Let 2018 Begin!

Last week I wrote about not doing New Year's resolutions, yet all week I kept thinking about what I want to do this year with regards to gaming. 2017 for me was an up and down year for gaming. On one hand I finally made a backlog list, I finished or retired a number of games, and I purchased far fewer games than years past. All great things.

However, I spent a lot of the year handcuffed by the overwhelming feeling of needing to thin out the backlog. I've had these types of dry spells as I like to call them many times. What ends up happening is I will sit and ponder what to play, then just play something multiplayer because I can't decide what to play.

I've said before that gaming should be fun and not feel like work, but dealing with this massive backlog has felt like work to me throughout the year. My resolution last year was to not buy as many games in 2017 as I have done in years past. I'm proud to say I have done that. For the year 2018 I want to buy even fewer games, easier said than done but I think it can happen.

Another resolution that I had last year was to only buy a game I knew I was going to play. I did pretty well with that one in 2017. Most of the games I purchased in 2017 I have played either to completion or retired because they stink. During the Holiday sales I picked up the Sniper Ghost Warrior bundle. I've already finished both Ghost Warrior 1 & 2! I knew both games were super short so knowing that I decided that it was worth the $3.50.

I also picked up Homefront The Revolution. I decided to replay the first Homefront, which only took just over 4 hours, and am now about 5 hours into the newest Homefront. I also picked up Just Cause 3 but I'll end up waiting a bit before diving into that one. It was super cheap and I don't think it'll be cheaper for a long while.

So in a nutshell my 2018 gaming resolutions remain the same as last year: purchase fewer games, play the ones I do buy, and continue to play through the games I do own.

The Time For Resolutions

I'm not big on New Year's Resolutions, never have been. I am, however, into starting new habits if they are for the betterment of one's self. One habit that I really want to get back into is writing and blogging. I do enjoy writing, but as evidence of this blog I have done very little of it over the past few years.

So for the year 2018 I think I am going to get back into the habit of writing, whether it be something big or small. My goal is to blog as often as I can, and to learn and grow as a writer.

Well, the die is cast. Here's to 2018 and to more writing!

The List of Jayedub!

I've written about the all mighty backlog in the past. You know, that thing that we as gamers constantly have looming over our shoulders, taunting us, yet we continue to feed the backlog with holiday sales on a regular basis. Honestly, it really sounds like an addictive relationship!

But in my seemingly overwhelming quest to slay the backlog dragon I have done what I believe is a few things that will help break the painful cycle of buying endless games I won't play and once and for all kill that nasty monster called the backlog.

While I do have a number of games on physical discs, the backlog really started becoming an issue when I began to make digital purchases. As the digital retail market grew and holiday sales became the norm, I found myself buying loads of games. Games that I may not have otherwise played. And each time I defended my purchases with the thought that I was saving money buying whatever game now while it's on sale because someday I will play it.

Last year I made some great strides at not purchasing a game that I wasn't intending on playing right away but it didn't stop me from buying games and putting them on the virtual shelf. It may seem silly because gaming is suppose to be a hobby, not a job. But I often felt guilt knowing that I had this ever growing list of games that I keep contributing to but never actually playing.

So I decided to scour the interwebs to see how others dealt with such an issue. The first thing I learned was not to beat myself up. I had to accept that I may or may not play every game that is on my backlog and that it's going to take time and effort to get to a point where I feel that I have accomplished my goal. Once I came to that conclusion and I stopped beating myself up, I then had to figure a way to accomplish my goal. Believe it or not, it's as simple as making a list.

The most common advice on the webs was to make a list. My start date for the list began with January 5th, 2006, the day I downloaded Steam and installed Half-Life 2. To be fair, Half-Life 2 was actually a physical purchase, but it gave me a great starting point to begin my list. I created a list with every purchase made from an online retailer that could be redeemed on Steam, Origin, Uplay and GOG. 453 games later I have my list.

The next step I did for myself. I started tracking my monthly expenses and purchases that I make online or otherwise. The idea was to see exactly how I was spending my money and on what. This has actually been an eye opener for me. If you couldn't tell, my wife and I don't exactly have a family budget. Because I like buying games during holiday special sales, I lose track of when, what and how much when it comes to buying games. I already knew that I was not playing the games that I was buying, but to see it on paper really helped me to give more thought about my game purchases.

It probably sounds like I'm making a bigger deal out of this than I should, and I agree. Unfortunately I am a bit impulsive with my game purchasing and I needed something to help me gain control over an area in my life that I felt has been out of control for so long. I'm the kind of person who doesn't like chaos, and having a mound of unplayed games for me is chaos.

Hello, It's Me...

Dear Blog,

It's been awhile since we've last talked. I hope you've been well, I myself have been really, really busy. In November of last year I started a new job as a Facility Manager for a very small self-storage company. Yeah, it's a good job and I am enjoying it thus far. In January I did a 21 day purification program that was suggested by my chiropractor. It was tough at first as I was literally starving after the first day. But I persevered and it changed my life. I lost almost 30 pounds and haven't felt this great in years. It also changed my perspective on my diet. I am eating better, cleaner and I really want to hit the gym to see if I can get into better shape!

I'm still playing games. I have gotten better at not buying more games than I can play, but the backlog is still an issue for me. After beating Dead Rising 3 in early January I've been in this funk - you know, the funk that I've written to you about a few times in the years past. I have so many games that I want to play but none of them are quite grabbing me. I end up just sitting in front of my monitor till I pick a random game. It really leaves me in an unsatisfied state honestly. The funk is one reason why I tend to play multiplayer games a lot. Like the couple of months at the end of last year when all I was playing when I came home from work was Star Wars Battlefront, and why I'm playing lots of Battlefield 4 and Rainbow Six Siege; even if I play a few matches I feel like I accomplished something game wise.

But enough about that, let's talk about us. I know I've been neglecting our relationship over the past few years. But I promise to spend more time with you, to be around when you need me. I've missed you, missed us. Till next time blog.

Love,

Jayedub

Dead?

So it has been brought to my attention that I might have a blog and that it's been almost a year since my last post. I am thinking that maybe I might start blogging again, maybe a post here or there about stuff. I'm pretty sure I can come up with some uninteresting material about things no one cares about!

I Spread Butter Like Parkay...

Wow, I can't believe how long I've neglected the blog for, and only four posts all year, that's pretty bad. Well to everyone's dismay I am still around, I've just been too lazy to write anything.

So what's been going on lately you might ask? Back in April I started a new job. I went from working a 32 hr work week with three days off to a full time 40 hr, five days a week job with some crappy commuting on a few days. Needless to say it's been a challenge adjusting to not having so much free time. I still play games when I get home, just not for as long as I used too.

I've pretty much conceded to the fact that I have a difficult time using my free time wisely and now I have even less time to use. I feel the problem is World of Tanks. On most nights I still like the game. However, it's a time sink. Sure, you can play WoT casually, but if you want to get good and be competitive you need to invest the time and effort into it. Basically it's a game that takes time away from the myriad of games I wish I could or should be playing.

But even with less time I have been able to play games. There's been quite a bit of WoT, but also Marvel Heroes. I am in love with this game! It's Diablo with super heroes, what's there not to love! Speaking of Diablo, I did beat D3 with a monk in preparation for Reaper of Souls, then promptly finished that as well. Let me tell you, Reaper is amazing! I love the changes the expansion brought with it, so good!

I did play some Elder Scrolls Online as well, but not very much. The game just hasn't grabbed me like I thought it would. It looks good, the combat is fun, but I just don't like the classes. I actually get annoyed when I think about ESO's classes. Maybe some day I'll be able to put into words exactly what I don't like about the classes.

So that's about it I guess, maybe I won't neglect the blog as much going forward.

Insert Witty Title Here.

This poor blog, seems like I don't give it the time and respect that I once did years ago. It's definitely not from a lack of inspiration, it's more like a lack of motivation mixed with laziness with the ability to waste time. So really this is a post to myself in an attempt to motivate me to post more, besides I always have something silly to say and it's great writing practice.

So what have I been up to the past few months? Playing lots of games. Actually there haven't been too many games so I've been spending quite a bit of time gaming. The game that has grabed the most attention from me is Hitman Absolution - the game is bloody brilliant! Sure it's not perfect, but it is pretty darn good and I do like the new direction the game has gone to. Yes Blood Money is an exceptional game, but sometimes things need to be shaken up a bit to avoid that sequal-itis feeling. Personally I believe that most who criticize Absolution give up on the game early on and never actually get to experience just how great this game really is.

I've also had a hankering for some sort of fantasy RPG gameplay and not necessarily the party kind of game like Dragon Age II (which is a wonderful game). Been playing Borderlands 2 quite a bit lately and as fun as it is, it's kind of too long and I just want to bash something in the face with a sword of mace of some type. I think Skyrim would work to fulfil this desire, but I think what I'm really feeling is a pull towards the MMO again.

I have Guild Wars 2 that I haven't played in a month, but I'm looking for something with good questing, not that crappy run around the land doing errands for people garbage questing that GW2 has. At one point I almost entertained the idea of returning to World of Warcraft, but quickly squashed that idea. Instead I think it's about time to sub to Rift, a game that I've enjoyed quite a bit while playing the F2P portion. I figure between Rift, Eq2 and something single-player I should satiate that fantasy sword bashing thirst.

In the coming weeks I think I'm going to do some sort of best of and worst of type posts for my 2012 gaming. I don't think I'll have anything unique of interesting to say that will differ from others, but it's something I want to do so I will.

So here's hoping that 2013 is a better year for me personally on the blogging front!

Sleep In Heavenly Peace...

Charlotte Bacon, 6

Daniel Barden, 7

Olivia Engel, 6

Josephine Gay, 7

Ana M. Marquez-Greene, 6

Dylan Hockley, 6

Madeleine F. Hsu, 6

Catherine V. Hubbard, 6

Chase Kowalski, 7

Jesse Lewis, 6

James Mattioli, 6

Grace McDonnell, 7

Emilie Parker, 6

Jack Pinto, 6

Noah Pozner, 6

Caroline Previdi, 6

Jessica Rekos, 6

Avielle Richman, 6

Benjamin Wheeler, 6

Allison N. Wyatt, 6

 

Mary Sherlach, 56

Victoria Soto, 27

Anne Marie Murphy, 52

Lauren Rousseau, 30

Dawn Hochsprung, 47

Rachel Davino, 29

  

Happy Turkey Day.

I've kind of ignored this blog because of the ease of complaining on Twitter, and I have a bad habit of just hating people in general. Despite all of that, I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, whether it be with friends, family or just with one's trusted PC. Have a safe and happy weekend people, and don't forget to get your game on!

So Dramatic!

So this blog has been pretty silent for most of the year. My post a few days ago about GW2 was really something I thought up at the last second to keep from having another month with zero posts. Of course I didn't actually expect comments, so that was a nice surprise.

The reason for the inactivity has been for a couple of reasons. One is passion and the other was time. I had really lost all sorts of motivation months ago and began to question why I bother to even blog. What was the purpose? I don't pretend to be the best writer or the most popular blogger, and I certainly didn't want to start posting some sort of contrived, phony intellectual type article about some topic in the games industry that I could care less. I'm most definitely not popular enough to post one sentence links as a post and hope to receive mass amounts of comments, so that was out of the question as well. I guess I could do hateful and and argumentative posts about certain types of games and declare my opinion is the only valid one to have, but that too belongs to someone else.

I'm not the busiest man in the world; my job only takes about thirty hours of my life during the week so I actually nave quite a lot of free time to do things like blogging or playing games. The thing is reading the blogs on my reader and then trying to post something on a semi-regular basis takes a lot of time. It was just more time than I really wanted to invest for blogging honestly. Writing is probably the most time consuming portion for me, to the point of being agonizingly painful. Hmm, that's kind of like the same thing ain't it? I really like to write, I'm just not that good at it. It would, and still does take me a great deal of time to think about and put into words what it is I want to say.

Honestly I've just lost focus and become quite lazy when it comes to blogging. I'm going to continue to blog I think because I like having an avenue to voice my thoughts, frustrations or what have you about anything, mostly game related. It may not be interesting or even topical - heck, when GW2 comes out and I'm the only one not playing I'm pretty sure I'll have zero traffic.

Hmm, after reading through all this I feel like I've become all emo  and overly dramatic.

It Has Many Names...

I'm not one for New Year's resolutions, but I thought this year maybe I'll try to start a new trend. You see, I lack discipline and willpower, and that leads me to buy more games than I can play. What I'm hoping to do is to limit my purchases till I take care of some of the backlog...the pile...the stack. It's known by many names but it's condition is the same.

Beside The Old Republic, I am thinking that I pick one game to play and if possible stick with it till the end. I know what you're thinking, this is how you're suppose to do things. Well not only do I buy too many games, I also have a bad habit of playing those games for say a few minutes before moving on. I guess you could say I am easily distracted by shiny things.

I just finished War in the North so I was thinking of playing Rage next. But there is a good chance I might pick up Saints Row the Third and play that first. Of course I was also thinking of playing through both Mass Effect's before the third comes out. But then there's Space Marine, or even Fallout New Vegas with all of the cool DLC and......OMG TOO MANY GAMES!!!!

Ultramarines.

I have been know to enjoy movies that the mainstream deems stinkers. For example, I love Doom, Silent Hill and Hitman is one of my absolute favorites! I had all but forgotten about the Ultramarines movie, but judging from the trailer it looks to be all kinds of awesome.

Video after the break!

Ho Hum.

Wow, can't believe it's been almost a month since I posted something on the blog. One would think that I have been busy, maybe too busy to spend just a little time to write something, anything. Truth is I've just been lazy. Not only have I not been spending time writing, I have also not been reading my reader feeds of other blogs. Wow, that's not a very good sentence is it!

A Bit of Nothing.

I have just spent the past couple of hours on the web looking up topics such as subjectivity and objectivity, the idea of being entitled to having an opinion and of course reading the Steam message board. I have actually found the time quite enlightening to be honest.

So from that a few thoughts came to mind, mostly game related. What makes a game good or bad? Are game reviews suppose to be objective or subjective? If a game review is the opinion of the author, then why does the author or reviewer suddenly have less credibility because one disagrees with the review? Are we truly entitled to have an opinion and is it to be respected? Why do people become so devoted to a product or company that drives them to close mindedness? Do you think that when Ben Kenobi was talking about the Mos Eisely spaceport, that he was really talking about message boards in general? Why am I still typing this and not playing games? And finally, how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?

I may not know the answer to all of this, but I do know that a few months ago I didn't really care about to know the answers. It wasn't until I jumped on the Steam forums and began to read the most nonsensical, ignorant and elitist statements that made me want to know the answers.

It seems to me that gamers have forgotten how to have fun and not to worry so much about what others think as long as they are enjoying themselves.

EDIT: Here's another question: would a review be better if it stated only the facts and was devoid of any sort of emotional slant? Is that even possible?

I, Myself.

To all those very few who have my dinky blog on their RSS, I want to apologize for my lack of posts. One might have noticed that I have been neglecting my blog for the past several months, and they would be right!

Two things: writing is a painful process for me at times. I love to right, I enjoy putting words together and making somewhat intelligent sentences, but at times it can take just to darn long from start to finish. I have also had a real lack of focus with what I want the blog to be and where it might lead to.

So to summarize - I have been lazy, I am over thinking things, and my addiction to Dragon Age 2 has consumed any and all free time I may have had over the past couple of months. Oh, and there is of course the Stanley Cup playoffs that I have to watch.

So again, sorry everyone for wasting space on your reader.

There's No Place Like Home.

Thank you everyone who read and posted comments on my slow-to-be-updated blog. Unfortunately I was unable to comment myself on my iPhone. As for the trip it was fun, warm and just the right length, by Saturday I was ready to come home.

Auction Time.

For those who don't know I work in the self-storage industry and today we held our auction. It's been awhile since the last auction we held, and the first since the new show Storage Wars began airing TV. The auction was pretty small unit wise and I wasn't sure what affect the show would have for us before we began today.

Well, the show had a massive impact for us. In the six years I've been at this facility I have never seen so many auction buyers at one of our auctions, and I have never seen so many outrageously high bids for such small units! The show had bred a new type of auction buyer, for better or worse it remains to be seen.

A word of advice for those who use storage for sentimental items - don't! A storage facility is not the place you want to keep your pictures or anything of sentimental value, make room at your home because you never know what can happen to them. It always breaks my heart when an auction buyer brings me a box or container filled with pictures of someones kid.

I've never seen the show Storage Wars, but I can guarantee you they are only showing the good stuff for the viewing audience. But I'm sure it makes for great TV!

Life is Fragile.

I'm not the kind of person who keeps up with current events. I dislike watching the news on television because it's filled with death and despair and makes me wonder often times why people are allowed to exist anymore.

On Thursday night my wife and I turned on the 11pm new and were greeted with something that amazed, shocked and saddened us at the same time. When I hear or read about tragic events, for me there is a certain disconnect because it has already happened, and it didn't happen to me. But hearing about the massive earthquake and then watching the tsunami that resulted from the quake rip through Japan on t.v. in real time was almost too much to bear.

I found it very hard to fall asleep on Thursday night. As I lay in my nice comfy, warm bed, all I could think about was that I was about to go to sleep and there are thousands of people who have been displaced by this tragic disaster. Or even worse, have lost loved ones or even their own lives from the tsunami. Watching the devastation happen on t.v. brought back memories of 9/11 and the overwhelming feelings of helplessness and sadness I had while watching the events unfold.

It's events like these that remind me that life is short and fragile, and I need to live my life to the fullest and not take things for granted.

A small update.

Well I made it through the month of February without a post, yay me! It's not for lack of thoughts really, there's quite a lot percolating up in my cranial crock pot. It's more because I am lazy, and I wasn't even sure I even wanted to blog anymore.

The updates to the blog are pretty small; I removed the Xbox Gamercard because my Xbox fried last year and I have no plans on purchasing a new one, and I added a list of my most interested and might purchase games for 2011 called Dub's Game List for 2011. It's just a list of the upcoming games for the year that interest me. Some are a day one must buy, some are games that I will buy eventually and the rest are games I might possibly purchase.

Dragon Age 2 is a game that I will eventually buy, but the sixty dollar price tag and day one release with DLC have turned a must buy into an eventual buy. Sixty bucks for PC games, really!?! Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is a must buy for me. Yes I own it on the PS3, but I have played the game for all of thirty minutes. Had I known it was going to have a PC release I would not have bought the PS3 version. Besides it will look better on my PC. Homefront is a good example of a game that I might possible buy depending on how it reviews. I hear good things about it, but not enough to make me all that excited to buy it.

So that's about it for now. I'm still here, still playing games so maybe I'll get off my keister and write about them every so often. I want to leave everyone with something that may or may not be funny, a video from a show that someone on Twitter linked to. I find it funny, hopefully you do to.

A handheld I think I can like!

Sony has finally announced the Next Generation Portable, or the NGP. It's probably a better name than PSP2, but not buy much. I'm not much of a handheld guy, I don't even like playing games on a phone, you know because it's a phone, but just look at how slick that looks! It's just crying out for me to touch it in naughty ways!

The list of third party support is pretty massive which is a good sign. I believe part of the problem initially with the original PSP was UMD movies and trying to get into that market. These days many of the Blu-Rays come with a digital version that can be ported to a handheld device.

I honestly don't know what the specs are for the NGP and I'm guessing I am going to have to purchase games digitally which I am not fond of, but I am more than willing to support anything NOT Nintendo and their crap hardware and garbage first party games!