DREWorDIE!

We’re All Sellouts but Money Is Tight

Andrew Lao — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 07:54:18 +0000

I’ve been sitting and thinking about how to exploit myself for a job. At the same time i’m thinking if i should take advantage of that awesome Steam deal. The Orange Box for 10$. It sounds more appetizing now that i have a machine that can handle it. Yes, i have bought a new Laptop. A self proclaiming gaming Laptop. I know this because i asked it myself. All he did was point at the “reasonable” price and awkward sticker of Marcus Fenix, which i peeled off a day after ownership.

I already have The Orange Box for my Xbox 360. I also own the Soundtrack because of Audiosurf. I don’t know how much money i should be giving Valve for this awesome package of Video Games. I guess technically i didn’t give anything for the soundtrack. What’s weird is that i TRIED getting into Half Life 2, and i only slightly did i enjoy it. I kept with it even after The River and after Ravenholm. When the action took over the adventuring, i won’t lie, it was a great time to be had, but the time in-between is where i was dragging my feet. Essentially that’s what Half Life 2 was doing, in my opinion. I didn’t feel the pace. While it may be a cliche concept in Video Games to peak and valley in pacing, it works. I shouldn’t be speaking since i haven’t completed the Campaign, perhaps Half Life 2 is at it’s best during the climax. I just wish it like Weezer’s Blue Album, where the rest of the album is as good as the climax of “Only In Dreams”.

My true motive to purchase is Team Fortress 2, which by itself is double the price of the sale. Team Fortress 2 was a mess on the console side and i’ve always had an itch to play it. I have a little over 20 hours to think about this. Time is ticking. There’s actually a lot more factors to think about like the need of a mouse (which i’m not sure i have at the moment), and a table (which i don’t have in my room as well).

But, PC gaming, i’m ready for you. So many good games or at least that’s what i hear. I have a lot in my back log and a lot i am anticipating in the future. Like Eskil Steenberg’s LOVE:

GDC09 – “The Rock Band Reset”

Andrew Lao — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 05:56:06 +0000

As i procrastinate on writing some “piece” for a site, i had to take a break to speak about GDC09, which continues to be one of my favorite weeks of the year. This year was no different, being a part of the Conference Associates (the CAs), i had some awesome privileges. Including being able to stay in Moscone after hours playing Rock Band on a giant screen made for presentations about Programming and Math. That’s the only extent that i wish to brag about, other things seem too dorky to even mention, as if the whole Rock Band thing wasn’t dorky enough (i was already called a Square for it…gah!).

For fun, a tournament was played and i placed 3rd in Drums. That sucks! Because it re-fueled my love for the Drums and my Rock Band Drum Set is broken. Yes, BROKEN. Well, kind of. The yellow pad registers when it wants, and i am Pedal less. The pedal has been an issue for a long time, since the first Rock Band in fact. I guess i’m stomping too hard or maybe i’m generally too heavy, but i’ve gone through 5-6 pedals since the first Rock Band. That’s from hours and hours of playing daily. I still can’t get enough even when i’m not playing, we could blame this on the fact that i am IN LOVE with Harmonix (since Frequency), but i still look forward to every Friday as they announce next week’s DLC. The fact that they are bringing the concept of Amplitude/Frequency back to handhelds with Rock Band: Unplugged brings me to a happy place filled with stickered Fender Strats, beds with comfy pillows, massage chairs and the internet.

I might post some pictures here someday of GDC09, but i should go write something else for now, but before i go, i must confess my love for songs by a band called Journey. I mean, i never cared about Journey enough to buy albums and nor do i download them (i don’t download, by the way), but they have developed songs that i think can be accurately called epic. And one of those songs has made it to Rock Band this past Tuesday. Check it out:

LOVE IT. I can’t wait to get a new drum set!

Update/Commercials

Andrew Lao — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 05:09:41 +0000

I’m going to use this as an actual blog. Yay! After GDC, i’m going to start tuning this “site” into a blog slash jumping off point on me. Yes, i’m finally selling myself out. Come get me world! I’m a tough dude with attitude! A hero in no shell! A double dragon! A resident evil! A guitar hero! AND! A Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. Yes, there is no point to all of this! And correct! None of that was funny. If anything, i buried myself as a geek. Man, do i suck at twelfth impressions…

I am going to remove nearly all of reviews and blog posts here. I’m going to have a page that will direct you to the site i volunteer write for.

But even before that, i have an issue with this guy:

Because his commercial is so popular, there has been a wave of mediocre commercials based on the same concept.

This is one example. Now if this was the ONLY ONE, i wouldn’t be so damn annoyed. I ask, “Are all the tastemakers drinking from the same glass?” What happened to corporations being terrible, brain washing us with simple slogans and jingles?

Eh, not much of a blog. Just a thought really.