"Differential Diagnosis"

I had always wondered what it was that motivated people to dress up as their favorite fictional characters and attend these large conventions with others in costume. I never quite understood it until 19 May, 2005.

The release of the final Star Wars movie was an event every Star Wars fan around the globe was waiting for. Despite what fans may have thought of Episodes I & II, we were excited! ? My friends and I had bought our tickets well in advanced and were prepared to make this one midnight screening we wouldn’t soon forget!

Hours before the movie premier, a large crowd had already gathered and the line extended well beyond the indoor lobby into the hot afternoon sun outside. You could feel the excitement and the energy radiating from the crowd as the anticipation for this epic movie heightened and its climax grew nearer. More »

Yours truly will be attending this years SanJapan: A Japanese Culture & Anime Convention in San Antonio, Texas this Saturday. I know most of my readers don’t live anywhere near San Antonio, but if you find yourself in the downtown area this weekend, be sure you say hi to the Chris Redfield & Jill Valentine pair you’ll find walking around.

What kind of video game fan would I be if I failed to mention anything about last week???s E3 Convention (Electronic Entertainment Expo) in Los Angeles.? E3 is where game companies such as Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo go and introduce some of their latest projects to the world.? Here is a quick breakdown of my top 3 presentations from E3 2009. More »

Eating 12 grapes in 12 seconds as the clock strikes midnight has always been one of the few cheesy traditions my family partakes in.? I’m not sure what the true origins of that Spanish tradition is, but its widely recognized as a way to bring forth good luck in the coming year.? Even if you don’t believe in luck, it can’t hurt to laugh at others as everyone begins stuffing 12 grapes in their mouths.

New Years Eve is a great time to sit back and reflect on what you’ve accomplished throughout the last year.? I find that writing down a short summary of your accomplishments for the year helps you realize just how much you’ve done.? Here is my list:

One of my goals for this past year was to keep my commitment of posting an entry here at least three times a month. This being my 67th published post, and my 75th total post,? I can say I’ve successfully overshot and completed my goal.

In the middle of 2007, I decided to take a break from college for one year in order to pursue my interests of working in the videogame industry.? I may not be working in the game industry just yet, but I gave it a damn good try at the end of ‘07/beginning of ‘08, and I’m actually glad things turned out the way they did.? Few people saw this economic downturn coming, and even fewer people acted on it.? While the company I came closest to working with hasn’t had to reduce their workforce just yet, a recent restructuring might change that. Also, a few of the other studios I exchanged correspondence with have had to cut staff or have since shutdown completely, see here and here.? Times are tough, and the “recession proof” gaming industry found out they aren’t as resilient as economists once thought.? I’m really glad I’m currently employed right now!

Without realizing I was being tested, I earned my brown belt in Taekwondo and successfully conducted a school belt exam under the watchful eye of the assistant instructor and the brand new master instructor.? With the new schedule, training regime, and the persistence of the new master instructor, I’ve noticed several improvements across the board in myself, many of the students, and the school in general.? Sure, there have been some growing pains at the school in the form of several senior students leaving, but in the end the school is much better off and I can’t wait to see what the new year has in store for us there.

A small group, myself included, finally earned their blue belt in Chinese Kenpo after months of hard work.? It was not easy, and the master instructor expected nothing but the best from us while doing so.? We were also assigned a teaching role breaking down the basic manuevers to the new students. Unfortunately, with my year long college break coming to a close halfway through 2008, Kenpo was eventually substituted for college classes.? It was a tough decision, but in the end, academics come first for this scholar.

Good friends have moved on to their next chapters in life.? One has quit his job and moved to a different town, a pair have started their own business, and a few others have loved, lost and loved again.? Why is that an accomplishment for me?? Because I scrutinized their moves, and helped them make those transitions in any way that I could, without being a belligerent, selfish, jackass about it, as I would have been in years past. I even had the honor of lending a helping hand to one of my favorite teachers in his time of need.

Its been almost two years since the break-up, and while girls have come and gone during that time, none of them ever came close to being as special as she was.? Perhaps I never let them, but this year was the closest they’ve come and the improving results have brightened my outlook for the future.

I’m sure I’ve left out a few things, but 2008 was actually a really good year, and I know that 2009 will be an even better one!? Here’s to a new year, cheers!

Almost ten long years after my initial Wasteland adventure to procure a functional Water Chip and years later a Garden of Eden Creation Kit, I’ve once again ventured into the post-apocalyptic remains of humanity. This time, in search of my father, whom inexplicably left the safety and comfort of our home one night, starting a chain reaction which eventually led to me being kicked out of my home.

Drinking radiated water and eating radiated meat while living in a radiated wasteland is obviously a pretty harsh existence which has slowly mutated the world we once knew into a strange, eerie and unfamiliar place filled with killer super mutants, two headed cows, giant bugs, and even walking husks of rotting living humans called Ghouls. I couldn’t feel more at home, and thus is the reason I’ve seemingly “disappeared.”

As a former member of the Star Wars Galaxies community, I was surprised to hear that one of our own has taken his life; Former Star Wars Galaxies Lead Gameplay Designer Jeff Freeman (39) is now one with The Force.

In the begining, Jeff’s work on Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided was celebrated among many fans, especially those who choose the ‘Creature Handler’ profession within the game.? A profession which former Senior Producer of Star Wars Galaxies John Donham says Jeff devoted extra time on, during the weekend to prevent the class from being cut at launch.

However, In November 2005, through a post on his personnal blog, Jeff became known as the man responsible for Star Wars Galaxies’ New Game Enhancements, which alienated a large mass of the existing player base, and in turn Jeff was seen as the “bad guy” in this whole ordeal.? Although he wasn’t the single handed mastermind behind the NGE, the faceless enemy suddenly had a name and a face, and the alienated players began to voice their disgust and anger.? The Escapist wrote a brief piece on how Jeff handled the situation here.

Although Jeff is quoted by The Escapist as saying, “Because I spent almost six years working on SWG, and it kills me that the only people who liked it, hate me. Frequently for misinformed reasons,” a member of his family has stated that SWG and its disgruntled players played no role in Jeff’s suicide.

I myself was one of those players who, years ago, cast the blame upon Jeff and a few others at SOE for what happened to SWG, but never to the point of harassing him personally via message boards, e-mails, or even in person.? Afterall, it was just a game!? If anything, his role ,big or small, in the development/implementation the NGE into SWG actually allowed me to break free from my addiction to that game, and for that I am truly thankfull.? I spent many great hours enjoying the fruit of Jeff’s labor on SWG, and I know he will be missed by all.

I wish his family my condolences