You ever see cool technology that you go "oh awesome!" but never bother to buy? Maybe a fancy mouse for your computer? A surround sound system? A fight stick or race wheel? Anything? Cause i have. I imagine everyone has. Except, i started buying them.

I'm probably about 15 years in to my gaming hobby, give or take a few years. I started gaming on the NES, continued with genesis, on to the Nintendo 64, then the PS2, Xbox, Gamecube, PC, 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, and sometimes the DS. Maybe not exactly in that order. I'd gone from being blown away by the realistic graphics of Mortal Kombat and Primal rage, to the amazing set pieces of Vanquish and Uncharted 2, and all in glorious HD. It's been a pretty good run so far, and one i don't see me easing up on anytime soons. Games and Swanny go hand in hand. So it is, and so shall it be.

It was however, only about a year and a half to two years ago (dunno exact date, don't care to look) when Street Fighter 4 was coming out and my excitement was rising, when I saw madcatz fight sticks and had an epiphany. I was over a decade deep in video games, and I'd spent every year of it, playing a game with a controller. So i decided, fuck it, It's time to change it up. I decided to buy the arcade sticks, order some parts to swap i out with, and played the hell out of street fighter! It quickly turned in to one of the most entertaining things I had done at the time as far as games go. I felt like i was discovering games again. It was new, exciting, fresh for me. I loved it. I was and still am mediocre at the best of times at street fighter, but it didn't stop me from playing it for almost 100 hours. (which is pretty rare for me)

So a little while after that, Forza 3 was on it's way out, and i was watching some videos for it and was eyeballin the steering wheels a bit. I figured, as much as i enjoyed the change of pace with a fighting game, a racing game with a wheel would probably be fantastic. And I was even more excited because i never really got to even do racing games at arcades too often. I looked in to it, decided I'd just buy the Microsoft wheel as the only other option was very expensive. I bought it, modified it with a steel ball bearing so that the wheel performed better in a number of ways, and had it ready to go for Forza 3's release.

Game came out, and i had a blast with it. I felt the cars now. It gave me feedback i never imagined, it was great! A little while after i decided to try driving the cars in manual, and so i took my Gallardo out to Nürburgring, and after a few moments, had one of the most exciting gaming experiences of my life. I had another refresher, when i decided to do manual with clutch, instead of just sequential. (the Microsoft wheel only had paddle shifters, so it's always sequential to an extent, but the clutch let me shift faster anyway) Recently F1 2010 landed, i picked it up, and again, new, exciting, and tense. And it really showed me how much i can enjoy a good racing game. Especially with the wheel.

So it was with a small amount of trepidation, i decided to go all out ($350) while i still could, and order a limited edition Fanatec race wheel that worked on Xbox, ps3, and Pc, and had all the bells and whistles that the Microsoft wheel didn't. Larger rotation radius, better force feedback, quieter wheel, the list goes on and on.

This bad boy...


Most people might find themselves wondering what makes, essentially, a toy racing wheel worth the price of a new console, or small tv. I can argue the things I mentioned above, which amount to it just being a damn impressive little bit of fun. Or the fact that it works on both consoles and pc, so I can in theory be using it for the next 5 years or more. But what ultimately sold me, is that the thing just looks fun!

I'm so excited to be able to race and have to actually shift. I'm excited to be able to go from 4th gear to 2nd immediately. I'm thrilled that i can spin the wheel 900º! And why? Outside just enjoying racing games a lot, it's because it's new and exciting to me!

You'd think this mindset might lead to me being all over Move, and Kinect and Wii's motion controls, but the short of it is no. I find em kinda foolish, and more than anything else fairly impractical for the most part. Especially Kinect, as far as it's gaming abilities at the moment.

Basically this boils down to as I've gotten older, and I've become more and more familiar with games, these toys have come to be a beautiful shot of fresh fun. It takes a step past the status quo, and puts my entertainment in a different place for me than it would normally be. It helps break the games up, and make them each a bit more unique.

I mean hell, one of my favorite purchases ever, was an almost hundred dollar mouse from logitech that works on any service, the most impressive of which, is glass. I bought it because i hate the fuck out of mousepads. And I've never looked back. It's great, love everything about it. I do however understand that some people might not put that much value in to their entertainment or tools. Or they might simply not be able to afford it. No one's made out of money, well...at least no one reading this is probably.

But, if you found yourself with some extra cash at some point, or with a few less responsibilities, and want to kick your fun back up a notch I gotta say, buy something! Whether it's a new hdtv, a nicer chair, whatever, do it! You just gotta go all out sometimes, if you can.

Just...don't forget to feed the kid or something.

*if this doesn't make an ounce of sense, it's due to me having to leave in the middle of it. Train of thought might have derailed.

I would like to be a more positive person. I tend to come across a bit more negative than I mean to be, and for some reason have a constant scowl plastered to my brow, even though I'm rarely in a bad mood. (I've done this, even before i had this manly beard and pubes) Instead, It seems as though I tend to be in a relentless state of objective contemplation about everything and anything around me. Maybe it's natural, but if my interactions with fellow human beings is as indicative as I personally believe it to be, it seems it's not the case.

Now, I'm not arrogant enough to say that everyone is an idiot. Obviously, everyone isn't. If that was the case we simply wouldn't be where we are as a species right now. But my god, do i tend to just cringe at a lot of the shit that comes out of gamers (and people in general) mouths. Ironically, the people making me cringe, probably cringe at things too, possibly things I even say.

However, I will say, I believe every one is ignorant. Myself included.

What i mean by this, is simple. No one will know everything. Many people will have certain subjects, or aspects of their lives that they simply don't "get". They might come to some sort of terms with it in their own minds, and think they understand it, but put them against someone who knows about whatever subject it could be, and someones probably gonna facepalm due to ignorance. Doesn't necessarily mean that person is an idiot. Doesn't mean they're not either, but it does mean they are, to a degree, ignorant.

Before i carry on, I will say, I do understand everyone is entitled to their opinion. I'm not against hearing it. (usually) I just simply try to make it a point to think for 2 seconds before speaking, and appreciate those who follow suit.

It's the reason i don't talk politics. I just don't know a god damn thing about em. I hate em, i never think about em, i barely give a shit. So i keep my mouth shut, or at the very least specify a lack of knowledge before i start running my mouth. Same with cars. I love driving em, and i enjoy a good car, and i love racing games, but if someone starts talking about engines, I'm done for.

A recent frustration of mine was the new Dante reveal. After the initial reaction of "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY BABY!?" I re watched the trailer, looked at some screen shots, and quickly came around to what they're doing. His design is fantastic! The coat, the hair, the way it all flows when he's in movement, it works beautifully. Is it like the "old" Dante? Fuck no. That could be noted as a downer, but that doesn't mean he's a bad character.

I couldn't help but feel that people didn't so much dislike the design as just a typical knee jerk reaction to change. Or just saw black hair and screamed emo with out looking at how punk rock the rest of his design is.

And of course, someone had to say "He kinda looks like the guy who runs ninja theory." and spawn a whole new level of stupid comments implying that this guy is some narcissistic ass hole, which is only made worse by the fact that none of those people probably ever knew what he looked like, or his name, or the first thing about him before someone posted a picture.

Had that trailer not have been for a Devil May Cry game, the comments section would have been filled with more "Would like to know more." instead of "Kill it with fire."

To be honest, i often blame my fellow Americans for reactions like that as well. Europe and Japan seem to be a bit more inclined to unique art choices where as over here it seems a bit less interested.
As an artist myself it's frustrating to see these things happen, and also tends to be why i often find so many comments on artistic choices mind numbingly ignorant.

As i was saying though, does it mean these people are stupid? Not exactly, it just means they probably don't really have any merit discussing the values of a character design or artistic choices, cause they probably just don't know anything. They might be more than able to tell me the correct way to sail a boat though, and be damn good at doing so.

Had they also been a bit more objective about it, perhaps they could have also seen around the obvious changes, and seen the character for the value that he does have.

In the end, i know this is all my opinion, and it could be me doing exactly as i had stated above, and coming to my own terms with the world around me. But i like to think that my general streak of being above average has carried on past report cards, and left me with an, if only a little, sharper intellect then your average bear.

Tomorrow Halo Reach finally comes out at midnight. (Technically Tuesday, i know, shut up.) and I'm simply way too damn excited for it. Generally I'd imagine most people like being excited about something, and to an extent, I do too. For me however, when i actually DO get excited, i I find myself spending way too much time being annoyed and/or frustrated to enjoy it.

A year ago when the Reach teaser first aired, I got pumped instantly. I'm a pretty big Halo fan. More so due to the lore than anything, but the multiplayer is still probably my favorite multiplayer around. Skip forward some time and I'm working at a sign shop giggling about going home to play the reach beta. And by that night, I'm hooked.

Now when I say hooked, i don't mean i spent every waking moment of my time playing the beta. I played it a fair amount, but i was pretty able to turn it off. What I mean by hooked, is for the months in between the beta and the release tomorrow, especially more so the last few weeks, I've barely been able to concentrate on other games cause i want to play Reach so bad. I've got every video on the market place still sitting on my hard drive, and I've watched them all numerous times because they stem the tide to some degree, while at the same time, making my puddle of drool that much bigger.

I hate it. If my brain was a train station, and my thoughts the trains, (train of thought, GET IT!?) 90% of the trains final destination would be at Reach. Someone says "game" I think Reach. Someone says "gun" I think DMR. Someone say's Reach, i moan audibly and slip in to some pseudo tantric mid gasm mindset.
I hate it. I hate it. I hate it.

It's a game, I'm gonna play it. In theory, I'm gonna play it a lot. But knowing me, the possibility that 2 weeks from now i won't be playing it that much is a definite possibility. I generally just don't stick with games that long, and am not competitive enough to play multi simply to "pwn" and winning doesn't mean much to me. (usually) But until then, Reach has been this horrible itch in the back of my mind that I'm as excited to scratch, as I am annoyed that It's been so itchy for so long.

But dear god, I'm gonna scratch the holy ever loving fuck out of it come midnight tomorrow.
See you cunts online.