Cooking up a new idea ...

Take a look at this picture I put together and tell me what pops into your head ...

If you find yourself torn between playing a video game and grabbing some lunch/dinner/etc.then it's done its job well.  See, there's a story behind this ... and an idea.  Now I've decided it's time to share and to put the call out to you guys for thoughts, comments, and maybe a little role as a guinea pig.  Curious?  Read on ...

Say what you mean and mean what you say ...

Let me start off this post by saying that I don't ever expect everyone out there who reads my stuff to agree with everything I have to say.  I know, I know ... big shock, right?  Seriously though, I'll be the first person to tell you that when it comes to editorial or review articles, they're simply one person's opinion of a given subject at a given time.  In my time as a writer, I've had people criticize my reviews because they thought I gave something too low OR to high of a score.  And hey, I'm okay with that.  A lot of times, I'll even try to engage people and let them know that what I try to do is to express my thoughts on the subject, explain my praise and/or criticism, and that I try to look at things through the eyes of the audience ... though it's going to be filtered through my own experiences.

All that being said, I stand by what I say and I value my reputation as a writer.  What's been pissing me off lately, though, is what seems to be a trend of writers willing to compromise their integrity for the sake of simply ruffling a few feathers and cashing in on the almighty traffic of hits.  Let me explain ...

When did we stop just having fun?

About a week ago, I posted a quick little monologue on Facebook asking when we stopped just having fun and being entertained.  At the time, I was frustrated at a lot of different reviews I was seeing online of everything from games to books to movies.  I was reading article after article in which this thing or that was being nitpicked to death, only to never actually answer the big question ... "Is it any fun?"

I'll be honest, at the time, my post was just meant to be me venting a little bit of steam.  Well, I was surprised at the response that quick post got, so I've decided to expand on the thought a little bit here.

Just paint a target on my back ...

Earlier this week, I finally started spending some time in the early access multiplayer for Naughty Dog's latest globetrotting and relic hunting adventure, Uncharted 3.  Now, I could go on and on about how much I'm looking forward to the next chapter in Nathan Drake's story, and about how the game looks and plays so far ... which is something I'll probably do in a later post.  But this particular post isn't so much about Uncharted 3, as much as it's about the realization that I generally suck at competitive multiplayer ... and how I've finally decided that I'm okay with it.

@Gamer Issue #13

The start of another month means yet another issue of Best Buy's awesome @Gamer Magazine.  Of course, another issue of @Gamer means that another chance to check out a little bit of video game coverage from a certain video game journalist we all know and love.  Plus, this marks the debut of an extra little goodie in the magazine that we'll hopefully see more of in upcoming issues.  More on that later.

For now, though, let's take a quick peek through the pages of this month's issue of @Gamer and see what sorts of cool and interesting stuff you'll find inside.  Afterwards, if you haven't already done so, make plans to head out an pick up a copy from your nearest Best Buy ASAP.  Or better yet, head on over to the @Gamer website and get yourself signed up for a one-year subscription so you don't miss a beat.

PCP Game Review: Marvel Super Hero Squad Online (PC)

In case you're just tuning in here, there's something you guys should know about me.  I am a self-professed and unapologetic comic book fanboy.  Marvel, DC, IDW, Dark Horse ... it doesn't matter.  I love the art, the writing, the characters, and pretty much everything about the medium.  Heck, before I got into this whole writing shtick, I even managed a couple of comic book shops.

Because of this "fanboy" mentality, whenever I see a new movie, TV show, or video game coming out based on a comic book, I kinda feel obligated to at least check it out and see if it's any good.  So when Gazillion Entertainment and The Amazing Society released the kid-friendly, free-to-play MMO based on Marvel Comics' Super Hero Squad ... well, who was I to pass up a chance to "Hero up!" and save the day?

Extra Content ...

Just a quick little post here to let everyone know that I've started up a second blog, PopCult POV.  PopCult POV is a collaborative blog I've set up to cover all manner of pop culture goodies.  Comics, games, movies, TV, books, food ... it's a wild mix of interesting and fun topics.  Because of this, I might not be posting here QUITE as much as I had been before.  To make up for it, I'll occasionally do a little cross posting here of articles I write over there, and adding an extra tag/label to point it out.

Be sure to let me know your thoughts ...

A "GD" boycott on Grant Morrison and Action Comics?

Every once in a while, I stumble across a story that, due to the sheer ridiculously absurd nature of it, starts to give me a migraine.  This morning, it was a piece at Comic Book Resources reporting that a North Carolina comic retailer was launching a boycott of DC's new Action Comics series and its writer, Grant Morrison.  So what sort of pernicious plot could have possibly been perpetrated in the pages of this periodical to provoke such a passionate proposition? (Ahh ... alliteration. Gotta love it.)   It's all because of a single panel that, according to Jeff Lamb, owner of aptly named Asheboro, NC comic shop, The Comic Conspiracy, shows DC's newest version of the Man of Steel in a blasphemous light.

Is Morrison's Superman flying around Metropolis spewing out bile and hate in the "New 52"?  Not quite. In fact, not even close.  Instead, the panel in question doesn't even have Supes uttering a single complete word.  Instead, it's just two little letters that have riled Lamb up as "a slap in the face to Superman, Christians and Superman creators Siegel and Shuster!!"