In my zeal to defend Hogwarts and my dear friends, and also to get up on Cho Chang, it is entirely possible that I
1. Didst exclaim certain mystical spells at high volume, and also
2. Didst wear a scarf;
but if the fight against evil should require shouting or, yes, even scarving, then let it be said that "he did shout and scarf unhindered." There is a video detailing these heroics, no doubt you have seen it, taken without my knowledge and injected into the public square by a villain. I have faith that, in a fundamentally just universe, things will be set right. And, in those cases where the universe is slow to act, let my rage be the instrument.
The best interview as a result of the unveiled Rock Band coverage is probably this one, performed by 1up's Matt Leone. No matter how extreme one gets on the extreme level of Guitar Hero, no man could confuse the act with playing an actual guitar. On the other hand, if you are producing the correct notes into a microphone, there may be regrettable dance floor excesses and exhortations to contend with, but you are (in fact) singing. If you've ever played DrumMania, perhaps I should say if you have ever tried to play DrumMania, you know that it's hardly a videogame at all. Like Keyboard Mania, an "arcade game" that is, I shit you not, a piano you put tokens in, DrumMania is based on largely the same skill set used in playing the instrument. Same story with the Rock Band controller. It's not really something you can simulate. Either you have this type of control over your body, or you don't. I absolutely do not.
I apologize for bringing it up again, and I hereby declare a moratorium on Rock Band news until I have something of value to contribute, but I really feel like they're doing something important. I pushed Donkey Konga on you, too, and for the same reason: playing music together is an act that is biologically reinforced. It doesn't even have to be real music. Right now I just sound crazy, so I'm going to be quiet. In a few months, though - when you're actually playing it - you'll forgive these indiscretions retroactively.
One last thing, for those still lamenting Conifur, a bit of comfort in a cold world:
(CW)TB out.
The second book I read was Galactic North by Alastair Reynolds. take a look at the cover and tell me if that does not fit perfectly with my book buying rules:
The book must have a picture of an alien planet, a space station or a space ship on the cover.
It's a collection of short stories all set in his Revelation Space universe. As universes go it's a pretty good one and the stories are pure Sci-Fi fun.
On the Pokemon front I've just about got Diamond wrapped up now. I've got sixty hours logged on it which is more than I've put into any other game with the exception of a couple Square titles. I captured my Dialga which was a really nice feeling of accomplishment. I decided to try taking my new an improved crew online via Battle Revolution to see if the addition of an ancient dragon with the power to warp space and time would give me the edge I needed to win. Turns out no. I still got completely hosed all night. I love the game but when I drop into a game and the other guy is fielding nothing but giant robot dragons and massive cats that one shot everything I throw out I get a little discouraged. Am I just coming in to late in the game to be competitive or is there something I'm missing?
Anyway the vacation was nice but it's good to be home. I'm currently working on our Assassins Creed comic book for Ubisoft and even though I was having a great time in Oregon I was really excited to get back and keep plugging away on this project. I'm just having a blast drawing Altair. I'll try and post some stuff from the comic soon if I can. Otherwise you should see it in the collectors edition of the game.
-Gabe out
Meet the 2007 Omeganaut Lineup!
The Omegathon 2006 Runner Up
David Davis aka Davertron
Hometown: Johnson, Vermont
Age: 25
Favorite Game: Counterstrike
Worst Game: “Apparently Tetris. *cries*”
Greatest Gaming Accomplishment: Competing in the 2006 Omegathon!
Brittany Marie Aubert aka baubert
Hometown: Bellevue, Washington
Age: 20
Favorite game: Ocarina of time. Favorite genre: Action/Adventure
Worst Game: Superman 64
Best gaming moment: “I made a pretty cool football strategy game called Gridiron Tactics while attending DigiPen.”
Max Battle III aka MT Max
Hometown: Kalispell, Montana
Age: 23
Favorite Game: First Person Shooters
Worst Game: Predator 2 (Game Gear)
Greatest Gaming Accomplishment: “Beating Tetris on B-Type 9-5 on original Nes when I was 8.”
Tony Baugh aka Tony_B
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
Age: 21
Favorite Game: Can’t decide.
Worst Game: “Cell Phone Games, yet I can't keep myself away from them.”
Greatest Gaming Accomplishment: “Finally beating my bigger brother at Mortal Kombat. From that day on my gaming skills only got better.”
Michael D. Berard aka jdarksun
Hometown: Reston, Virginia
Age: 27
Favorite Game: Tie between Dead Rising, Planescape: Torment, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and System Shock 2
Worst Game: Star Wars Galaxies
Greatest Accomplishment in Gaming: “It’s a tie between leading the PA WoW Horde guild for nearly a year and leading the PA BF2 clan over the summer of 2005.”
Ben Gray aka MNC Dover
Hometown: Savannah, Georgia
Age: 31
Favorite Game: A tie between Starcraft and Fire Emblem
Worst Game: Realistic Racers
Greatest Accomplishment in Gaming: “Beating Heavy Barrel in the arcade with only one man.”
Cynthia Anne Hookway aka CynderCyn
Hometown: Marshall, Michigan
Age: 24
Favorite Game: Guitar Hero
Worst Game: Mario Kart
Greatest Accomplishment in Gaming: “The first time I played Expert Mode in Guitar Hero I was able to get about a 70,000 score.”
Edward Jones aka SabreCat
Hometown: Madison, Wisconsin
Age: 24
Favorite Game: RPGs!
Worst Game: Battlestar Galactica
Greatest Accomplishment in Gaming: “Ascending in Nethack… eight times.”
Corey Lowenberg aka Rex
Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana
Age: 25
Favorite Game: The Legacy of Kain Series and Xenogears
Worst Game: Drake of the 99 Dragons
Greatest Accomplishment in Gaming: “I beat the hardest of a series of annoying block puzzles in Lufia 2 while asleep.”
Brian Lusky aka the Reverend
Hometown: Erie, Pennsylvania
Age: 26
Favorite Game: Final Fantasy VI
Worst Game: Anything Madden!
Greatest Accomplishment in Gaming: Bowling a 300 in Wii Sports
Ariel Matthews aka bluecanary
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Age: 28
Favorite Game: Tabletop RPGs!
Worst Game: E.T.
Greatest Accomplishment in Gaming: “That's an even tie between ME finally hitting level 40 in World of Warcraft and getting my wolf mount and my MOM hitting level 40 shortly thereafter. I was so proud. I have a level 40 mom. She has a raptor!”
David Palay aka LordThanda
Hometown: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Age: 21
Favorite Game: Anything not sports
Worst Game: Anything by Wisdom Tree
Greatest Accomplishment in Gaming: “My computer speakers: Ca-Ca-Ca-Ca-Ca-Ca-Ca-Carrier has arr - Carri- Carrier - Carrier has arrived.
5 other people in the room: Shit.”
Jimbo Matthew Pate aka Riggz13
Hometown: Jacksonville, Arkansas
Age: 23
Favorite Game: Anything Mario Kart
Worst Game: Need for Speed Underground 2
Greatest Accomplishment in Gaming: “The first time I killed an innocent player in Ultima Online.”
Steve Radabaugh aka Majin23x
Hometown: Thermopolis, Wyoming
Age: 28
Favorite Game: Any RTS
Worst Game: Any sports game
Greatest Accomplishment in Gaming: “I finished the second quest of the original Legend of Zelda in one sitting. I was probably 11 at the time.”
Carlito Reyes aka itojetto
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Age: 25
Favorite Game: Any Square RPG
Worst Game: Mortal Kombat
Greatest Accomplishment in Gaming: When I was 10, my mentally and certifiably insane cousins used to destroy me time and time again at Mario Kart SNES- I never had a chance. Red shells, green shells, and banana peels were always zooming across the screen, blowing up my balloons and wiping me off the track. I tried different tactics, characters, stages- there was never a glimpse of hope. One day, my cousin Alexander and I played ALL DAY and eventually got into a psychotically competitive “battle mode” for 12 straight hours. Eventually we were well into 800+ wins each- my poor little SNES nearly burst into flames, but it kept pushing on as if it knew my destiny. That day something deep within me snapped (Alexander had horrendous gas and athletes foot, so I may have been empowered by the toxic mix of his methane fumes and foot creams), and I MASTERED Mario Kart! I was unbeatable even with Bowser! GWAHAHHAHHAH!
Vanessa Sierra aka Vane518
Hometown: Miami, Florida
Age: 22
Favorite Game: Puzzle games
Worst Game: Elf Bowling
Greatest Accomplishment in Gaming: "Beating all the levels on Sonic the Hedgehog on my Sega Genesis."
Tristan Stanley aka LogicLB
Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa
Age: 25
Favorite Game: Resident Evil 4
Worst Game: Spider Man 3
Greatest Accomplishment in Gaming: “During Christmas 1995, the second Warcraft was release. I was in sixth grade at the time, and my parents had already established their stance on game evolving war. I was determined to play this game, after playing the first one so much. I had no allowance, but I would receive twenty dollars for a school lunch ticket. It was support to last me for two weeks. I really had no other way of making money as a 13 year old in sixth grade.
So for month and a half I went without lunch, keeping all the money hidden away. I rode my bike to local Game Stop in the mall and purchased Warcraft 2 on my own. It was the sweetest game I have ever earned.”
Chelsea Stark aka chelseabot
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Age: 23
Favorite Game: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Worst Game: DDR
Greatest Accomplishment in Gaming: “Defeating a Balor with my D&D group, thanks to plenty of natural 20s.”
Matthew Stone aka CR20XX
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
Age: 25
Favorite Game: Bomberman for the Saturn
Worst Game: Fighters/FPS
Greatest Accomplishment in Gaming: “Getting a legit Mew and winning three badges and a black cap by competing with other trainers and beating the Gym Leader’s Exeggcute, Kabutops and Articuno with my Parasect, Jolteon and Alakazam during the first Pokemon Tour at Chesterfield Mall.”
Josh Wetzel aka Wetzelcoatl
Hometown: Moscow, Idaho
Age: 20
Favorite Game: Warcraft III
Worst Game: Unreal Tournament
Greatest Accomplishment in Gaming: “Getting 2nd Place in the Desert Combat Tourney at the first PAX.”
Ryan Zack aka Accalon
Hometown: Bend, Oregon
Age: 22
Favorite Game: Half-Life
Worst Game: Toe Jam and Earl
Greatest Accomplishment in Gaming: Beating Zelda: Ocarina of Time with the 3-heart challenge
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And how will we abuse our Omeganauts this year you ask?
The Omegathon 2007 Schedule
Round 1: Pac Man
Location: Theatre B, 4th Floor
Time: Friday, 4:00 PM
Round 2: Calling All Cars
Location: Theatre B, 4th Floor
Time: Saturday, 1:30 PM
Round 3: Quake III
Location: PC Room
Time: Saturday, 4:30 PM
Round 4: Karaoke Revolution
Location: Main Theatre
Time: Saturday, 8:00 PM
Round 5: Puzzle Quest
Location: Theatre B, 4th Floor
Time: Sunday, 1:30 PM
Round 6: ???
Location: Main Theatre
Time: Sunday, 4:30 PM
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Diabolical!
-Gabe out
