Hello, my name is Misfit. I hate video games and I apparently have for some time now. Thanks to all of those who posted in my blog and brought this to my attention. The healing can now begin.

• 22Sep 08

  Absence

  So yeah, I know I haven't been around a huge lot lately but there's a good reason for that. About sometime in June/July I took a job interview for GameSpot as a game guide writer to replace Matthew Rorie. I was intensely nervous at the prospect of picking up after someone whose guides I not only used but rather enjoyed reading. But I figured it couldn't hurt to take the interview and I really want to move out of Connecticut, I really don't like it here.

  Months pass and pass with no real contact from the guy I took my interview with and I rapidly realized that they were likely busy over there so I would, instead of worrying about the interview, focus on getting better at writing FAQs and game guides. This is why I haven't been around much, I've been working on a number of these to try and get better at what I love doing.

  So now we're almost in October and I finally get a response back from them. Apparently I was almost picked but the other guy managed to hedge in "by the barest of margins". I'm not angry at GS for not picking me, I don't have anything from college and I've only been writing FAQs for going on two years. So I don't have a grudge about this.

  However waiting so many months and hoping to all that's holy that I get the job and then to not... it's left me rather apathetic. Pair that up with the fact that I nobody is hiring freelancers anymore due to budget problems and I'm just feeling so bleh lately. I'm definitely not really feeling that drive I felt before towards writing FAQs and reviews. I just don't really see the point until in pushing myself when I don't stand a chance of getting hired in this lineof work for another year or two at least and have my BA in something.

  This isn't me whining or looking for pats on the back. I just want to let people know why I'm not going to be online much. If anyone PMs or e-mails me then I will definitely respond but don't expect to see a lot of new blog posts or anything. Other than work I do for Gaming Excellence and some stuff I agreed to do for IGN, I likely won't be doing too much online.

  • Posted Sep 22, 2008 5:13 pm GMT
  • Category: Writing
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• 13Sep 08

  Bourne Conspiracy Review up!

  Bourne Conspiracy review is up on Gaming Excellence.

  http://www.gamingexcellence.com/xbox360/games/1168/review.shtml

  I've been doing a lot of these reviews and trying to find work lately, to not much effect. I've been offered to write exclusive FAQs for IGN (ie. they give me game, I write FAQ and get to keep game) but nothing paying as of yet. I've applied for a few actual jobs with both IGN and GameSpot but I'm not holding my breath. To that end I've decided to go to an online college to get a Bachelors in something, hopefully related to journalism. Unfortunately CT really stinks about this so I have to wait a bit on that one. Ah well.

  • Posted Sep 13, 2008 6:39 pm GMT
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• 25Aug 08

  Top 5 Rated Wii Games... My Thoughts

  Why is it that of the top 5 games for the Wii only 1 is a full Wii game? Let's run down the list here.
  
  Super Mario Galaxy (97%) - The only real Wii game in the top five. I can't reiterate how desperately I disagree with this rating though. Between the spastic controls due to gravity changes and general nuisance of using the pointer and Mario at the same time... meh. However it's a Wii exclusive and uses the Wii controls exclusively so let's move along...

  The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (94%) - While playing this on the Wii made using any of the ranged weapons a snap the melee combat was so annoying on the Wii. Pulling off advanced maneuvers is ridiculous, the spin attack is annoying and by the time you're done your wrist hurts more than if you had a serious bout of ma... manual labor. The game is much better on the Gamecube due to the removal of this issue if nothing else.

  Super Smash Bros. Brawl (93%) - You might be wondering why I don't list this as a "full" Wii game. Well let's analyze the facts; the game controls almost exactly like SSB and SSBM, not much has changed besides new characters and more clones. Oh and the game is STILL best played with a Gamecube controller. Seriously, WTF Nintendo? You're abandoning your own controllers now.

  Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (91%) - My favorite Wii game! It was also my favorite Gamecube game and one of my favorite PS2 games. Catching the pattern here? Sure it was much easier to aim the gun most of the time but if you can get it on two other systems it hardly counts. Next!

  Okami (90%) - While this is a PS2 game as well I would have been so ready to label this the definitive version of the game if the controls weren't horrible. I don't know how they managed to mess this one up but sure as heck they did. That, plus the IGN watermark "scandal" and this is just embarassing.

  There's more success for Nintendo games using the Wii controls in the bottom 5 of the top 10. The only one that really bears much noting is Boom Blox since Metroid Prime 3 is a horrible game, Guitar Hero 3 obviously doesn't count, Zak and Wiki is a giant point and click with Mini-games (still fun though) and Super Paper Mario works just fine.

  I realize that aggregate sites aren't a great way of gathering games by quality, it's all up to opinion. However I by and large trust professional game reviewers so long as they aren't part of the Game Informer magazine crew so I'm more inclined to listen to these sorts of sites. The only thing I refuse to listen to them on is the quality of Metal Gear Solid 4 and GTA 4. They suckered me in with their LIES about Metal Gear Solid 2 & 3, that won't happen again. Anyone who talks about how great the gameplay was in MGS2 I'm always tempted to beat them with a stick that reads "There isn't any gameplay in MGS2."

  Freaking Kojima...

  Yeah I'm kind of ramble/ranting. It's just the sort of mood I'm in after making the mistake of posting on the GFAQs forums. Buncha low IQ... *mumblemuble*

  • Posted Aug 25, 2008 6:41 pm GMT
  • Category: Games
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