BioShock 2: A Rapturous Conference Call

I originally contacted 2K Games to see about getting someone to interview for Distributed Failure and I was surprised when I was invited to be a part of a developer's conference call the next day covering their newest game, BioShock 2. I was asked to send three to five questions in advance, which a mediator would then ask the team; and if there was extra time, there would be an open Q&A for questions not answered. It was a very rewarding experience and I’ll try my best to summarize all the newfound information.

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Memorable Gaming Moment 2001: Grand Theft Auto III

2001 was an amazing year for gaming; it may have been the greatest year of all time. The list of games is staggering: Final Fantasy X, Gran Turismo 3, Devil May Dry, Ico, Silent Hill 2, Jak & Daxter, Halo, Metal Gear Solid 2, Sonic Adventure 2, Twisted Metal: Black… I could go on for a while, but I don’t want to bore you. The year also gave us two brand new consoles: the Gamecube and the Xbox. It’s hard to think of a year that featured more content than 2001, but none of what I mentioned is more memorable than one key game: Grand Theft Auto III.

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Memorable Gaming Moment 2001: The Xbox

During my life, I have never had the newest or best of anything, not until 2001. I saved up a lot of money and decided to sell a lot of my older games in anticipation of Microsoft’s venture into console gaming: The Xbox. A lot of the gaming community was weary of buying the new machine; afraid that the Xbox would fail because of the Playstation 2’s strong sales.

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Memorable Gaming Moment 2001: The Gamecube

When I think of gaming in the Year 2001, I think of Nintendo's little lunchbox: the Gamecube. I can remember when Nintendo announced the name and my first time seeing the console; it was so tiny. Also, the games themselves were tiny, but the system packed a lot of power. The Gamecube was released three days after the Xbox and I didn’t give a damn about the Xbox; Microsoft did not belong in the game biz. Nintendo was a powerhouse and had a history of bringing us some of the best games ever made. I couldn’t wait for Super Mario Sunshine, but day one I was getting Rouge Squadron II.

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Memorable Gaming Moment 2001: Halo

2001 was not only a great year for hardcore gamers, but it was also a year when the world started opening its eyes to gaming as a very real entertainment industry; one that was starting to make billions and was slowly creeping into every household in America. Sony got its production issues with the PS2 taken care of and units were flying off the shelves. Sure, there were bad things that happened; specifically, I spent most of the year mourning the slow death of the Dreamcast (but I already talked about that).

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Memorable Gaming Moment 2000: The Dreamcast

Most gamers remember the year 2000 as the year the Playstation 2 was unleashed upon the world, but I don’t. This is mostly because; well… that whole “unleashing” thing didn’t work out very well for Sony. Manufacturing problems meant that a PS2 was hard to come by for a little while and the system didn’t have any particularly stand-out launch titles. Besides, I was far too busy playing the Dreamcast and tinkering with my PC to turn my attention to a new console. I was convinced that the Dreamcast was the future of gaming and that anyone who didn’t have one in their living room (with a Dreamcast internet disc and keyboard right next to it) was missing out on the revolution. And you know what? In a very painful sort of way, I’m still convinced. Even though I spent hundreds of hours that year playing revolutionary PC games that would end up defining who I am as a gamer, the single biggest memory I have of the year 2000 is clear: the Dreamcast. The whole system; all of its games; every time I looked at that little system, I thought, “This is the future, and the future? It’s a fucking blast.”

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Memorable Gaming Moment 2000: The Sims

The year 2000 was a great year for gaming. The Sega Dreamcast was still just a baby with hopes of bringing credibility back to the Sega brand name. The Playstation 2 would release and turn out to be one of the greatest consoles in gaming history. 2000 also featured many big game releases such as Diablo II, Perfect Dark, Final Fantasy IX, and much more. While all of this was going on, there was one game that captured me like nothing before: The Sims.

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Memorable Gaming Moment 2000: EverQuest

EverQuest may not have been released in 2000, but it was the first time I had a computer that was able to run it. I had heard a lot about this MMO, and having played Ultima Online, I wanted to give this 3D MMO a shot. Sarah, who I was married to at the time, had bought me the game and a graphics card capable of running the game. It took a little bit to get used to how this type of MMO worked. My first character was a Dwarven Cleric. I thought he was a powerhouse as he tore through the evil rat hoard outside his hometown. Sarah started watching me play and she became very interested as well.

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The Sausage Dump #6: Rob Hates You Too

Better late than never eh? This week's episode is a tad short, but it's about quality, not quantity. We are graced by Kari's presence once again and the Mexican is late, but that should surprise no one. I'm really at a loss for words right now and have no idea what to say. Just know that Rob hates me, you, and everything we know and love, including kittens ...unless they're red-haired kittens.

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Games of the Decade: Final Fantasy X

Final Fantasy X was released for the Playstation 2 on December 20^th, 2001; just a little over a year after the release of the hardware. It ended up being one of the best Japanese role playing games ever released on the PS2. I include this game on my ‘Games of the Decade’ list for a bunch of reasons. The main reason is that I can remember key scenes from the game as if I had just played it yesterday. The opening of the game is so strong that it just blew me away when I first played it. I can still remember Yuna and Tidus kissing in the water, and the first time Yuna does the dance to keep away Sin.

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