If you want me to cover your game and/or etcetera

Don't say something like this:

(from an email received)

"If you do not get a review build and then write more than a thousand words about our game in a single post which receives more than ten comments, regardless of the review score or your opinion of the game, we will Paypal you a dollar -- guaranteed. (Please email *Email Removed* a link to your review to redeem your dollar.)"

This is not a big site by any means. It is a site of one—Rob is a podcasting hero, but he doesn't write for the site or any of that jazz—and I pay for everything myself. I will never accept money from a developer/creator. Ever. And I will never cover what you make if you make such an offer. In the long run my lack of coverage will likely mean nothing as I am a small force in the world of pseudo press, but I would rather have my integrity than your dollar or attention. It's worth so much more. (And no, I will not mention the game/developer by name for obvious reasons.)

Nathan Drake - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

New Humble Bundle: Mojam

I have always been a fan of the Humble Bundle with all their bundles of charitable delight and indie publicity and everyone knows I love a good rhyme—I love bad ones too. Well, the newest bundle isn't really a bundle (at this point) but it's an interesting idea that one could relate to the recent Double Fine Kickstarter shenanigans of pleasantness and it comes as no surprise that Mojang—creators of Minecraft—is behind it.

The basic idea is simple: You donate and split the money how you like as always, but this time there is no specific, already-made game to receive (once again, at this point); instead, Mojang is creating a game from scratch, and in sixty hours a game, genre and whatnot chosen via a poll, will be created. (It's going to be a steampunk-themed RTS.) It's very interesting and the entire process is going to be streamed over TwitchTV, so you can watch everything fall apart as people start dying off come hour sixty. I would be surprised if no other game joined the bundle over the coming days, but either way, I contributed and I hope you feel inclined to do so too.

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Review: Pinball FX2 - "Epic Quest" (XBLA)

My love for Pinball FX2 and its Zen brother is no secret. I love the game of pinball and love what Zen Studios has been doing with the game of ball beating. The newest addition to the family of tables is “Epic Quest,” a table themed around good old fashioned action RPGs. In a statement that will make you believe you're telepathic, “Epic Quest” is one of my favorite tables to date.

It may not be the deepest system, but the “Epic Quest” table does include stereotypical RPG elements like leveling up and collecting loot. It was awesome at first, but the lack of a large variety of loot made it less exciting after a significant amount of time passed. That's not to say those elements got boring, but there was little surprise after a few hours of constant play. And for those who play RPGs often, let it be known that purples exist and if you don't know what I'm talking about, just know it's more than just a pretty color. I was also surprised, the pleasant kind, to discover that loot carries over from game to game—as does the character level with a cap of 100—not just over the course of one game.

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The new, amazing Amazing Spider-Man Official Trailer

I have always been excited to hear/see more about the Spider-Man reboot, but now, I'm more excited for this film than any other comic-related film of 2012; more than The Avengers and more than The Dark Knight Rises. It truly looks amazing.

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"Pillow"

The following story is a piece of flash fiction written by yours truly. You may or may not be surprised by the type of story based on what little you know of me and, more specifically, my usual sarcastic tone. This is what I do and I hope you find something of value in that which lies below, even if it's only fodder for trolling me.

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"Pillow"

     Knock, knock. The yellow door is all that differentiates Corey's family home from the rest, each house in the suburban subdivision is painted white with charcoal tiled roofs, no flowers, no color, only waist-high hedges blending into green grass, contrasting against white concrete, SUVs and minivans hidden behind garage doors. He peels open the door and I walk in without invitation, making a left at the family portrait next to the arched doorway leading to the living room decorated in blacks and whites with only hints of color in the form of roses and tulips. I take a seat in the full-sized sofa, blacker than asphalt, cling to one end, grab a throw pillow and slip it under my shirt. "Somebody's pregnant," Corey jokes. I pull out the pillow. "It's a baby boy!" he says, "Let's name him Pillow." I force a smile.

Finish the story with a little clickage of your mousey-mouse.

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Say no to SOPA and yes to SOAP

If you want to read up on SOPA (and PIPA) and all that jazz, I recommend Nilay Patel's article over at The Verge. It may be an oldie, but it is a good; not to mention, I'm a total Verge fanman.

Another great piece from T.C. Sottek over at The Verge: "Money, power, and Congress: how lobbyists will determine the fate of SOPA" -- I got to thinking, doesn't SOPA sound like the word one would create when trying to condense "soda pop" into a single word? Conspiracy? I think the answer is an obvious yes.

Review: Zen Pinball 3D (3DS)

I am near-sighted and wear glasses. Because of this, 3D doesn't always work, is often irritating thanks to glasses over glasses, and is prone to giving me headaches. I don't have to worry about wearing glasses over glasses with the 3DS, but my other issues still exist and I tend to play most games with subtle to no 3D. This may seem like unneeded information, but I believe it's important to know where I'm coming from if, perchance, you suffer from the same problems.

I didn't expect much from Zen Pinball 3D in terms of actual 3D—I mean, it's just a pinball game after all—but the 3D is the reason I kept playing and continue to play. I love pinball and Pinball FX2—the XBLA pinball game from Zen Studios, the same studio behind Zen Pinball 3D—so I expected a great game, but I never expected a pinball game to deliver my best 3D experience to date—keep in mind, my experience with 3D is limited, but thanks to my skinny frame and living in the "Windy City," I was blown away.

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PlayStation Vita sales drop even lower in second full week

Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse for the PlayStation Vita, it drops even lower in its second full week as the Nintendo 3DS continues to thrive and Nintendo fans all high-five. According to the data at 4gamer [link], the Vita sold a mere 42,648 units in its second full week—compared 72,479 [link] units in its first full week and 324,859 [link] during its weekend launch—which isn't a good sign, though at least the Vita outsold the Wii during its second full week—which only mustered 33,208 units.

It's still too early to run to hills screaming "nooooo" in your best Revenge of the Sith impression, but as far as signs go, those not sung by Ace of Base, this isn't good and leaves plenty of room for pessimism. Will this bring about a faster price drop than the 3DS? Will this make Sony adjust their plans in Europe and the States? Who knows—other than Sony of course—but I find this all rather interesting and am more curious as to why it's not selling instead of just raising the white flag in surrender.

Review: Windosill (iPad)

Windosill is a short little puzzle game that released on PC a few years back and recently found a new home on the iPad. I really enjoyed the game on PC and recommend said version if that's your only way of playing it, but I adore it on iPad. If you only take one thing from this forthcoming review, let it be this: the best version of Windosill—and thus, the best way to play it—is the iPad version.

It's a bit hard to review the game because it's very short and should be experienced with as little knowledge as possible, but I will do my best to whet your appetite without spoiling it. As I just said, the game is short and took me less than a half-hour to finish, but I'm not complaining; Windosill is a fantastic ride capable of starting and finishing in a single sitting and while I wouldn't pay $60, the developers aren't asking for more than a little spare change.

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