LadyCrimson

It's rare I feel any emotion while playing video games outside of the action adrenaline rush or strategic sense of triumph/failure. Probably why I've never been concerned/big on "story" in games. I don't feel it, so I don't care. When a game does make me feel emotion, it's given to a party member - you spend time adventuring with them, mimicking "shared experience" in some small, electronic way, perhaps. But NPC's who just appear to give me info I feel nothing for. They may as well be statues. That said, books were much more emotional for me as I grew up...it's all I had. No pc/internet. Difficult home life and wanting escape. Reading, text literally disappears/I'm unaware of "words" as my brain translates them into a movie inside my head. It's that imagination process (turning words into pictures) that can make even the minor chrs. who appear only once in a book more memorable and "alive" than cardboard NPC's in a video game that my brain doesn't have to imagine. So from my perspective, there is definitely a huge difference between books, film/TV, and video games. (Film/TV falls between books and games, for me). By the time I got into pc gaming, I was already in my mid/late 20's with most of my main interests is entrenched. So vid. games were largely about "ooh, computer tech is getting so awesome" and "this sure beats puzzles and solitaire when I'm bored" vs. meaningful influence. Maybe if I'd first played Doom or Myst when I was 9....but since I didn't, I can't say.

Xbox dashboard preview report of Borderlands2. Interview w/Paul Hellquist + game footage.

A little more open than 2W2 then, perhaps. The thing that bugged me in that game was how a lot of things were closed off...so you'd just have to go back again once you got a quest/progressed the plot, making random exploring feel pointless/unrewarding. I don't mind a few important spots being closed off, but more than that and I feel restricted. I prefer it when games let you enter/explore and just don't spawn quest npc's enemies inside until you have the quest. Or just be linear to begin with.

The world didn't look terribly open in the gameplay videos I've seen...is it really that open? I've been observing that my notion of open world doesn't seem to be quite the same as what some games today are calling open world, if that makes sense. Two Worlds 2, for example.

Mm....I'd say generally not. There have been random instances of hunting for game info and coming across mentions of what historical things were an influence to the game, but usually I was aware of those historical culture things already. Not because I'm some kind of super history buff, but because I tend to play games that are set in cultural periods of history I'm interested in...eg Rome. Movies/TV definitely does it to me a lot more, where after watching something (whether fiction or documentary) I may run to my PC and do a search out of curiosity re:known recorded fact vs. subjective fiction or conjectured opinion. Since games are about me manipulating rules/gameplay for a certain outcome (including outcomes that aren't historically accurate at all), they don't tend to move my brain towards that kind of curiosity. Or maybe I'm just too busy playing the game to think about such things while playing .. vs. sitting on the couch watching TV as a mere observer. Not sure.

Hahaha! The last Doom one. Hahaha!!

Rango. Animation looked great. Nods to old Westerns were welcome. But neither funny or interesting. It was so lifeless that I fell asleep at about the 3/4 point, so maybe the end made it better. Not going back to find out.

Once in a while. But from my pov...it's pretty rare. Considering the record of most video game movies, I wouldn't be surprised if studios would be hesitant to greenlight very many for a while.

From someone who (still) hasn't read the 2nd book ... that wasn't bad. A good set-up episode I suppose. Cast is still top notch. I miss Sean Bean tho. Strange how I liked the political intrigue in Rome, but in this series some of it falls a little flat for me. Oh well, probably just what one is in to, period wise.

I personally thought Doom could make a fun/decent mindless action flick, but apparently I was wrong. Hollywood has no clue what to do with movies based on games, imo. I'd personally like to see Overlord turned into a comical/satirical film, ala Monty Python or Mel Brooks or whatever. But not sure it would actually work well.

Sure we do. It's not about the odds of winning tho...it's the social fun of being able to joke about maybe winning. And the daydream. Most people don't expect to win on Vegas slot machines either (if you "break even" you're doing well), but it doesn't stop them from sitting on those stools playing when they visit. It's just a fun way to spend your spare cash sometimes, like any other pursuit (unless you're a gambling addict, which is another story). I rarely play the lottery...most people I know only play when the jackpot gets big. It's just a fun lark. And if on some off chance you did win...well, as they say...wouldn't that be nice. And today....the sun came out again. Wonder if that'll last. This afternoon will largely be filled with chores while waiting for Game of Thrones.

Nothing that's punked me yet. The Beth fora turned the Community Discussion forum into a textual celebration of My Little Pony, tho....which is both amusing and exasperating.

Hm. Never played Wasteland...I'll have to research/read more in depth this weekend. But I like rpg's, post-apocalyptic, and supporting good projects when I can....so if I like what I read I'll pledge something. And if Obsidian themselves kick-starts their own rpg project, I'll be on that one too.

Hm. Well, these days I like pretty, so I'll try 4. The first one wasn't one of my faves (mostly because of the setting, I prefer other settings more) but enough to give a sequel a shot. Also....replaying BG1 reminded me how I basically went through the entire original game using nothing but bows/arrows and magic missile.

Same here. A book on tape might be heard but not absorbed. I mean, I like casual walks with friends/family but exercise doesn't work. Music is about the only thing that works for me while exercising.

Well, I haven't played 3, so that would mean nothing to me. But if 3 is well rated then...hm, for $40 perhaps I'll give it a shot.

Oh good....since I'm not into Mad Men, this means I'll have something new for my Sunday evening slot. The 1st season didn't make me drool fangirl spit or anything, but it was very watchable, so I'll give season2 a whirl.

I could really use a new castle-building sim. But I don't think one exists....I don't count Stronghold3. Or Minecraft. Anyone try Tropico4? The 1st one was fairly decent, haven't played the others.

Indeed. Wonder how that works. I love bullet time visually.

Bought my MegaMillions ticket. When I win that 500million, I'll buy everyone here a bunch of Steam gifts and a keg of beer.

That's why I have to stay away from Steam's website most of the time.

I think they changed their name officially to GoG, didn't they? No more Good Old Games. Hm. Legend of Grimrock looks interesting, based on some videos. I might get a little bored of never-ending dungeon after a while but it reminds me of some old games, only with better graphics. Could be happy weekend fun.

@Labadal - in these times, that's great news. Must be a load off the mind. Dear Diary: Today my plan was to be as unproductive as possible...and I was successful. Go me.

Baldur's Gate1. First reaction was "no wai, the play area window wasn't that small, was it?" I could swear on my old CRT things (portraits/buttons too) were smaller and stuff, and I don't mean because the screen was smaller. So I got the mod that let me play in higher resolutions. Don't care about widescreen etc. Just 800x600 was good enough, more like how I "remember". Also...it's a bit like playing Diablo1, in that I keep wanting them to walk faster. But so far, a good nostalgia leap. Just have to grab doomsayer Xan now.

Government barcodes lasered into our arms can't be far away! More seriously...I'm not really seeing a practical application for this, outside of novelty sales. It'd have to do a heck of a lot more than tell me my phone is ringing for me to be even remotely interested in a magnetic tattoo. Also...how would they fare if you needed an MRI scan? ....and Wals, because I like you, I'll be sure to call several times a day.