I'm currently studying Sociology and Politics at Aston University. Not wanting to blow my own horn, but I'm good at Sociology. I also do a lot of charity work and represent the University at many funstions and conferences.

So when the opportunity arose to visit South Korea all expenses paid, I jumped at the chance, because all you had to do was write a 250 word statement saying why you were the best person to go, and I figured the University and the Universe for that matter) owed me one.

Apparently the University agreed, because they chose me to go!

Five weeks, all expenses paid with a trip to Tokyo, couldn't believe it!

Turns out, once I had looked at my bank account and seen that I was short for th rent and not living rent free over the summer at my parents this year, I just can't justify missing 5 weeks of paid work.

I can't say I'm not dissapointed, but it's my own fault, I've over induilged in games this month and my various habits gobble up the pennies just as fast. My dad did offer to help, but he's ion a difficult financial situation at the moment ands I don't feel happy taking money from him.

So there we go. On the bright side, thats 5 more weeks of gaming to help improve my pants gamerscore!

Oh well.

Hazy

Hello kiddies.

I just purchased Superman returns (dubious as to how good that's going to be as the sales assistant in Game told me it was rubbish - after I paid for it, helpful, cheers!), Bioshock, and Lords of the Rings Battle for Middle Earth Special Edition on the PC, not my usual thing but it looked interesting enough.

However, since I watched the Spore demo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8dvMDFOFnA I have got a little obsessed by this game. I was a massive Sims and Sims2 fans, but it never gave me that all powerful God like feeling in my tummy (like and Black and White was supposed to - after you spent four years training your creature only for him to forget everything again and eat all the villagers...).

I know its magalomanic, but I want to control Evolution and rule the galaxy and I am litterally wetting myself in anticipation of this game.

Is anyone else feeling the same?

Everyone who I have shown teh video to has become a little obsessed with it too - so it seems fairly common; Nic showed me and he's got so far into the obsession that he won't allow mention of the game in the flat (I'm typing this in secret).

So am I over reacting? Is this game going to be a huge dissapointment? I really, really hope not, because if this game is everything I am hoping it will be.... bye bye 3rd year of Uni.

Maybe it would be best (in the interest of my education) if it was a big let down, but just in case, I'd better start beefing up my PC. Apparently it has lower specs than the Sims 2, but I want it to run perfectly, so I'm willing to invest. Anyone got any suggestions for good mods to my PC, because I haven't got a clue....

Anyhoo, I'm going to play Bioshock.

Hazy

Hazy

I throw this open to the universe, although I'm not entirelycertain anyone in teh universe will actually read this...

I've been a bit late to teh xbox 360 party, and I'm only just now starting to complete the games I have and retrace my steps and get as many of the achievement points as I can.

However, my partner, Nic, thinks that it's not ceompelling enough to collect achievement poins and I feel views the whole things as slightly pointless.

As I see it, completeing the single player campaign of a game and having the satisfaction, and more importantly, the reward of the credits (wow!) is not enough anymore. Sure getting to the end of Super Mario Bros on the Nintendo was amazing back in the day. I nearly cried the day I first finished it. It wasn't just that I'd beaten Bowser, I had defeated my sister, the electricity queen, with whom I had to do daily battle in order to retain my right to leave the damn thing on while I went to school, paused, because I was halfway through a level and couldn't save it.

After Bowser, all the greats fell beneath my mighty fingers of doom.

But the more games I completed, the more I wanted them to never end! Fair, enough this was probably my highly addictive personality rearing its ugly head (again) rather than anything else, but nevertheless, there was a longing for something more.

Thankfully, the wonderful people at microsoft have found a way for me to fill that whole, with achievements! Thank GOD for Microsoft...

In reality though, once I and the rest of the masses have beefed our insignificant, meagar gamerscores up tot eh level of the elites, we'll get bored of this fad too and crave more.

I think, personally, the next gen method of rewarding gamers should be actual, real life power ups that make you better. I know this a lot to ask, but hey, Microsoft can do anything, can't they?

Personally I want to fly, how about, complete the next Ace Combat, get the ability to fly? Sounds good, no? Sells itself I'm telling you! So please Microsoft, can you fix it for me.

In the meantime, I'm going to try to crack the 1000 mark on my gamerscore (the shame...), whether its a waster or time or not, GIVE ME THE GLORY!

Hazy

Howdy