Yo Ho Ho

Now before I go on and talk about my time in Black Flag thus far. This isn't going to contain any story spoilers. Not only because I don't normally do that sort of thing but also because I promised Khulk I wouldn't. He is doing what I couldn't and that is wait for his PS4. Speaking of the PS4 apparently I can get a digital upgrade for only $10 which is pretty sweet if you ask me. So if you were one of those thinking but still wanted to see it work on the PS4 have that in the back of your mind.

Anyways the game. For Assassin's Creed fans it is a typically Assassin's Creed game. You find Templars, you stalk them and you kill them. They have continued on the crafting route from AC3, but have made your ship part of the experience. You can upgrade you hull, guns, sails, and even the look of your ship. The world is also entirely open so feel free to sail to your hearts content and be the pirate you were meant to be.

Part of the reason some disliked AC3 was because Connor wasn't nearly as interesting character as Ezio was. Not that Connor was bad, but look what he had to follow. I compare it to Cloud and Squall in Final Fantasy he had a lot to live up to, and no matter what people weren't going to be happy. Edward is more of a free spirit like Ezio was. If Ezio were to live as a pirate I think he would be pretty close to Edward. So he has that going for him.

The combat is just as fluid as it was in AC3 which I am glad they kept it that way. One thing I have noticed is I believe they are expecting this to be the first Assassin's Creed game some have play or at least one for some in awhile. There are tutorial sections which many vets will think are rather useless and realize they were already doing those things. So you may find yourself ignoring them. I really think that this is to the whole PS4 audience which will inevitably be having their own pirate's life soon enough.

What can I say besides the fact I really like the game. Story is great so far and it is an Assassin's Creed game. For those waiting for PS4 I can tell you it already looks great on the PS3 so I can only imagine what the future will bring.

Have a Happy Halloween everyone!

You Thought You Were So Clever

Here we are the middle of the week and a perfect time to make a list about something. Since Halloween is just around the corner though I figured it was a great time to make a list about some of those games which scared the crap out of you. Now as always my opinion is my opinion but feel free to tell me why I am wrong.

5. Clock Tower

This game played like an actually horror movie. There isn't shooting and random violence like in most of the horror games out there. The main character is pretty helpless and the scare factor of this entire game is that of being discovered.

4. Resident Evil

Sure there have been many games since but to me none of them even compared to the scare factor of the original. As with every Resident Evil game the fear factor is never really knowing is if something is really dead.

3. Nightmare Creatures

When I was younger this game scared the crap out of me. The story happens becasue a cult of people thought they could get super powers but then they were morphed into these random abominations which are all over chasing you in endless swarms. Yes, this game messed me up.

2. Fatal Frame Crimson Butterfly

So this game is a whole new kind of creepy. Your only weapon against the monsters is your camera. Yes you have to take pictures of them and basically the only way to progress in this game is to let them get in your face rewarding your fear basically. Also there are two little girls in this game and their are not many things creepier then two little girls.

1. Silent Hill

There are creepy and scary games and then there is Silent Hill. This game is on a another level of messed up and scary. You really have had to experience it to really understand the emotions  you will go through while playing it. If you are interested be prepared and lights off makes it even better.

There you have it this week's list. As always like or dislike let me know.

You Fail At Being A Gamer On Halloween If...

Fail Day! As you are reading this I am probably mindless playing Assassin's Creed IV. I know but in order to get past this moment of me doing something you wishing you were doing what I am we have Fail Day. So you can feel better about yourself because of the misfortune of others. This week since Halloween is upon us I have decided to explain how a Gamer can fail at Halloween. So here goes.

You Fail At Being A Gamer On Halloween If...

• You don't use this as a moment to embrace cosplay
• You don't carve a random gaming character into your pumpkin
• You have never had a fight over who gets to be Ezio
• You are just excited about your costume as the 12 year old next to you
• Having a sword is not a deal breaker
• You don't stock up on candy bars for gaming binges
• You didn't smile and nod after reading the last one
• You can't name all the people who received the Headless Horsemen mount while in a party with you
• You don't play a messed up game just for the fun of it
• You cannot name everything wrong with the costume you just bought
• You are extra pissed off at your friend for going as your arch nemisis 

and finally

• You don't mindless scare children as if they were in your own little video game

There you have it this week's edition of fail! Happy Assassin's Creeding!

Gaming Ain't No Game

Monday morning and only one day left till we raise our black flags. So maybe this Monday isn't as awful as a normal Monday. It is still though Machinima Monday which means I still have the pleasure of showcasing a machinima, animation, or live action for you. This week going with a live action which is a song. Yes sometimes original songs are boring and seem forced, but I found this one amusing. It is by Stagefivetv who I always tend to enjoy there random videos. This one is called Gaming Ain't No Game get ready to laugh here it is.



See wasn't that awesome? Just have to get through the day your pirates life begins tomorrw.

Ask Gauss

Sunday or this week known as 2 days till Black Flag day. What can I say I am a little excited for the new Assassin's Creed. I have liked everything I have seen so far from it and it's pirates who doesn't love pirates? Week has been calm for the most part. Finished up the DLC of Magicka on Friday with Safiree now just can mess around with it. We got our Facebook page up and running. You should really go over there an like that. Just going to be putting random goings as I am up to them there. Screenshots and all that fun stuff. Anyways, it is Sunday so let's get on with the questions.

So Halloween is coming up which gaming character would be your greatest costume?

I really don't think you could ever go wrong with Ezio. He is someone Gamers and Non-Gamers alike can recognize. Also he is a pretty sweet character.  Wouldn't get be fun to act like for an entire night? Think of the endless possibilities. For the purpose of epic costumes I have always wanted to create a Vivi costume. Vivi is one of my favourite characters not just because of his story but because he is iconic. He is a character who connections generations of gamers. I almost think they need to some how get him in a modern Final Fantasy game just for the sake of connecting him all over again.

What is it like to game with you?

You know I could really answer this and I may do a good job at it. Although what better way to answer this question then to pose it to Safiree the person I game with most often. So here is her answer to the question.

Best way to describe gaming with you, is through an analogy. Say im in a tree. Mid climb and at the top there are deadly monkeys (Gauss) waiting the chance to eat my face off (teach me how to play), Now I can either climb to the top to the monkeys, or I can climb down to the inevitable I told you so. Most of the time its me climbing down, and wanting to duct tape your mouth shut But I cant because If I did that, then gaming wouldn't be any fun.

Line of the week?

"With no power comes no responsibility"

There you have it this week's questions answered. If you have a question you can email it to gaussafication@gmail.com, or any of the other methods at the top right of the page. Enjoy what is left of your weekend.

All a Bad Dream -The Tauren and the Blood Elf part 2

 Happy Saturday everyone. Everything has been pretty cool. Still playing Magicka together with our friend Khulk. It's a pretty awesome game. When Gauss said about playing it I watched a video about it, and it looked really stupid. Come to find out, it's one of the best games i've ever played :) Wrote more for The Tauren and the Blood Elf. Made it nice and scary for Halloween. Autumn's Harvest in Rift has been pretty addicting. I've collected at least 750 Artifacts the past couple days hehe. Also wanted to remind everyone, Extra Life is coming up November 2nd for Rift. Register, and play for a weekend to benefit those in need. Details are on Trion's website. :D

 "I've never been here before, so be careful" the Tauren said. As they approached the first tent, the Blood Elf went inside. "Excuse me, might someone be able to help us?" she said softly. Everyone turned to her with a blank stare. Except one. In the far corner to her right she saw a tall dark figure. She squinted, then let her feet lead with curiosity  The figure slowly turned to her as she got closer. "Is there something I can do for you, dear?" he asked. 

 She wanted to ask him why he seemed different from all the others, but he didn't seem like the type to be open about much of anything. "A friend and I were walking through the forrest. and heard screaming, we followed it down through a cave to an injured Worgen, and an estranged Warlock. "Might you help us? we are concerned about the locals, and we don't want to let him go." The man watched her, and with the deepest sigh, he muttered  "Such concern from a couple of people simply passing by. How lovely it is you happened to be there in time to help this poor creature."

 The Blood Elf felt so uneasy. His tone seemed cynical, and untrustworthy to say the least. "We also noticed as we left, the same blue-green light we saw in the cave, is now casted on us, and we aren't sure what it is, or how to dispell. We wondered if there was a shaman around to help us, so we can be on our way?" The tall man smiled, and softly said, "you came to the right place. She knew something was wrong. She quickly ran through the tent out the way she came. 

 Leaving the tent, she noticed it wasn't the same outside as it was when she first went it. The Tauren and the Warlock were nowhere to be found. None of it made any sense to her. "What happened? she asked herself. The tall man followed her outside, along with the others who were in the the tent with him. "What happened to my friend and the warlock!" she screamed. The tall man with the same smile slowly walked up to her and put his had on her shoulder. "You are exactly what we need to finish what we started." Unable to sheath her weapons, or make any movement at all, she panicked  A dark, cold and paralyzing feeling filled her so fast, she couldn't make out her surroundings. "Sleep now dear, and when you wake up all of this will be a bad dream."

 Minutes, that seemed like days passed by. She drifted off more and more. She layed her head to the side, and saw the tall man laying on the ground with the Worgen standing over his body. She wondered how he got there, and how he knew where to find her. If he was too late, and if he could make this all go away. The Worgen picked her up and carried her away. Feeling so full of life, she woke up. There was a bright aura surrounding her, and the bed she was in. The tauren walked into the room and sat next to her.

 "What happened?" She asked. No need to worry, we are in Shattrath now, we were able to get you healed and now look at you. Like nothing even happened. "Where is the Worgen? How did he know where to find me? Where were you??" She had so many questions to ask the Tauren. She was scared the Warlock would come back and find her. She stumbled her words, trying to make sense of what happened. The tauren layed her back down, leaned in and whispered in her ear.. "Like I said, all a bad dream, my dear"
-Safiree

N'Zothing Theory

So here we go another Friday which means another Reader Post coming your way. This week I received I lot of Blizzcon types guesses. I lot of theories on upcoming Warcraft Lore and the one I am going to share with you today is by far the most interesting. It was submitted by Babo7k and has to do with Old Gods and their role in Azeroth's Past and Future. A great read and all you lore types like myself should enjoy this one.

Since you are a lore guy figured I would send you some ideas or some quick speculation I've been thinking about. 

I have always had a theory about the Old Gods having manifested in Azeroth at separate times, and the longer they have been there, the more time they have had to merge with the planet, meaning the more powerful they become. Recently I have come up with a new theory.

N'Zoth was the first Old God to stumble upon infant Azeroth. When the Titans reclaimed the planet, they found that N'Zoth was so incorporated into the planet that he had actually become part of it. Because of this, they weren't able to do with him what they did with the others (Imprison or 'Kill'). So, they defeated him, cast him into a state of inertia (In the land of Ny'alotha there is only sleep...), and similar to what they did with the Elemental Planes, put him and the entire portion of Azeroth that he was part of into a separate realm. This realm would eventually be known as Ny'alotha. The entire thing was essentially asleep, and was located somewhere under the center of the original Kalimdor, where N'Zoth resided.

But the Titans didn't stop there. They saw the power that N'Zoth contained, and didn't want it to go wasted. So, they left the gateway INTO Ny'alotha open, which would eventually be discovered by Dark Trolls, and be called the Well of Eternity. Algalon tells us the Titans never expected the races of Azeroth to become as powerful and cunning as they have. They would have never thought they would somehow find a way to conjure enough arcane energy to potentially release N'Zoth, which is essentially what happened in the War of the Ancients. 

When the Well of Eternity blew up, what happens immediately after? Two things of vital importance: Azshara and her Highborne become Naga, and Xavius as a tree falls into the waters where the Well once was. I believe Xavius sworn allegiance to N'Zoth at this exact moment, for one reason. During the events of WC3, the Naga show themselves, and Malfurion is awakened from the Dream. The Nightmare and the Naga both appear at the same moment (The Nightmare most likely started spreading right after Malfurion left the Dream), and the fact that we know they both serve N'Zoth, can lead us to one conclusion; The Well of Eternity exploding woke N'Zoth up. 

Also, I know Deathwing was corrupted before this, but him being so incorporated with Azeroth kinda screwed him from the get go.

There you go. Thanks once again to Babo7k and everyone else who submitted something. Enjoy your weekend and don't forget to see what Safiree has to say tomorrow.

The World We Game In

I often find myself explaining to non gamers what it actually is to be a gamer. The most common question is always why do you waste your time playing video games? My question back is always why do you think it is a waste? Is watching a movie wasting your time? Is playing hockey or any other sport? Is reading? Or is anything else people do considered wasting your time? I really think if you walked up to someone reading a book and you told them they were wasting their time they would look at you weird, and the truth is they have every right to.

Why is it video games is considered wasting someone's time? I guess it is the world we live in. I do think times have changed since I was younger though. Now there is a much more vocal gaming population. It means something to be proud of the games you play. You defend your console and your games which may rival another. Esports is bigger than I ever imagined it would be. So when will the time come when sitting down and relaxing and playing a video game for a couple hours be the same as someone reading a book, watching a movie, or shooting pucks into an empty net?

Some reading this will make reference to people playing for hours upon hours and doing nothing else. Honestly, anything you do for hours and hours will really be bad for you. Can overdue anything. There is this view how gaming is bad for the general population. When it promotes reading to kids who don't want to read books. It increasing dexterity and hand and eye coordination. It promotes teamwork and communication. It endorses critical thinking, and it brings people together from all over the world. Is there anything else in existence which can do all of these things? Nothing I know of.

Gamers deserve the same respect anyone else gets for doing something. They shouldn't be looked as wasting their time by those who don't understand or who aren't part of it. So next time someone asks you why you may be wasting your time ask them why they are wasting theirs by not gaming. The world is changing they should become apart of the change and not hinder it.

Well Butter My Biscuit

So have you ever started playing a game thinking it wasn't going to be very good, or at least not as good as everyone was saying? Then after playing it you were surprised at how much you enjoyed it. Well that is what this week's list is going to be all about. Games I only decided to play because I felt it was necessary to play them. I didn't have high expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I ended up liking them. So here they are.

5. Magicka

So I had heard for awhile that this game was actually fun. From all the trailers it looked amusing, but never really decided to actually play it. When I did I not only found the game fun and entertaining but there was some difficulty to it within the single player game. You had to think a midst all the hilarity which gets thrown around.

4. Dark Cloud

So the concept of the gaming sounded interesting. It was an Action Role Playing game and it included some city building as well. It had an interesting concept. The character though looked almost like Link and I started to get scared. I picked it up and was quite impressed how they tied everything together and how I was able to forget how much Toan looked like Link.

3. Legend of the Dragoon

When LoD came out I was a skeptic. The game was being released by Sony and it was getting rave reviews from sources which were linked to Sony. Regardless I picked up the game and everything which was said was true. The game had a story any RPG would love to have along with a combat system in a turn based style which I hope one day will make its way back.

2. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

The Assassin's Creed games while connected were not true sequels. Sure the current time period was connected to one another but part 2 brought in a new Assassin's known as Ezio one of my favourite gaming characters ever. I was scared when Brotherhood was announced because I didn't want them to ruin the character. Well they didn't ruin him they did the impossible and made him better. Brotherhood was far and away a better game than ACII which was a great game itself.

1. World Of Warcraft

I was a fan of Warcraft since Orcs and Humans and although MMOs were not a new thing they were new. I had played EQ and Final Fantasy XI and I really wasn't a fan. I didn't like the style. I figured I would play WoW and then complained how they ruined one of my favourite gaming series by turning it into and MMO. I ended up playing WoW for 7+ years and from it this blog was even born from my adventures within it. I probably would still be playing if I had the time to commit to play the way I feel it needs to be. World of Warcraft by far was the biggest surprise from any game I ever played.

There you have it this week's list. I know everyone's is different but tell me what you think or your thoughts on your own games which surprised you.

You Fail At Magicka If...

Fail Day! Yes it is that time of the week once again. This past week has been all about messing around with Magicka as you could see from all the pictures being posted on the newly created facebook page can access it on the side of the page or /gaussafication. Yes I know that was awful push in that direction, but it was done. Anyways, since I have been having fun playing figured it was a perfect opportunity to throw it into a Fail Day

You Fail At Magicka If...

• You are unsure why MacLeod isn't dying
• You don't laugh why seeing a pile of princesses in a castle
• You don't find enjoyment in randomly killing someone in your group
• You purposely kill yourself because you lost your frost cleaver
• You have yet to kill anyone but yourself when summoning death
• You don't wonder why thunderbolt seems to favour killing people in your party
• You run into vortexes
• You feel running through your grease fire was a good idea
• The concept of opposites is rather confusing
• You didn't enjoy destroying the entire goblin civilization
• You think grenades and bombs give you haste buffs
• You don't try to pick out which game every zone is from
• You don't make attempts to randomly speak like the characters at random points during your day

and

• You were unaware Vlad was a vampire

Hope you all enjoyed it!

The Game Formerly Known as "Blizzard All-Stars"

Oh here we go again. Monday Morning... Normally I would just link you something for Machinima Monday and be done with it. Why? Because Monday's suck and it is a way to start the week off easy. It isn't too often though something I could share for Machinima Monday is also an announcement. Just another reason why Carbot is that awesome. Now this is created by Carbot, but was made for Blizzard specially. You see it was at the last Blizzcon where we were introduced to a game being created called "Blizzard Dota" then went on to change its name to "Blizzard Allstars" because of some legal issues with the word Dota. This leaves us to where we are today and the realize of this animation created by Carbot. So sit back and enjoy.


I actually could careless what the name is as long as I can  play Tassadar...

What can I say he's awesome

Ask Gauss

Sunday here we are once again. I swear it seems like some weeks go faster than others. Alas though just must mean I was busier than normal, which again is hard to believe because I obviously wasn't. Enough with the random thoughts though. It is Sunday so let's get to the questions.

How about all those Black Flag trailers lately?

I agree all of these Assassin's Creed IV trailers are making the wait for the seem like an eternity. Judging from what I have seen they have really made the story of this game a big part of it. More so than III whose story was a large part with that of the future and not as much in the past. Who knows though I have yet to play the game, but I can tell you I am excited. I am sure you all will be seeing a lot more Black Flag posts from me in the next couple of weeks. Here is a look at my favourite trailer so far.




What was your favourite Beyond:Two Souls ending and do you think there will be a second game?

I have yet to see the endings which are from the Beyond but of the life endings I believe the Zoey ending to me makes the most sense and fit the best. Now without giving to much away it just feels like the right ending under the circumstances. To your question of a second game I think that is pretty much implied at the ending specifically even more so with the Zoey ending. I will also be right in line to play that game and experience it all again.

Funniest thing which happened to you this week?

Danka danka. All you Magicka players will understand.

That's it questions answered for the week. Keep in mind you can send your questions in at any point during the week. Gaussafication@gmail.com or any of the other methods on the top right of the page. Enjoy what is left of your weekend.

The Tauren and the Blood Elf - Terokkar Forest

Safiree & Gauss

Mostly Epic Saturdays

 Happy Saturday everyone! Hope your week was as good as mine was :) My apologies for posting todays blog later than usual. I got my days mixed up. Last weeks post was the best week i've wrote so far for this blog, I got tons of new readers, and I just wanted to thank you all for the great feedback. I have been working on a few story ideas and will be posting them for the next few weeks most likely. Tell me what you guys think. Good or bad, I can handle it. Also maybe you have a story idea you'd like some help with shoot me an email and I'd be glad to contribute! Enjoy :)

Deep within Terokkar Forrest  they heard a scream that was distant but brief. They both looked at each other with curiosity  they continued their walk brushing against motes of dust that drifted lazily in a small beam of sunlight, collecting mushrooms for tomorrow nights dinner. It was to be a dinner for friends and local leaders, gathering at one table to share stories of their recent endeavors.

 After collecting all they needed, they started the journey back home, when suddenly they heard the scream again, before distant and brief this time loud and what sounded like a man screaming not in excitement, or joy, but a cry of terror. The Blood Elf and Tauren looked at each other in panic, wondering how that could be, not seeing anyone on their way into the forest.  The man screamed again. They followed his cry until they came to a cave that  looked to be in the darkest part of the forrest.

 After an hour of following the footsteps into the cave, they came across a light. A blue-green ray of light that lit another passage through the cave. The tauren insisted the Blood Elf go back to the forrest and wait patiently, but she was the stubborn kind, and convinced him to let her stay with him. They both proceeded cautiously hoping to hear the cry once more to determine which way to go, but nothing came. The footsteps of this person faded almost as if there was more than one person in and out on a regular basis.

 Not finding anything else to help them get to him they started back when the Blood Elf noticed strange markings on the caves walls. They looked to be of some kind of beast, and not a friendly one. She couldn't make out what the rest was because most of it had been faded from over time. The Tauren assured her whatever the beast was, they had to get out of the cave so they didn't have to find out for themselves whether or not it was good or bad. As soon as they turned away they dropped into some sort of hole they hadn't noticed before.

 They landed in what seemed to be a whole different part of the cave, only there was no blue light, only torches that had been lit. Which meant they were not alone. In a panic the Blood Elf drew her axe ready for combat. Heavy breathing, with wide eyes they started down the first hallway. The footsteps were in the ground again, but this time fresh. The man screamed and they charged towards the echoes ready to fight whatever they discovered.

 As they entered the first room there was a warlock standing over an worgens corpse. "What happened? Who was screaming?" the tauren yelled. "What are you guys doing down here? Have you not any respect for privacy?" the warlock shouted. The tauren slowly treaded backwards with his arm stretched out pulling the Blood Elf back with him. He didn't know what to expect of this deranged warlock. "What did you do to him warlock? We heard him screaming from the forest!" she yelled.

 The warlock gave the most uneasy smile to them both and reached for his wand, but the Blood Elf quickly stunned him. The tauren charged and also stunned him again. He quickly tore the belt off the worgens cold mouth to bind the warlock up. "What do we do now?" she said. "I'm not sure, but we can't set him free to harm other innocents." He replied. They both agreed taking this warlock to Shattrath city would be a logical maneuver. Back up thru the cave, through the forrest they noticed something strange.

 The warlock seemed to have casted a spell neither of them were familiar with. They looked at their hands, glowing that same blue-green color as the cave they panicked. "What is happening?!" the Blood Elf yelled. They hurried to the nearest camp, looking for a mage to port them to Thunderbluff. "Surely there will be a shaman who can take care of whatever sorcery this is" he said firmly. After walking what seemed to be forever, they arrived at the camp.

To be continued.

-Safiree

The Changing Of A Definition

Here we are another Friday another Reader Post. Now I don't want to take away from this great post so I am going to let it speak for itself. It was sent in by Onzaylis and has to do with Esports and how it is changing things all around us. It is a great read and I thank him and everyone else who sent something in this week.

So, the E-Sports scene has come a long way. For those of you who don't know "E-Sports" is professional level competitive video games. It wasn't long ago that even big video game tournaments were only a couple thousand people, and very low budget affairs. This video is the Opening to the League of Legends Season 3 World Championship Finals.


This is how they opened what was ultimately just 3 games played to decide the best team for the season. BTW, that guitarist, that's Wes Borland, of Limp Bizkit.

That event... 3 games (could have been up to 7, still only a few hours), SOLD OUT the Staples Center. That's an 18,000 person capacity venue, completely sold out so that 10 players could duke it out on two teams for a couple hours and the winning team of 5 took home $1,000,000. These are video games packing drawing in crowds like that. On top of the people who showed up at the Staples Center, Hundreds of thousands more, maybe even millions watched it live through a number of video streaming services.

If in just a few years they've gotten this big, and this wasn't even the largest event in gaming. Not even close. All kinds of games have pro circuits, massive tournaments, huge fan turnouts. Sponsorship has breached the limit of tech companies, with brands like Coke now sponsoring teams and players. Where will these things be in another 3 years? 5, 10, 20??? How long until E-Sports competitions start competing with events like the baseball World Series, or the Superbowl for viewership. In South Korea they already have channels like ESPN dedicated to E-Sports, how long will it be until that spreads.

This excites me. This thrills me. The world is beginning to realize that sportsmanship talent isn't limited to who can throw a ball the farthest, or who knows how to swing a club. They are realizing that it's about who puts in the effort, the dedication, the work, and who is willing to compete. It's not just about muscle anymore, it's about mental skills. Even better, these are things that are easy to get into. Traditional sports, if you want to compete in any real way, you need specialized, often expensive equipment. Video games, you just need a PC or a console, something most people have laying around.

The definition of the word sport is changing, and it's a good thing.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Not A Vampire

So here Safiree and I were wondering what we were going to be playing. You know those moments when you want to do something but really have no clue what you are going to do and want someone else to decide it for you. Although you have no problem at all shutting down everything the other person suggests. Well that was me the other day.

Then I thought why don't we play Magicka. Always looked interesting in the weirdest way possible and who doesn't like a game that makes fun of all the things you love about gaming? Also being able to randomly kill the person  you are playing with is always a plus when they piss you off or when you just feel like stealing their weapon. Why? Because I saw it first and you shouldn't have picked it up.

So we have just been messing around for the past few days trying to progress when we don't feel like randomly killing one another. The game although not the hardest game ever does offer some challenge besides the urge to take out your frustrations on other players.

You will be hard pressed to find a game which makes you laugh at someone else blowing you to bits. I always seem to find it hard to not aim my beam at my fellow players the explosions just look so beautiful. Also who doesn't enjoy killing quest givers who aren't really quest givers? I know this isn't much of a story but really I have just been having fun doing the most random of things because frankly it makes no sense. I am not even getting mad because it was hilarious to watch my little Vivi lookalike fly 50 feet in the air before landing on a bomb which blew the pieces of my corpse back into the air from where it came.

Who knows maybe I may have a real story in a day or two but really so much hilarity and stupidity is happening makes it nearly impossible to keep track.

That's It

Sometimes we play games that while we are playing them we are so angry for the very fact that we are actually playing them. The game was hyped and we were let down to the point where we make it a point to tell anyone and everyone never to play that particular game. So this week's list I decided to go with my 5 most disappointing games I have ever played.

5. Bioshock 2

Bioshock was a great game and I enjoy it immensely. The ending was a little disappointing but not to the point where I didn't enjoy the game. In fact I was excited to play Bioshock 2 until I actually played it. I was so disappointed with this game I still have yet to play Bioshock Infinite which may even be up for game of the year. Yes I will never forget.

4. Mega Man X7

The Mega Man games where the games of the childhood. I played them countless times and they never got old. I could tell you what to use against what right now for pretty much any of the games. When the transition to X happened I was ok wiht it. Was a change but I still enjoyed the games. When X7 came around though I wish I could knock some sense into people. With all the things which were awful about this game nothing was worse then the voice acting it was almost as if they walked up to some random person o nthe street and asked them to do their worst possible impression of such an such and then put it into the damn game.

3. Devil May Cry 2

The game was cheesy and the combat was simplified to the point where the game was a joke in every aspect. Sure they made up for it in the 3rd installment but I know no one who thought this game wasn't a waste of time.

2. Metroid: Other M

So I never really was a Metroid fan. I had friends beg me to play them when I was younger and I did. I didn't hate the games but they weren't bad. They were everything I expected them to be. This game though is on my list of not only disappointing but worst games in the history of gaming. There is nothing good to say about this game.  An obvious story with plot which was uninteresting in every single way. Not to mention who the hell calls an operation Baby's Crying. Little really? That happened.

1. Lair

A launch game for the PS3. I was beyond excited to play this game. What can I say I love dragons. I honestly believe this game couldn't have been tested. explain how you can use a D pad and both analog sticks and shake the controller. Really this was a thing. Not to mention the framerates where all over the place. I have never been so disappointed in a game I tried so hard to get past its faults. I played it and played it and it never got better. Just seeing this games name makes me shake my head.

There they are I don't think anyone can argue about these being disappointing but you may have some which are more so. So let me have it.

You Fail At Beyond: Two Souls If...

Fail Day! Yes here we go again. This week decided to obviously go with Beyond:Two Souls. Now I realize people who played this may be thinking how does one actually Fail at this game, and truly that is a great question so let's find out how! Now there could be spoilers so let's not be stupid here

You Fail At Beyond: Two Souls If...

• You don't constantly make Green Goblin references
• You don't enjoy making chair castles
• You find the game difficult
• You try to block a brick with your arm
• The concept of dodging evades you
• You don't look behind you every time you look in a mirror
• You make weird and interesting faces when you shake the controller in random directions
• You didn't enjoy choking Jodie's foster father
• You didn't scream at the screen telling Salim you didn't speak whatever language he was speaking
• You don't think Cole is awesome
• You struggle endlessly while trying to read thoughts or objects
• You never wanted your own Aiden
• You never said "Mind Control Bitch!" 

and finally

• You actually found a way to fail.

There you have it this week's edition of fail. Hope you enjoyed it.          

Piranha Plant Procedure

Happy Thanksgiving! Yes it is Thanksgiving even to all you Americans out there who are weird and celebrate it later than it should be. Even if it is a holiday though it still doesn't mean we shouldn't remember Monday is Machinima Monday. The post of the week where I take some time to showcase a machinima, animation or live action I think all of you would enjoy. I know I have shown some Carbot videos before but this one isn't from his Starcrafts series this is one which is absolutely hilarious and will leave you saying "he comes he jumps he leaves" over and over again. So I give you Piranha Plant Procedure.



In the words of Maurice...That was awesome!

Ask Gauss

Sunday! And Sunday of a long weekend making it an even better Sunday because the Monday which follows isn't truly a Monday. Makes as much as something I said the other day "That's all you, but... that's just me". One of those things where it made sense when you were saying it but when you say it again it just makes you shake your head. Anyways, it is Sunday so let's do this Ask Gauss thing.

So there is a lot more datamined information coming out of D3 have you taken a look at it and what are your thoughts?

Honestly, so far I haven't found anything I haven't liked about the new stuff coming in D3. Sure I have some concerns but I will wait for Blizzcon and when they make their big reveal about D3. You see I am not one of those people who just hated on Diablo III just because it was the "cool" thing to do. Believe it or not I think Diablo III is a great game. It used an older style of game in a new gaming age. This is why I think it got a lot of critizism which to me made no sense. Sure there were things I would have changed but it by no means made it as I have heard "a complete and horrible game".

Anytime someone says D3 is a horrible game to you ask them to explain why. They really have no reason why it is horrible. They may give you some reasons why they dislike certain aspects of it or they may have no even played it and just want to be part of the "cool" kids club. Regardless I got off topic. I am liking everything I have seen from the datamines and really so far it may be the part of Blizzcon I am most excited for.

Is Beyond:Two Souls going to give The Last of US a run for its money for game of the year?

Beyond:Two Souls has an amazing story keeps you involved in the game and always makes you want to know more about what is going on. It is a game I would recommend to gamers and non gamers alike for all of those aspects. I don't think anyone who would play it or watch it could say in good conscience say it wasn't a great game. With all of that being said No there is no competition and really anyone who says otherwise really needs to think.

The Last of Us is a masterpiece a generation game. It probably is the best story based game I have ever played. I am thinking of playing Uncharted 2 again just to make this point to myself. There is no competition and I don't see how anyone could argue this isn't the game of the year at the very least.

Fumiest thing you have heard?

Soul Calibur 6 is being delayed over how big Ivy's breasts should be in the next game. Actually not sure if this is funny or sad.

Questions answered for the week! Hope you all got something out of them. Enjoy the rest of your weekend long or short!

The Tauren, and the Blood Elf

Safiree & Gauss

Mostly Epic Saturdays

 Happy Saturday everyone!! As always hope your weeks were as great as mine. I get some stories in that are quite special, and I wanted to share one of my own. Gauss and I's story of meeting. I promise this will be the only time I am cheezy. lol...no it's not. Still, i'm going to kill you with romance. <3

In the same city, we stayed. Every night, every sunrise. Tall buildings, nice people. Rooftops as wide as the horizon. Always together, but never until that night did they find what they hadn't ever found in that familiar city. On the rooftops, she always felt alive. Jumping from building to building, then landed on the building that was his own place. His escape from everything he knew to disgruntle him. She saw him there, alone. She felt as if she could watch him there for a lifetime, wondering what would change in that moment if she sat by him. Of all the things that wore her throughout her day, and got her down, seeing him there made her feel like she had been there with him before. As if that is what she was supposed to do.

 Approaching  quietly, she sat next to him. Silence remained until she smiled at him, and he looked at her with confusion at first, but then with comfort. He knew she wasn't here to give him anything more or less than simple company. Slowly, becoming more comfortable.. came smiles, laughs and little talks of their days. Both similar, stressful but strong. They both felt a sense of compatibility, that they both wanted to become more acquainted with. Sure enough they did.

 Everyday their first words to each other were nothing short of exciting. Feeling like no matter what were to happen from there, they would be just fine through anything. Overtime knowing each other's strengths, and weaknesses, neither ever felt alone for a second. It just felt right. His world was much different from hers, in that he was the warrior of many men. 

 She felt nervous, scared and uneasy to this change. With this new life she explored far beyond her normals of Azeroth. She and him spent limitless time together. With friends, and with each other  Killing enemies, and sharing the glorious moments together. It made them far more stronger as a team then they could have ever gotten before they were apart. Together, they were infinite.

-Safiree

Hearthstone Rage

Here we are the ending of the week and the start of a long weekend for all us Canadians. We know how to celebrate Thanksgiving in the correct month. It is Friday though so many if not all of you came here for the Reader Post. Now the Reader Post is normally about something I received which I found interesting and engaging, and something I feel all of you would also enjoy reading. This particular email I received was full of rage surprisingly not towards myself which is quite odd. I get a few of those. This was full of rage towards Hearthstone. In case some of you didn't know Hearthstone is a game currently in beta created by Blizzard. It is a card game played digitally. I have yet to play it although that beta key I have keeps reminding me to do so. I just don't have the drive to play a card game. Anyways I thought this was entertaining, even more so since his name was Paralleluniverse, so I will share it with you all.

I've been in the beta since Day 1. I'm done with this game and I will not play it again. It's not a fair game.

Here's why:

1. It's pay to win. People who spend more money can get more cards, better cards, more options to build better decks, meanwhile people who don't spend money need to grind for days to get even 1 deck of cards, and the pitiful rate of 1 gold per win. Even the MMR system cannot fix this unfairness at the top of the MMR curve, where high MMR players with bought cards have more than 50% win rate (like SC2). A person with 2000 skill rating + $100 spent is better than a person with 2000 skill rating. It's unfair. People should not be allowed to buy cards with real money.

2. There is no release wipe. It allows people who, by dumb luck, have been in the beta to get an unfair card advantage, for absolutely no reason. Why should beta testers get to keep their account without a wipe, when people who weren't lucky enough to get into the closed beta are systemically and unfairly, of no fault of their owned, denied this advantage of early access? And some of these people are now defending their undeserved entitlement, which they should not get, at the expense of destroying fairness for everyone else.

3. No ladder and ranking system. No plans for ladder and ranking systems.

4. No chat. No social features. No plans for chat, no plans for social features.

5. Flawed reward model that rewards players for tanking their rating and farming noobs by giving these abusers more gold, more quickly.

6. Per-usage microtransaction of $2 to play Arena. This would be as outrageous as Valve charging $2 to queue All Pick in Dota 2. Or if Microsoft charged $2 to make an Office document with no option of buying Microsoft Office. This is arguably the most greedy business model in existence.

What would they need to do to make make me play? Never ever sell any cards or packs. Wipe on release. Add ladders and chat. Sell the game for $60 instead. Or sell only cosmetic microtransactions like Dota 2.

In conclusion, there is no fairness, no equality. Therefore, there is no sense of accomplishment, and hence no point to play. Would anyone bother to compete in the Olympics if drug cheats are allowed? No. So why should I play Hearthstone. The same reasoning applies: if the game is unfair, then accomplishments, like being in Masters, mean nothing because it can be achieved by people using these unfair and undeserved advantages, like buying cards for real money.

The fact that cards can be grinded at a snail's pace changes nothing, because other people who have spent more money still have the advantage of more cards, better cards, more choices, and a easier ability to adapt to a changing metagame, which isn't possible via grinding. In the long run you can get all the cards... eventually. But in the long run, we are all dead. In the meantime, you're playing a stacked and unfair game. More fundamentally, there is no point to grinding in an unfair game in the first place. So why even bother take the first step? Games like WoW Classic, SC2, WC3, and Dota 2, were built on a model of fairness within the game. Everyone pays the same, everyone gets the same access to the game. If you play the game, then how much money you have outside of the game doesn't affect the game. Your real world finances doesn't come into the game as an advantage. In Hearthstone, how much money you spend in real life determines how many cards you have. It's the opposite of fair games where everyone starts perfectly equal like WoW Classic, SC2, WC3 and Dota 2.

The unfairness and inequality of Hearthstone cheapens the game for everyone as accomplishments become meaningless, because people who have bought cards can achieve the same, just like drug cheats in the Olympics. And the fact that there's no ladder and ranking system really does make your accomplishment meaningless because no one knows about them, no one knows you exist. You can't even talk. So the game is meaningless and pointless. And I refuse to play a meaningless and pointless game.

The developers of this game have a pathological aversion to fairness and equality, in favor of more money and a greedy business model. But as proven by the fact that they decided not to wipe on release, it's not just about money. It proves that they believe in unfairness and inequality, fundamentally and as a matter of principle. And it is ultimately for this reason that I will not play this game.

The first thing I thought after reading this. He does no its a card game right? Secondly, there is no pay only content which kind of makes his argument invalid but nonetheless entertaining. So hopefully that gives you all happy thoughts for the weekend!

The Beyond Expierence

So it has just been a couple days and I have yet to complete the game but I will say Beyond: Two Souls is an experience. The Story so far has been amazing and engaging. While I thought it might be confusing how the story jumps all over points of Jodie's life it has actually done it in such a way that it makes the story run smoother. You feel as if you are the one remembering events of her life as is intended.

You see when someone explains their life to you they don't always go in order they explain to you why things happened based upon what lead to what then move on to the next things, which of course would have moments throughout their entire life which would connect to it. This is how Beyond"Two Souls works and I am actually glad this decision was made.

Now the game itself is not difficult at all, but if you played Heavy Rain you will completely understand why. The story and game itself is built to be an experience not about dying and trying again. The story progresses no matter what you choose or choose not to do. It is ever flowing.

I have yet to not enjoy anything with it. I do always think there is going to be an epic Green Goblin moment at anytime, but that just is just what I think whenever I see Willem Dafoe in anything he happens to be in.

If you have a chance pick it up. It won't be the best game you ever play but it will be one you will remember and talk about with all your gamer friends. If you are unable watch a playthrough just to be part of the experience may just be one of the better games to ever watch a playthrough of.

Clowns

Now unless you know exactly what I am referring to that title is probably a little weird. If you do understand it I know you are saying it in just the right voice. Last week I showed you what I believe to be the worst endings ever in video games. I know a lot of you had differing opinions and that's great, but your opinion isn't mine. When I do these lists there are my musts which pop into my head and I go from there. This week's list though was actually very difficult I actually struggled to pick my top 5, but I am pretty happy with my choices and I know there will be plenty of people to argue against me, but here goes my Best Endings ever. Also let's not be stupid there are obvious spoilers in this post.

5. Red Dead Redemption



When Red Dead Redemption's ending is number 5 on the list you know there has to be some pretty amazing endings out there. This is a mixture of love, honor, loyalty, and everything else there possibly could be. It truly is a work of art and played out beautifully. Even if you never played the game this is an ending where you truly feel for the characters.

4. Uncharted 3



Based upon the title of the blog today you might have thought I would have gone with Uncharted 2. It does have quite an amazing ending, but I really couldn't put in on the list and feel right. Uncharted 3's ending though is special. The game started showing where Nathan came from and ended with him not only being some else but being what was always envisioned.

3. Kingdom Hearts



I am sure Kingdom Hearts ending is #1 in many people's books and you really would be hard pressed to argue against it. The game was scripted beautifully and the ending was no different. A tear jerker for sure and one you can watch again and again and it will never get old.

2. Assassin's Creed Revelations



Again I am sure this is many people's #1 and it was almost mine as well. Realizing what the life of an assassin truly is. This is not only the end of Ezio's life as an assassin but it also gives us the realization of what is to come for the world. It  is an ending which gives up saddness, hope, and the realization that there is much more to do.

1. Final Fantasy X



What makes a good ending? A story of love? A story of sacrifice? Or a realization of what it means to be alive? The answer would be all of those and more. Final Fantasy X will break your heart and make you scream at your screen WHY. It will also make you appreciate what you have and what time you have left. It took me time to come to this, but really there is none better deserving of the words The End.

There you have it my top 5 endings in video games. I know there are lots missing many of them great, but I am happy with my choices as always though let me know yours one way or another.

You Fail At Being Pumped For A New Game If...

Fail Day! Oh it is that time of the week again. The day where we get to feel better about others misfortunes. Or feel awesome because some actually doesn't believe Reindeer are real. I know I know I am awful, but hey who cares? So today is the release of Beyond Two Souls and as you are reading this I am probably playing it. So I figured today would be all about being pumped for a new games release.

You Fail At Being Pumped For A New Game If...

• You did not attend the midnight release
• You don't suffer from lack of sleep the first few days it is out
• You don't meet the minimum system requirements
• You have dyslexia when reading release date
• Your excuse for not coming into work actually needed more work
• You believe it is not important to be ahead of other people you know who are playing the game
• You don't make at least 3 friends and 3 enemies while waiting in line at a midnight release
• You don't have your own unique error 37 story
• The words "no sleep till realm first" are words you live by
• You know nothing about this game you need to have
• You didn't realize you didn't own the system the game is being released on
• You didn't play any of the previous parts before the newest one you just bought
• You bought an expansion when you didn't own the actual game
• You are not with someone who understands your maddness

and finally

• The only reason you are playing the game is because everyone else is playing the game.

There you have it this week's edition of fail! Hope you all enjoyed it and happy Beyond Two Souls!

Potion Overdose

Monday! Yes here we are and normally Mondays are a day to be depressed, but tomorrow Beyond Two Souls comes out and I am quite excited about. So I cannot be that depressed just for that point alone. As always Monday means it is time for me to showcase a machinima, animation, or live action gaming video for Machinima Monday. This week I decided to go with a live action which has been out for almost a year now. I enjoy it because the effects in it are probably some of the best I have seen on youtube, but I cannot get over how the effects are so amazing and yet their beards are the cheapest looking things there possible is. Maybe that is the point though. This video is called Potion Overdose and as the name implies that is what it is about. So sit back and enjoy this work of art




Hope you liked it. Enjoy your day and get ready for Beyond Two Souls.

Ask Gauss

Sunday! End of the weekend is upon us! I know I know it sucks but hey just think next weekend is a long weekend. Well if you are Canadian and have Thanksgiving at least, which I am and do so all is good in my books. Anyways it's Sunday so let's just get right into the Ask Gauss part of your day.

So Beyond Two Souls on Tuesday, are you ready?

This is a game I am truly excited for. This game hasn't got as much press as some other games, but it has the potential to be amazing. Everything I have seen and heard from it gives me no cause for complaints or concerns. I loved Heavy Rain and it looks that this game is going to be full of those same type of morality choices that made Heavy Rain what it was. Now as much as I say it is going to be a great game to play and I assume I am going to enjoy it to no end. I truly doubt it is going to be on the same level as The Last of Us but we shall only see.

Do you feel games should be scaled down because of the average persons computer?

This is an interesting question. In most cases I would no a game should never be worse just because they want more people to play it. Blizzard's approach to this problem I feel is one all gaming companies should employ. Sure it requires a different type of engine and more work for programmers but a game is not hindered based upon graphics abilities of low end machines. So it is possible. The drawback of the non Blizzard approach is this. Taken from the most recent SimCity blog.

After months of testing, I confirm that we will not be providing bigger city sizes. The system performance challenges we encountered would mean that the vast majority of our players wouldn’t be able to load, much less play with bigger cities. We’ve tried a number of different approaches to bring performance into an acceptable range, but we just couldn’t achieve it within the confines of the engine. We’ve chosen to cease work on bigger city sizes and put that effort into continuing to evolve the core game and explore an offline mode. Some of the experiments we conducted to improve performance on bigger cities will be rolled into future updates to improve overall game performance.

That to me may be the worst news in months maybe even years. A game that is so close to being great that they decide not to make it better because of the work needed to be put in. The fact is they would make less money for what they could get from it. Now SimCity looks amazing on my computer and I have seen what it looks like on low end machines. To scrap what everyone has been calling to because of the start because of graphical issues on low end machines though makes me sad and quite frankly pissed off.

If you are interested in the whole blow can see it here State of SimCity

Are PS4s still available for Pre-Order anywhere?

I truly doubt it.

There you go questions answered for the week. Hopefully something good came of answering them. Enjoy what is left of your weekend!