xhonzi

Due to overwhelming demand after declaring myself a gamer, I am now going into "the details."

I was a PC gamer from the old Black and Green CGA graphics days.  My first VGA game was Monkey Island.  My last real PC game was Deus Ex or Deus Ex 2.  I played mainly shooters, adventure games, and StarCraft (I was going to say RTSs, but it was really just StarCraft).  I never had a console, but my Grandma Xhonzi always did, so I played Metroid and Zelda and Mario.  I was really excited about Halo coming out on PC, and then got very ticked when Microsoft bought Bungie and made it an Xbox exclusive.  I wasn't interested in Xbox anyways, but that ticked me off enough that I boycotted it.

And then I got married and got a real job.

Not having as much time anymore, I stopped gaming for a couple years.  I eventually picked up an Xbox when Halo 2 came out.  I found mostly games that my wife and I could play co-op together.  But little-by-little my gaming interests came back.  I bought a 360 in '06.  I stay about a year behind or so on games so I can pick them up for cheap.  (www.cheapassgamer.com if you don't know).  There are exceptions like Rock Band and Halo where I am willing to pay a little more knowing that I'll get my money's worth.

We also own a Wii because we are Middle America.  I really bought it to keep playing Metroid, Mario and Zelda.

You can find me on xbox live by the gamertag of 'xhonzi' (shocker!).  The last games I completed were Prince of Persia and my first playthrough of Halo Wars, which I'm going back through on Legendary.  We have people over to play Rock Band a couple times a month.  The wife and I have furious Peggle/Puzzle Quest contests that usually end with me sleeping on the couch.  And after many months I'm about 1/2 way through Gears of War 2 with my friend from Boston.  He has a wife and kids too (and a real job), so we have a hard time finding the time to chainsaw people in the face together.  That, and he's two timezones away.

I've never gone the handheld route, but C3PX has got me thinking.

Well, I'm sure nobody really cared, but that's the kind of gamer I am.

I assumed as much.  I also assumed that if I tried to put the moves on you, you'd tell the whole theatre.

You could get a job where you describe movies for the vision UNimpaired then.  In fact, I will pay you $10 to go to Zombieland with me this weekend and tell me what I'm already seeing.

I have all of this faith that Avatar will be good despite the fact that nothing I've seen or heard warrants that.  I think all of my faith can be summed up with "Hey, it's Jim Cameron.  He can do no wrong."

Reminds me of a younger version of my self and placing such trust in one George Lucas.

Or assuming that Spielberg would somehow keep Indy IV straight.

So... I'm just not so sure anymore.

But, I did go to the 15 minute preview on Avatar Day.  The 3D I thought was really good.  I expect all big summer and Christmas movies after this will have to think VERY hard about 3D if they want to make any money.  And it's nice for the studios since it's a good way to back-door a $4 hike in ticket prices.  :(

Pwned!

No, not really.

So I have to be a native?  I can't be a naturalized Naboo citizen?

I was extremely disappointed by Pirates 3.  I think it’s mostly a mess, it stops playing by the rules set up in the first two, and the introduction of the Sea-Witch as a major part of the narritive that late in the game is really unsatisfactory to me.

My problem is that I am a better fan than a writer.  When the wife and I watched Pirates 1&2 in anticipation of seeing 3 in the theatre, I got really excited by the foreshadowing in 2 and was really look forward to how they were going to pay it off in 3.  Something seems to have happened there because the 2nd half and denouement of 3 seems to have almost nothing to do with 2.

What can be done?  Well, it’s probably impossible for me but I would suggest a complete rewrite of 3.  Don’t start with the movie and work backwards, but start with with a blank page and the history in 1 & 2 and work forwards.  Then, see what materials are available in the whole trilogy, and see what can be done.

What do you think?

I...  erm...  Don't have to show it to you.

Hey wait!  I play games too!

Warbler said:

It is only recently that I've begun using an actual pic of myself as my avatar.   I used to use a pic of John Adams from the movie 1776.  

Now I remember you.  Welcome back.  John Adams from 1776 is one of my favourites and I instantly held you in high regard for using him as your avatar.

Did we ever find it?

I vote for 'xhonzi.'

I'm a 3D nut.  It is a gimmick, but it works for me.

I'm excited for the 3D at home boom that's supposed to occur in 2010.  I think mixing stereoscopy and head tracking will be very immersive for video games.

I always think she bears a striking resemblance to young Carrie Fisher.  After a car wreck or something.

I thought he was a yellow pad guy.  Or wasn't it green?

It is on sort of a different tact than ESB or anything else, if I recall.  Isn't the whole story one romantic getaway for Luke and Leia?

Hopefully they don't really stink.  I'm all for realism and whatnot, but c'mon.

skyjedi2005 said:

Unless you were referring to it no longer being the adventures of luke skywalker replaced with a lie about it always being a six film darth vader story,lol.

 No, of course not.  I was referring to Ric Olie's absense from the picture...

Luke who?

I passed a bus today with an ad for Star Wars in Concert.  It was very close to the picture on this page:

http://blog.newsok.com/bamsblog/2009/07/23/star-wars-in-concert-coming-this-fall-to-oklahoma-citys-ford-center/

Hmmm... does anybody seem to be missing?  I couldn't believe it!  It reconfirmed to me that the focus of Star Wars isn't what it used to be.

There's a "My Little Tauntaun" segment on the DVD for Robot Chicken Star Wars: Episode 2.  It's quite well done.  My little girls love it.  Part of it features a little girl going to sleep in a tauntaun carcass.

Where does the bit about Thrawn and the Vong come in?

You know, it kind of reminds me of Optimus Prime.

Mint in the box.

I'M NOT CALLING THEM THAT!

Maybe we should take a break.