Nice! I'll have at it this evening.

I get around in software engineering.  LAMP(ish) stack REST architecture and mobile tech mainly.  Now that I'm old(er) I wind up more and more in project and team management roles.  Also a new father.

Go Giants!

In. This game transported me back 20 years.

Be sure to wash your bags.

http://reason.com/blog/2013/01/24/are-plastic-bag-bans-making-us-sick

DLC news due tomorrow.

Squee!  Barely have time for gaming right now, but I played this game through 2.5 times in a row.

Nice. I loved this game. Felt like i was back in high school. Even broke out my old staple of Mt. Dew and mini pizzas.

I have no idea what you guys are directly going through, but I have Mass Respect. I do know what it's like to define life by occupation and then have it suddenly altered. You *can* find it even in civilian life if you follow a passion. Best of luck to you and take care.

This news gives me special, special feelings. FPS RPGs are hands down my favorite games. And this one is a pillar of the genre. Glad to hear it's holding up over the years. I'll be snagging it tomorrow and diving right in.

Definitely looks promising! 

That poster format seems to be all the rage in Hollywood...

The Cave

Uh, at 1:32 is he beer bonging in to his anus?

Hm... I strongly preferred Fallout 3 to New Vegas.  But I played the GOTY edition of FO3 with all the DLC - not sure if that made a difference.

Regardless, MOAR PLEAZ!

The consensus is generally that people who care a lot about story and or loved the original Fallouts, prefer New Vegas.  People that want a sandbox or really enjoy the Elderscrolls games prefer Fallout3.

Odd, I strongly prefer the first as well but flip the reasons.  Story-driven single-player games are about all I play and really dug the one in the first.  New Vegas just felt unfocused and unpolished.  Put down one for hoping for another game like FO3 from Bethesda.

But either way I'll be happy with another Fallout.

Dishonered has Weepers.  Plague infected types who run at you and want to bite you. So.... That said, the game reacts to your play style. The fewer people you kill the fewer Weepers. There weren't that many spots where they posed a problem on my stealth play.

Also, agree that the game doesn't hold up well played run and gun style. Started a kill em all run through and lost interest on the second mission. It's...too easy?

I loved Dishonered.  Played through once and immediately started a second "no kill" run-through.  Just finished it up and enjoyed it just as much.  That said, I've keep hearing great things about FC3 and I'm getting close to picking it up.

Dishonored: Dunwall City Trials

Just finished up the main campaign and found it to be exactly the type of game I like in every aspect. 

GOTY: X-Com

It's been quite awhile since I've played and enjoyed a game this much.  It certainly has bugs and some minor annoyances, but the overall execution is tops to me.

GOAT:  Fortunately I haven't played a game that falls in this category this year.  Whew.

Missed the parade today as well...but not the traffic this morning.    I was in Maui for the last 6 games.  It was great as there were so many Giants fans at the resort.  We all gathered at the pool bar for each game and the cheering, chanting and fervor felt like being at the park.  I listened to the last game on the plane and landed just in time to catch the 10th inning on an airport TV.  What a great season and amazing post-season run.  Once again I'm exhausted but ready for 2013 to start.  Go Giants!

A big tip of the hat to the Tigers.  Leyland's a class act in my book.  Felt a bit sorry for them (but didn't mind the sweep as a Giants' fan).

My only member carrying a med-pack went down.  No one could help her even though the med-pack was right there in her pack.  I understand not swapping items, but not being able to use it doesn't make sense.

Really enjoying the game, though.

FTL
Darksiders

Wow, that was fast.  About face!  Smart decision.

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/09/amazon-backtracks-will-remove-ads-from-kindle-fire-for-15-fee/

WTF?  While I prefer my Nexus 7 over my Fire, if true, this killed any interest I had in the new Fires.


All Kindle Fires sold to US customers will have home screen ads

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/09/all-kindle-fires-sold-to-us-customers-will-have-home-screen-ads/

[Spoiler]

Do the choices really matter, though?  Has anyone gone back and played both ways on some of these choices to see if it really plays out differently?  For instance, I think on the farm that who you chose didn't matter as far as the eventual outcome...just mattered with how certain people perceived you.  I've gotten the feeling a couple of times that the choice didn't actually impact how things would play out, but haven't tested it to see.

Spoiler for Hiden:

No, they don't seem to affect who lives and dies.  I went back thinking I would have different "NPCs" in my party based on who I chose to save.  I played up to the farm choice and the ultimate outcome was the same so I stopped. Only difference is the reaction people give you. Disappointing, but I imagine a truly dynamic game didn't fit the design scope or budget. 

That said, I didn't play any further.  Still have immensely enjoyed the first two episodes.

All the best to you! 

Congrats, Pete!  All the best to you and your wife.

I wonder what the MLB stuff will be like.  I currently purchase the MLB package through my cable company every baseball season, and while expensive, I at least get my money's worth by watching 90% of Philadelphia's games.  I'm curious if Xbox Live's coverage will allow me to keep from having to purchase it in the future.

Hey Pete.  I imagine this is the standard MLB.TV package they offer on MLB.com.  I've purchased this the past two years and find it really nice.

Good:
- Stream "all" (see the Bad below) games to my computer, phone (iOS or Android), iPad and PS3.
- PS3 app (which I hope the 360 will mimic if it's not the same one outright) allows you to go back and watch previous games, skip to innings, etc
- Web browser app allows you to watch up to 4 games simultaneously.

Bad:
- Local teams are blacked out.
- Other blackout windows (weekend day games and some random bullshit I'm sure is tied to advertising money)
- You have to pay extra for post season coverage

The local thing is a pain in the ass, but I cover that problem with my Slingbox (watching sports is pretty much the only thing I use it for).  Plus, that wouldn't be an issue for you (allows me to catch a bunch of Cardinals games, my child hood team).  Overall I'm looking forward to the addition as it's one of the few reasons I turn on my PS3.

Lastly, fear the beard and go Giants!

Congrats!

I miss The Duke.  Fit my my mitts perfectly (although I prefer 360 controller button layout).  Very fond memories of this console.

I occasionally wear a golf hat:

""Your nickname won't be shown on your profile, but it may be used (instead of your full name) in other Google services."

I lived with two black pugs for 6 months and loved being around them.  While they do make excellent apartments dogs, they are very attached and affectionate creatures.  Leaving them alone is stressful on a notably above average level.  The stress was reduced when they went from one to two, though.

http://www.akc.org/breeds/pug/

The Pug’s reason for living is to be near their people and to please them, and their sturdiness makes them a family favorite. They are comfortable in small apartments because they need minimal exercise, but the breed can adapt easily to all situations.

PC indie Magicka a "hit" despite broken, negligent release

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2011/01/pc-indie-magicka-a-hit-hype-obscures-broken-negligent-release.ars

True, but I also remember the fans and press had been bemoaning for quite some time their old QB who wasn't winning super bowls anymore.  They have equal blame and from my perspective it was just a bad situation.  Favre showed he had regained his class on Sunday by how he handled it.  The booing was low class, spiteful and uncalled for under any circumstances.  Shame on the fans.  I don't blame him one bit for not having difficulty deciding if he wanted to go back to an obviously ungrateful fan base.

Dragon Age 360

I don't understand why the packer fans were booing Favre.  He made that team a sucess the last 12+years.  Yes he left and played for other teams, but so do other players. 

Jerry Rice left to play the Raiders, and when he came to SF he'd get standing ovations.  Favre should get the same respect.

Agreed 100%.  I thought that was pretty tasteless.  He's a legendary QB who bled yellow and green for most of his career.  They had a weird breakup but it's no reason for that kind of reception.  I'm glad it was a great game which is originally all I wanted from it.  But after that booing I was glad to see him win.

Big bummer for the 49ers.  They had that game but couldn't seal the deal offensively in the second half.  My buds at work will certainly be solemn tomorrow.

As for the Cowboys, I'm just glad to see good Romo showing up for games and the Dallas D performing up to potential.  I'll enjoy the ride while it lasts.   The big test will be to see if they can hang with the red hot Eagles next week.

As someone who's large mitts loved the original X-Box "Duke" controller, this news makes me very happy.   

Borderlands pending good reviews.

Someone had to do it...

One.  But I work 10-14 hours a day M-F and usually a good half-day on the weekends.  It's something I thought I'd never do, it's not sustainable, but for now my job rocks as I'm learning tons and am digging the challenge.

Batman
Brutal Legend