.

PAX is over and I am sad. I will enjoy the next couple days of seattle immensely and then I will return to overtly-warm climate and eastern time zones and be a little depressed for a week. I'll talk to you then and maybe do a decent write up, sometime while I'm knee-deep in youtube videos of PAX events I missed and trying to find a way to time travel back a week.

Posted by Kevin on 12:02 AM
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PAX-o-matic Saturday


Friday was pretty much a slam dunk, so I definitely woke up with a spring in my step today, excited for what Saturday would bring. Since Expo Hall was a little low yesterday (although already higher then last year's total, frankly) I came determined to preview more games, starting with my personal favorite, Mass Effect 2. While I might be a bit biased towards all things Mass Effect, there's no doubt in my mind that right now Bioware is crafting their own Empire Strikes Back in the second part of this video game trilogy. And I cannot wait to get my hands on it.


Other games played today included horse-bucking Darksiders (surprisingly fun, really debated preordering it for free shirt), LEGO Rock Band (Rock Band with LEGOs, not much more to say), and then later in the day Beatles Rock Band (just for fun, since it comes out in like, 3 days) and Star Trek Online. Which, uh, was something special. I've waited a long time to play a game that actually really captured the Star Trek experience, and while this is certainly still early into the process (game won't be out until next year), I think they nailed it. Hell, extended quests are called "episodes" and designed to last around 45-60. There's a lot of love put into this, and I think it'll make a great product.

Panels were at a low today. We missed Old Republic demo because the Make a Strip went long and had quite a few complications. Not that I really minded, truth be told. It was still entertaining from start to finish, with only a minimum of bad/weird questions (the worst being an actual stalker detailing some of her missed attempts at stalking. Ugh.) I gotta say that the make-a-strip is the one thing I feel like I must do every year, and issues aside, I definitely walked away feeling the same way this year.

Had a couple other interesting events occur today, but not sure how much I want to blab about them. What I can say is that the show's been excellent, and that while I'm excited for tomorrow, I'm also incredibly depressed that this show is coming to an end. I really love PAX, and even though it's a huge cross-country trip for me, it's completely worth it.

At this point? I'm not sure that I can stop going.

Posted by Kevin on 11:49 PM
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PAXtacular Friday

Quick post before I konk out in bed: Friday at PAX was pretty awesome. Line to get in was absolutely insane, but it moved fast and we were in the expo hall quickly. Spent the better part of an hour and a half wandering and seeing the sights, while also giving the mechanical horse promotion for Darksiders a go. After that, we did some PA Q&A, met Kris Straub and Wil Wheaton, had some food, hit up the Scott Kurtz panel, and then ended the night with a Rock Band tourny entry (which won't go down as our best performance of "Carry on my Wayward Son", but might certainly have been the most fun), before finally settling into some console freeplay, giving the 1990 Nintendo World Championship cartridge a roll.

Ultimately I'd say the day was partially successful, if only because we missed the ODST panel (due to Q&A going long) and the DS World Record Attempt (because it was poorly planned), but despite both those setbacks still had an absolute blast. Honestly, the day worked out great and any complaints I have are far overshadowed by how much fun was had.

PAX is pretty much the best con I've ever been to, and this year so far has definitely surpassed my previous experience. There's just a lot more space for everything, and as a result the place feels less crowded, even though I know it's about 15,000 more people. I feel like I've already done so much, and yet it's only Friday. I have two more days and I still don't want this weekend to end.

Tommorrow's planned schedule is a lot more open, so we'll see where the day takes us. Also - this took longer then expected. Sleep needed now.

Posted by Kevin on 1:11 AM
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The PAXing - PrePAXination

At the airport now on my way to what is essentially the gamer prom. This'll be my second pilgrimage to Gaming Mecca and I'm pretty excited. Last year was pretty overwhelming at times, but now I'm a PAX veteran and I'm a lot more confident about the trip. The plan for con-conquest is solid, with a good amount of leeway room for Expo Hall and whatever else we feel like. I'll admit – I'm still a little torn about whether to do either the Keynote/PA Panel #1 or the HAWP Panel, but the wife seems to be leaning towards Keynote, so I guess that's how we'll roll.

Either way this vacation is going to be awesome, and I expect that PAX won't disappoint. Here's hoping we manage to fit everything in!

Posted by Kevin on 11:36 AM
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Buyer's Guide to Fallout 3 DLC

Last week made it official: Bethesda has finally finished releasing DLC for Fallout 3. And what a trail of destruction they have left in their wake - 5 DLC packages at 10 bucks a pop. At fifty bucks, that's practically the cost of whole other game. So, you might be wondering, is it equivalent to the content of a new game, and if so, is it awesome?


In short, it is awesome, but not really worth 50 dollars total. I don't know. It's hard. Each content feels like it's mostly worth it, but when you add it all up... on some level, doesn't feel quite right. But Fallout 3 is a great game, and getting more content for it is utterly delightful.

So let's do a quick rundown on each DLC if you haven't taken the plunge. That being said, if you don't yet own Fallout 3, wait. They're releasing a Game of the Year edition in October with all of this included, and your wallet will be much happier with that version.

Without further ado...

Operation Anchorage
In some ways, it's the most fun I had in Fallout 3; I loved being presented with a very different scenario that was a joy to play through from start to finish, even if it features a smaller scope then some of the later DLC.

Worth it? Probably not; buy it anyway.


The Pitt
Fascinating look into how other parts of the Wasteland are surviving, with a moral choice that displays greater complexity then the typical "kill extended family vs. send kitten to college" option - oh, and it's fun too, albeit a bit short.

Worth it? It's great but 10 dollars? Not sure, but I can say that the thought of paying 20 bucks for the Operation Anchorage/The Pitt combo found in stores seems a little high.

Broken Steel
Of all the DLC it's probably my least favorite quest line (with the exception of the very beginning), but it's a must have; fixing the game's ending and raising the level cap provides some welcome revisions to make this great game work even better.

Worth it? If you only buy one DLC, this is the one to have. Without a doubt, yes.

Point Lookout
Like the Pitt it adds a whole seperate area to explore, but there's much more to see and do here beyond the main quest line, and creates a unique environment reminiscint of the survival horror genre; of all the DLC, this one caters most to those who wish to explore.

Worth it? Oh yeah

Mothership Zeta
This will probably be a love-it-or-hate-it add-on, but I couldn't get enough of it; that being said, it is a very different piece of content, and doesn't particularly feel like Fallout so much as some sort of sci-fi extraveganza - personal tastes are the key factor here.

Worth it? Maybe, if you're down with something different and the thought of taking over an alien ship is your kind of thing.

Honestly, I really enjoyed all of the DLC - in a lot of ways, it's the best stuff the game has to offer. Through deals and discounts, I ended up paying 40 bucks for all of it, which still seems high, but you know what? Price isn't everything. Oblivion's Shiviring Isles expansion cost 30 bucks and while there was certainly enough content to justify the price, I thought it was awful.

You know what? Forget price - if you enjoy Fallout and want more, this DLC is some of the best I've ever played, period.

Posted by Kevin on 8:01 AM
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Mobbing 1 vs 100

Tonight's iteration of 1 vs 100, Microsoft's unique take of an online gameshow, is hosted by the crew of Penny Arcade. Which should be fun. But there's no topping last week's 1 vs 100 experience for me.

As an idea, I think 1 vs 100 is great. There's a basic fun to gameshows, and people have been yelling out the answers to Jeporady! for years. 1 vs 100 gives you a chance to participate in a way that's a bit more meaningful, even if you are just a glorified audience member. Nevertheless, it's a blast, and a fun one to pull out when having a few friends over.

I suppose another appeal is that YOU could be IN the SHOOOOOOOOOOW but to be honest I never put a whole lot of stock into that. Wasn't what made the game fun.

Imagine my surprise when I got thrown into the Mob (the 100 against the 1) last week after playing a few matches. Things got real, fast.

As much fun as playing the game casually is, it gets intense when suddenly you're up for prizes. Compared to typical game shows, the prizes really aren't much of anything, but the idea that you could win something is actually quite exciting.

Granted, I didn't actually win anything. Unfortunetly for me, the 1 that my 100 was up against wasn't all that great, and was using a lot of lifelines early on to get through some fairly easy questions. When he had a chance to take the money and run, he did... even though it was only 800 points (10 bucks :P)

So yeah, had a taste of the agony of gameshow defeat. Kind of felt like the guy who bid 1 dollar on the Price is Right only to get screwed by another contestant who bid 2 dollars instead. But it was still fun and made me enjoy 1 vs 100 all the more, which is probably the point. It's something very unique and fun, and these days those are the two things that I want to experience most when I pick up a game.

Posted by Kevin on 6:47 AM
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The Woes of Machines

Commanding an army of ancient machines can be a lot of fun. Maintaining them... not so much. For the most part, they don't really require a whole lot of attention. They're plugged in and ready to go whenever, but they don't recieve anywhere near as much use as they did in their hey-dey. So, in theory, you'd think they'd last indefinitely, but you'd be wrong.

Unfortunetely, the laws of nature dictates that all things must march on towards a state of entrhopy, a law that technology is not inherently immune to. Sometimes stuff just doesn't work. One month you're playing your Dreamcast without any issues, then next month you're got it upside down with a towel wrapped around it with a book inbetween. There's no real law to it and a million reasons why it might not work. Stuff happens.

When something does go wrong, I've found that the problem tends to fall into one of three stages of broken. The higher up it goes... the worst it gets.

STAGE 1: Game is Busted - The first go-to check on a old console that's not working is to try another game. More often than not it's the game, not the system, that's giving you problems. Sometimes you can fanagle something, but almost always this means your game is dead. Not fun, but sometimes preferable to a dead console

STAGE 2: Cords are Busted - If the games clearly aren't the problem, the next stage involves praying that it's just a console's power adapter or A/V cord that's the problem. This isn't as unusual as you think - I've lost a couple power adapters over the years, and have had some A/V fail on me. Usually it's not a big problem to replace, although some of the more unusual systems may give you trouble. However, often times you'll find that certain systems share components with each other - the Sega Master System and the Genesis share the same A/V and RF cords, and the Virtual Boy has the exact same power adapter as the Super Nintendo.

STAGE 3: System is Dead - This one hurts. Sometimes your system is just dead. You can attempt surgery, and you might have some luck with older systems, but often times there's no clear indicator of what the problem is. Some systems also change their hardware over time - I have three different Dreamcasts and none of them look the same on the inside. When system failure does occur, most often the only result is complete replacement.

My Atari 2600's been on the fritz the last couple months and finally bought it. It's the third system I've had to replace (2 Dreamcasts, 2 360s) , and while I'm not thrilled about it, it's a pretty good track record all things considered. A funeral may be held sometime soon, we'll see. I have to decide on a replacement first. I had a jr. model, so I might opt to get one of the more classic, boxier versions manufactured by pot smoking hippies. Or I might delay a 2600 replacement and finally get a 7800 (which is backwards compatabile).

Either way, hitting Stage 3? Always a bummer, but I think the fun of having a console army on hand more then makes up for it.

Posted by Kevin on 6:55 PM
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