Reviewing video games for pay isn't always as glamorous as it seems. Recently, I was stuck with reviewing NBA 08 The Life v3 for the PS2. The review is here. Trust me, it's no fun trudging through trash like that, even if I got the game for free and a small check for doing it. Next up is Thrillville: Off the Rails. The kids and I both had fun with the original Thrillville for the Xbox, so I'm looking forward to this one.
America's Army should be coming in November, and I'm also in the throws of getting my butt kicked in the Diamond Mind Online baseball league. I'm having fun, though...
The boys had a tough soccer tournament this weekend. Since we won our division, we had to play up a division in the tournament. The boys were bigger, faster, and more skillful than teams in our league, but we competed well. Unfortunately, we didn't win any (we tied one 4-4, and lost the others 3-1 and 3-2, respectively), but the boys showed they belonged. We outplayed all three teams, but just couldn't finish (except for the first game, where they lobbed in a goal with 3 seconds left to tie it). Oh well, it was a great year, and we should be moving up a division next season. The best part is that the boys really do like each other and get along, and they play as a team. There are no "superstars" out there; everyone contributes to the cause.
We get a little break through Thanksgiving, and then Darrin starts Upward basketball, followed by indoor soccer in January. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I wasn't running the kids everywhere! I love every minute of it, though...
Monday, October 29, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Long Day
Once a month, I have to attend a meeting that begins at 7AM. My normal start time is 7:30 AM. The meeting is held at one of our other offices – the one that is closer to my house than my actual office. So, basically starting early is not a big deal.
So there I was. Seated at a table of 8 or 9 people and I was the only “chick.” Again, not a big deal.
What was a big deal was when one of the company’s owner’s sons was giving a hard time to a guy on my team. He, in no uncertain terms, stated I was hired as the administrator of the program so why hasn’t my team member turned over those duties to me thus far?
GULP!
This hit me out of left field. It hit me hard. Inside I was seething. I cannot fix or claim or understand that which I knew nothing about until you slapped me in the face with it. Apparently, everyone at the table knew this was coming except me. Perhaps they were testing me. Perhaps they needed to see if I was capable of handling such directness. I was hoping my Crucial Conversation skills would kick in...anytime now.
In order to turn the focus from my team member to me, my supervisor asked what I thought regarding how things have been going so far. I normally and internally count to 10 before answering a question of this nature but, seeing as I was already up to 110 and, still semi-seething (better than completely seething), I answered, calmly and slowly, from my gut:
“I was under the impression that things were going well. In fact, I would have said, extremely (and better than expected) well. However, this is the first time I’m hearing that there’s a problem so, what exactly am I NOT doing and why is it that I’m just hearing about it now?”
The ‘son’ explained that this was not something he brought up in order to place the focus on me, but rather on my teammate. I can’t say that made me feel any better. Keep in mind that my team and I work in different offices. The “next in command” also spoke up stating there was no way I would know such things but now that it was on the table, I could look into getting it resolved. (Like I don’t have enough to do?) I have walked into numerous issues that need to be resolved. I’ve walked into a mess. You’ve got to dig out before you can dig in. I can do that. One day at a time.
By the end of last week, I had it fairly well resolved and that’s a start.
Couple that with my slap on the wrist from the IT department (I failed to follow proper protocol with my request. I'm sure you're not surprised. It's the difference between getting it done today and getting it done next week). As you can see, I’ve had a stellar week.
All is well though. IT hooked me up with what I needed (though my wrists are still a bit bruised!), I solved a problem for my team (with a little help, a little persistence, and a little nudging), and I made it through yet another week thinking that I just might fit in here someday.
Not today, tomorrow, or anytime soon mind you. But someday. Maybe.
__________________________________________________________
Song I listened to this week that summed it up and got me through:
Reach down your hand in your pocket
Pull out some hope for me
It’s been a long day, long day.
(Artist: Matchbox 20/Song: Long Day/CD: Yourself or Someone Like You)
So there I was. Seated at a table of 8 or 9 people and I was the only “chick.” Again, not a big deal.
What was a big deal was when one of the company’s owner’s sons was giving a hard time to a guy on my team. He, in no uncertain terms, stated I was hired as the administrator of the program so why hasn’t my team member turned over those duties to me thus far?
GULP!
This hit me out of left field. It hit me hard. Inside I was seething. I cannot fix or claim or understand that which I knew nothing about until you slapped me in the face with it. Apparently, everyone at the table knew this was coming except me. Perhaps they were testing me. Perhaps they needed to see if I was capable of handling such directness. I was hoping my Crucial Conversation skills would kick in...anytime now.
In order to turn the focus from my team member to me, my supervisor asked what I thought regarding how things have been going so far. I normally and internally count to 10 before answering a question of this nature but, seeing as I was already up to 110 and, still semi-seething (better than completely seething), I answered, calmly and slowly, from my gut:
“I was under the impression that things were going well. In fact, I would have said, extremely (and better than expected) well. However, this is the first time I’m hearing that there’s a problem so, what exactly am I NOT doing and why is it that I’m just hearing about it now?”
The ‘son’ explained that this was not something he brought up in order to place the focus on me, but rather on my teammate. I can’t say that made me feel any better. Keep in mind that my team and I work in different offices. The “next in command” also spoke up stating there was no way I would know such things but now that it was on the table, I could look into getting it resolved. (Like I don’t have enough to do?) I have walked into numerous issues that need to be resolved. I’ve walked into a mess. You’ve got to dig out before you can dig in. I can do that. One day at a time.
By the end of last week, I had it fairly well resolved and that’s a start.
Couple that with my slap on the wrist from the IT department (I failed to follow proper protocol with my request. I'm sure you're not surprised. It's the difference between getting it done today and getting it done next week). As you can see, I’ve had a stellar week.
All is well though. IT hooked me up with what I needed (though my wrists are still a bit bruised!), I solved a problem for my team (with a little help, a little persistence, and a little nudging), and I made it through yet another week thinking that I just might fit in here someday.
Not today, tomorrow, or anytime soon mind you. But someday. Maybe.
__________________________________________________________
Song I listened to this week that summed it up and got me through:
Reach down your hand in your pocket
Pull out some hope for me
It’s been a long day, long day.
(Artist: Matchbox 20/Song: Long Day/CD: Yourself or Someone Like You)
Monday, October 22, 2007
They Did It!
No, unfortunately, I'm not talking about my Indians making the World Series or my Crew making the playoffs, but I am excited that my son's soccer team finished the season undefeated! They were playing winless Olentangy on Saturday, and built a 4-0 lead (without our best goal scorer, who was out of town). As a reward, the coach flip-flopped the defenders and attackers for the second half, so my son got to play on the left wing. He got a goal! I was proud of him. He broke free on a through-ball for a one-on-one with the goalie. Instead of panicking and firing away blindly, he took his time deaked back to the right, and pushed the shot past the goalie. It was well taken, and our last goal of the game in a 5-0 shutout. Up next is our last tournament. Hopefully, the squad can bring back some well-earned hardware.
I often bemoan about being an Ohio sports fan, but in retrospect, it's been a pretty good year. The Buckeyes got to the national championship game in football and basketball, the Zips hoops team had 26 wins (and were robbed of a post-season birth), the Indians made it all the way to one game before reaching the World Series, and the Cavs got to the NBA Finals. No championships, but many of my teams had stellar years. Even the Browns are 3-3, although that's a bit sweet and sour for me, since I'm not a fan of Savage or Crennel, or many of the players on the squad (Edwards, Quinn, Winslow Jr., Lewis, etc.). "Next year" is looking pretty good for just about all of my teams, so I guess I can't complain… too much…
Right now, I'm working up a review for "NBA 08 the Life v3" for the PS2. It's been laborious, for sure. First of all, there is no franchise-type mode at all. Even in season mode, things like the salary cap don't apply. Consequently, I traded Larry Hughes pretty easily for another similarly-rated point guard, which would never happen in real life due to Hughes' contract. Also, there are no injuries, and after simulating several seasons independently, no team signed a free agent. There's not much meat there for NBA fans…
"The Life" is supposed to be the main attraction in the game, where you assume a role on a team who's on a mission to win one more championship before the coach retires. This story is held together by cut scenes surrounded by mini-games, often not related to each other. Most of the mini-games are the same practice drills you can choose in single player mode! It's incredibly drawn out, and pretty lame, by all accounts.
Lastly, on the floor, it's not too bad of a game. The controls aren't as complex as the other NBA game alternatives, which makes it fairly easy to pick up and play. I like the "shot halo" and the area of the floor that lights up to help you grab rebounds, especially. However, I wouldn't call it a "great" NBA experience. I've seen a few AI leaks, like when the point guard tries to start the offense by passing to the wing before getting to half court, which always results in an easy steal. Most players wouldn't do that at the high school level, let alone in the NBA. That said, I need to give it a few more hours before passing judgment. Maybe there's some value in there somewhere...
I often bemoan about being an Ohio sports fan, but in retrospect, it's been a pretty good year. The Buckeyes got to the national championship game in football and basketball, the Zips hoops team had 26 wins (and were robbed of a post-season birth), the Indians made it all the way to one game before reaching the World Series, and the Cavs got to the NBA Finals. No championships, but many of my teams had stellar years. Even the Browns are 3-3, although that's a bit sweet and sour for me, since I'm not a fan of Savage or Crennel, or many of the players on the squad (Edwards, Quinn, Winslow Jr., Lewis, etc.). "Next year" is looking pretty good for just about all of my teams, so I guess I can't complain… too much…
Right now, I'm working up a review for "NBA 08 the Life v3" for the PS2. It's been laborious, for sure. First of all, there is no franchise-type mode at all. Even in season mode, things like the salary cap don't apply. Consequently, I traded Larry Hughes pretty easily for another similarly-rated point guard, which would never happen in real life due to Hughes' contract. Also, there are no injuries, and after simulating several seasons independently, no team signed a free agent. There's not much meat there for NBA fans…
"The Life" is supposed to be the main attraction in the game, where you assume a role on a team who's on a mission to win one more championship before the coach retires. This story is held together by cut scenes surrounded by mini-games, often not related to each other. Most of the mini-games are the same practice drills you can choose in single player mode! It's incredibly drawn out, and pretty lame, by all accounts.
Lastly, on the floor, it's not too bad of a game. The controls aren't as complex as the other NBA game alternatives, which makes it fairly easy to pick up and play. I like the "shot halo" and the area of the floor that lights up to help you grab rebounds, especially. However, I wouldn't call it a "great" NBA experience. I've seen a few AI leaks, like when the point guard tries to start the offense by passing to the wing before getting to half court, which always results in an easy steal. Most players wouldn't do that at the high school level, let alone in the NBA. That said, I need to give it a few more hours before passing judgment. Maybe there's some value in there somewhere...
Monday, October 15, 2007
Game Over!
My son's soccer team clinched their league tonight! They're 8-0-1, with one game to go. They play the winless, last place team on Saturday with a chance to go undefeated, which is quite an accomplishment! They play great team soccer, and are building a foundation for more successful seasons to come.
Overall, they're 12-2-1 this year. They've gone 2-1 in both tournaments, and haven't brought home any hardware. They have one more chance to win a tournament at the end of October, but they'll likely be moved up a division, which will lessen their chances. Any way you slice it, though, this is a season to be proud of!
On the gaming front, I'm still working on the Diamond Mind online game, which will take a while (it's a 9 week online season; 162 games). I also have NBA 08 "The Life" for the PS2. Unfortunately, there don't appear to be any of the funny commercials that accompanied the first iteration of this series. Hopefully, those old commercials won't be more fun than the game...
Overall, they're 12-2-1 this year. They've gone 2-1 in both tournaments, and haven't brought home any hardware. They have one more chance to win a tournament at the end of October, but they'll likely be moved up a division, which will lessen their chances. Any way you slice it, though, this is a season to be proud of!
On the gaming front, I'm still working on the Diamond Mind online game, which will take a while (it's a 9 week online season; 162 games). I also have NBA 08 "The Life" for the PS2. Unfortunately, there don't appear to be any of the funny commercials that accompanied the first iteration of this series. Hopefully, those old commercials won't be more fun than the game...
Sunday, October 07, 2007
All Goo Things Must Come To An End
And so, after two very full years of touring, the Goo Goo Dolls last stop was none other than Cleveland, Ohio. What a night. Forget there was the long wait in line since tickets were general admission. (And by long wait, I do mean 2+ hours). Forget that there was no A/C while standing in line, nor inside the venue. Forget that I was wearing boots with a fairly thick 3.5-inch heel. Forget that we were hot, it was stifling, the opening act came on 30 minutes late and played at least 4 songs too many (out of 6 total). Not that they were bad mind you, they were just late. We were sweaty to the point of feeling gross. All you could think about was a shower. I was just not in the right mindset to even comment or appreciate the opening act called Verona Grove (from Wisconsin). Their songs definitely fall under the category of “pop.” They tried to infuse a portion of Avril Lavigne’s hit “Girlfriend” into one of their songs, which felt like a plea for applause. They are a 3-man band comprised of twenty-somethings that were thrilled, but out of their league, when it came to opening for the Goo Goo Dolls. I half wonder if they are going to be on the Good Caramel label (Robbie’s record label) since they were the “chosen,” I assume, as the opening act.
This show was a “cancel and reschedule”, so perhaps the Goos just gave Verona Grove a shot. I don’t know how it works but the sentiment was appreciated. Some bands are worth the wait and this one wasn’t. In their defense, I believe there were technical difficulties that they could not have anticipated or fixed so it wasn’t their entire fault. It just didn’t help the evening. They touted their new CD, asked us to visit them on MySpace (“We need friends” declared the lead singer), and met any fans willing in the corridors after their performance. Let’s see if they are willing to do the same if and when they “make it.” The Goo Goo Dolls certainly are. I have my photo to prove it. Verona Grove, later that evening, could be seen “stage left” watching and learning from the Goos. It will be interesting to see how that pans out.
I turned to my friend and said, “Just let me know when you are ready to go.” The Goos hadn’t even hit the stage yet. It was that hot – I was delirious. We were dehydrating faster than we could hydrate ourselves (and we didn’t want to lose our place in the mosh pit.)
And then it happened. Pink Floyd’s ‘You Better Run’ came on. And for those who don’t know, that’s the music they play this tour, right before the GGD take the stage.
Everything went pitch black.
And then there was light.
Light that swirled across your face, down your body and over your head – blinding you and begging you not to turn away because you would miss it. You would miss the Goo Goo Dolls take the stage. And then the heat was different. Much different. A mother walked her daughter away from the stage. Heat exhaustion. Johnny.
We moved closer.
A breeze from nowhere circled momentarily, giving you a chance to cool down and catch your breath before you would lose it all over again, and again, and again.
We sang. We danced. We pushed forward. We smiled. We cheered. We laughed and our faces hurt. Our voices tomorrow would be non-existent. We would not leave until the encore, which included America Girls (Tom Petty), was a distant memory. It was rockin’! Johnny was in a great mood. Robbie, naturally, had more energy than the sum of everyone in the room. It’s like he feeds of our energy and we feed of his – this vicious circle and feeding frenzy. It works. He was crazy that night and we felt it. We got crazy too.
Johnny was in rare form. He could do no wrong. And then he told Mike to sing. Mike, of course, is the drummer. He did a drum solo that would blow us way. It was unfathomable. He’s amazing and doesn’t get half the credit he deserves. And then they played their 1st hit, “NAME”. I’ve quoted partial lyrics in this blog before (“Scars are souvenirs you never lose. The past is never far.”) But Johnny, still feeling silly made Robbie take over lead vocals and later, bid Mike to sing. Just for the record, Mike DOES NOT sing. Johnny told us to chant, so we did. “Mike! Mike! Mike…” Mike was freakin’ out. He didn’t know how to get out of this
Direct from the blog at the Goo Goo Dolls official website:
September 26th, 2007 - NAME
We won’t tell them you sang, Mike. We had a sing along to one of our songs and all three of us took a chance at the mic, not being so odd since Robby does several songs a show anyway, but it was a twist when John handed the mic over to Mike who from behind the drums did his very best William Shatner … thank you Cleveland for a fun show tonight...
And thank you Goo Goo Dolls for a fun, memorable, crazy, lively, unforgettable night!
It was “one of those nights.” Something rare happened and we were part of it.
We felt like we were right in the center of it all. You know that everything depends on the center.
Sure, you can live on the edge but, remember that the most important thing about the center is this:
The center must hold.
_________________________________________________________________
Hold on
Before its too late
Until we leave this behind
Don't fall just be who you are
It's all that we need in our lives
(Before Its Too Late/The Goo Goo Dolls/From the Transformers movie)
This show was a “cancel and reschedule”, so perhaps the Goos just gave Verona Grove a shot. I don’t know how it works but the sentiment was appreciated. Some bands are worth the wait and this one wasn’t. In their defense, I believe there were technical difficulties that they could not have anticipated or fixed so it wasn’t their entire fault. It just didn’t help the evening. They touted their new CD, asked us to visit them on MySpace (“We need friends” declared the lead singer), and met any fans willing in the corridors after their performance. Let’s see if they are willing to do the same if and when they “make it.” The Goo Goo Dolls certainly are. I have my photo to prove it. Verona Grove, later that evening, could be seen “stage left” watching and learning from the Goos. It will be interesting to see how that pans out.
I turned to my friend and said, “Just let me know when you are ready to go.” The Goos hadn’t even hit the stage yet. It was that hot – I was delirious. We were dehydrating faster than we could hydrate ourselves (and we didn’t want to lose our place in the mosh pit.)
And then it happened. Pink Floyd’s ‘You Better Run’ came on. And for those who don’t know, that’s the music they play this tour, right before the GGD take the stage.
Everything went pitch black.
And then there was light.
Light that swirled across your face, down your body and over your head – blinding you and begging you not to turn away because you would miss it. You would miss the Goo Goo Dolls take the stage. And then the heat was different. Much different. A mother walked her daughter away from the stage. Heat exhaustion. Johnny.
We moved closer.
A breeze from nowhere circled momentarily, giving you a chance to cool down and catch your breath before you would lose it all over again, and again, and again.
We sang. We danced. We pushed forward. We smiled. We cheered. We laughed and our faces hurt. Our voices tomorrow would be non-existent. We would not leave until the encore, which included America Girls (Tom Petty), was a distant memory. It was rockin’! Johnny was in a great mood. Robbie, naturally, had more energy than the sum of everyone in the room. It’s like he feeds of our energy and we feed of his – this vicious circle and feeding frenzy. It works. He was crazy that night and we felt it. We got crazy too.
Johnny was in rare form. He could do no wrong. And then he told Mike to sing. Mike, of course, is the drummer. He did a drum solo that would blow us way. It was unfathomable. He’s amazing and doesn’t get half the credit he deserves. And then they played their 1st hit, “NAME”. I’ve quoted partial lyrics in this blog before (“Scars are souvenirs you never lose. The past is never far.”) But Johnny, still feeling silly made Robbie take over lead vocals and later, bid Mike to sing. Just for the record, Mike DOES NOT sing. Johnny told us to chant, so we did. “Mike! Mike! Mike…” Mike was freakin’ out. He didn’t know how to get out of this
Direct from the blog at the Goo Goo Dolls official website:
September 26th, 2007 - NAME
We won’t tell them you sang, Mike. We had a sing along to one of our songs and all three of us took a chance at the mic, not being so odd since Robby does several songs a show anyway, but it was a twist when John handed the mic over to Mike who from behind the drums did his very best William Shatner … thank you Cleveland for a fun show tonight...
And thank you Goo Goo Dolls for a fun, memorable, crazy, lively, unforgettable night!
It was “one of those nights.” Something rare happened and we were part of it.
We felt like we were right in the center of it all. You know that everything depends on the center.
Sure, you can live on the edge but, remember that the most important thing about the center is this:
The center must hold.
_________________________________________________________________
Hold on
Before its too late
Until we leave this behind
Don't fall just be who you are
It's all that we need in our lives
(Before Its Too Late/The Goo Goo Dolls/From the Transformers movie)
Thursday, October 04, 2007
I thought it only happened in (poorly coded) video games
Last night, in the first playoff game between the Cubs and the Diamondbacks, Lou Piniella made a gaffe usually reserved for second-rate video game managerial AI. The Cubs had two on in the top of the seventh inning in a 1-1 game. Their ace pitcher, Carlos Zambrano, was at the plate. Now, anybody that follows baseball knows that Piniella has two options:
1. Leave Zambrano in to hit, even though the best-hitting pitchers are usually worse that the worst-hitting position player on the bench, so you can get at least one more inning out of him, or
2. Pinch-hit for Zambrano and go for the runs, and hope your bullpen comes through
Lou totally dropped the ball. He allowed Zambrano to hit in the top of the seventh (he struck out), then put him on the bench and brought in a reliever to pitch the bottom of the seventh, who subsequently gave up the go-ahead home run! Any reviewer worth his salt would lambaste a video game for this mistake, yet here's a manager who's got 40 years' experience in the game and a World Series ring making this error!
His excuse was that he didn't want to run up Zambrano's pitch count (it was at 85), so he could save him for game 4, and that he trusts his bullpen. Well, there's some problems with that logic. First of all, if you don't win, there may not be a game four! Secondly, if you trust your bullpen, why did you leave your worst hitter in the lineup out there to hit, knowing you were going to pull him from the game, anyway?! Sorry, Lou, that's weak. And, to top it off, almost none of the talking-head sports anchors mentioned the part about letting Zambrano hit. Boo-yeah, these guys are real experts...
1. Leave Zambrano in to hit, even though the best-hitting pitchers are usually worse that the worst-hitting position player on the bench, so you can get at least one more inning out of him, or
2. Pinch-hit for Zambrano and go for the runs, and hope your bullpen comes through
Lou totally dropped the ball. He allowed Zambrano to hit in the top of the seventh (he struck out), then put him on the bench and brought in a reliever to pitch the bottom of the seventh, who subsequently gave up the go-ahead home run! Any reviewer worth his salt would lambaste a video game for this mistake, yet here's a manager who's got 40 years' experience in the game and a World Series ring making this error!
His excuse was that he didn't want to run up Zambrano's pitch count (it was at 85), so he could save him for game 4, and that he trusts his bullpen. Well, there's some problems with that logic. First of all, if you don't win, there may not be a game four! Secondly, if you trust your bullpen, why did you leave your worst hitter in the lineup out there to hit, knowing you were going to pull him from the game, anyway?! Sorry, Lou, that's weak. And, to top it off, almost none of the talking-head sports anchors mentioned the part about letting Zambrano hit. Boo-yeah, these guys are real experts...
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Stuntman Ignition Review
My review is up at Gameshark. Stuntman Ignition is a great game, and I highly recommend it.
Next in the queue is a review of an online, historical version of baseball season-replay king Diamond Mind Baseball. It looks pretty neat, because there are nearly 4000 players available, from all eras, with normalized statistics and modern-day contracts. You draft your team within a $100 million salary cap (sorry, the Yankees couldn't compete in this league!), and play a 162 game season over 9 weeks. Well, you don't actually play, but you do have the option of watching (or should I say "reading") the play-by-play of each game unfold, or just checking the box scores.
DMB is an excellent product, and highly realistic. I'm looking forward to answering some of those age-old baseball questions about "who's better." FYI - the Babe checks in at a $25 million salary! Yikes!
Next in the queue is a review of an online, historical version of baseball season-replay king Diamond Mind Baseball. It looks pretty neat, because there are nearly 4000 players available, from all eras, with normalized statistics and modern-day contracts. You draft your team within a $100 million salary cap (sorry, the Yankees couldn't compete in this league!), and play a 162 game season over 9 weeks. Well, you don't actually play, but you do have the option of watching (or should I say "reading") the play-by-play of each game unfold, or just checking the box scores.
DMB is an excellent product, and highly realistic. I'm looking forward to answering some of those age-old baseball questions about "who's better." FYI - the Babe checks in at a $25 million salary! Yikes!
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