Steelso vs Real Life

Love

It turns out that I have a week off between GRP and Equator. Which scared me a little. I’m always used to have something to do and this means I have nothing to do. Nothing. So of course I’ve done some self improvement by catching up on my reading. And getting through some games that I’ve not yet managed to complete.

Oneof my very kind leaving gifts was Super Mario Galaxy. It. Is. Amazing. The games loves you. It does. It wants you to succeed. It gives you extra lifes at certain points to keep you interested in completing a challenge. It makes you smile when you die. It is insanely creative. It is nostalgic while being utterly modern. It’s the most my Wii’s been used in months.  I play it to be happy. I am rationing my time on it so it doesn’t end quickly. I go ‘wow’ alot.

I love Mario and what he represents to me. I bought my first games console because of Super Mario Bros 3 and it nearly split my girlfriend and I up. Mario 64 seemed to be the height of gaming for me. The Mario games are the only games that my kids and I watch together to see how we’re doing. “Daddy, you’re terrible at Mario” is a phrase that I just don’t get used to hearing. I know it, that’s good enough. I just don’t need a 5 year old reinforcing it.

If you have a Wii, I implore you to get it. If you don’t have a Wii? Well you probably won’t have one for a while I reckon. Sorry.

Next game I want for my Wii? Wii Fit!!!!

The other game I got from GRP was Assassin’s Creed. It’s been get good reviews but I’m bored of it. It’s amazing to look at, one of the few times I’ve had my jaw dropping at certain points, esp. when you turn the corner of the road and see Damascus. It is beautiful, the first game that made me want a HD ready TV to see the design properly. But it is so, so repetitive. And the story isn’t strong enough to keep me remotely interested. The best thing about it is that I’ve seen how a Batman game could be brilliant using that graphic engine. However it made me sad that the best thing I could think about was a how good another game could be…

I’m desperately trying not to buy an iPhone…..

Away

Over Easter, Sam and I went off to Stockholm for a wee trip. I’ve been before for a stag weekend a couple of years ago. We had a great time and Sam started to learn more about my fondness for taking pictures of stupid things. Like shop window dummies. And hat shops. Hotel was great and the weather was fantastic. But sweet jebus, it was expensive for beer. I mean really! Oddly we never noticed this two years ago.

Still it is truly a great place and we had a ball. I am forbidden to mention Sam’s fan club though. Forbidden!

Bought Guitar Hero. For the kids. Really.

Off to see the guys from work after I do this. They are having a chat about work flow, processes, etc and given that I maybe an obstacle and also that I can’t keep my mouth shut in those kind of chats I’ve decided to let them do their thing then I’ll get my kicking after I have something to eat.

There is no way, no how, that we’re off to a strip club.

Let it Out and Let it In

Due to some sadness with my ex’s family the week is now all over the place. I’m here to support her and as such the knock-on means I can’t get to Manchester for the gig on Thursday. While it’s “one of those things” I was really looking forward to it and a bit gutted I can’t go. But it’s one of those things. No one to blame, just one of those things. Which for me is a bit tough as I like to account (i.e. “blame”) for things when they don’t go to plan, even if I’m the cause, but this is just one of those things. Deep breath. It’s cool.

Weekend was quiet, on Friday Gareth and I had a chat on how the Internet had fundmentally shaped the whole gig experience and why theatre would have trouble replicating that. Blah, blah, blah, blah. Dave and Kirsty popped in and we went to a “Celebration of Political Song”. Actually I went for more beer and I really was annoyingly annoyingly sneery when I got there. That didn’t go down well. It was good to see Mr Sneddon though. So after winning a fiver on the puggy, Kirsty was kind enough to give me a lift up the road and I broke the no-indian-food-when-dwunk rule and had a chicken tikka chasni.

Kids at the weekend but we all had the cold and we spent the weekend blaming each other and feeling miserable. D thought it hilarious chopping down my trees in AC:WW. I was raging. J spent the time pretending to be a cat so he could rest on my lap and be pampered. He can’t purr but he can meow. Sweet baby jesus, he can meow. Esp for treats, juice and petting.

We held a family vote and decided that I (and in turn us) should get a Wii. Well, D and I are excited about it, J just kept saying “Wee” and pretending to, well, wee. He thinks it’s funny that you have to buy a Wii. He noted that he could give us Wee anytime he wanted. We’ll see who’s laughing when it comes to Wii Sports boxing! Sean and Sally are invited up so D can show them the Wii. More laughing from J.

Been writing some comments for a couple of publications up here. Not sure if they’ll see the light of day so I’ll post them here if thwey don’t. Not because they are magical just because I want them to go somewhere.

Four people at work will have a Xbox 360 all connected to the international net in the next week. We’ll be like a Clan and everything! I started making a dance for us. Stewart (not I) is not convinced, in fact he looked a little afraid. Jamie has a purple cable of joy. Old man Marc is still holding out, he’s saving for a big Costco box of Horlicks. Old man Marc, you daft OAP.

Toothpaste can help rid DVD’s of unseemly scratches.

Meeting the lovely GFO tomorrow then a trip to the Edinburgh city for some lunch and a chat with the nice people at koncept. Tony and I will be as witty and hilarious as the last time we went to the Edinburgh city.

I talked to Conlon today too. Like Thor on the phone. Loving his work.

Take care, hope life with you all is well.

S
x

Not in

Currently obssesed with Animal Crossing: Wild World on my DS. It’s eating my life up and my hugely expensive 360 sits feeling unloved. Poor soul.

If you want to venture over to Sweeters (my town in AC:WW) then you’ll need my friends code which is 459631174449. Add yours below. Freckles is going around my town saying ‘Ya Pump’ to everyone he meets, the wee scamp.

Bless.

Mad March Hares

March, here already. Wow.

Well it’s a cool month for cool things. The film of one of my favourite books, V for Vendetta, is out on the 17th. It’s looking for cool and as long as they do’t show V’s face I’m cool. I like nat too. The trailers look great and it’s had some positive press. I’m going to see this with Mr Mulvey. It’ll be like a date! But it won’t be.

Lots and lots of 360 games coming out. I’m mad for the Burnout.

Do yourself favour and buy the Shat’s album. It is really special. It’s what I’m listening too a lot at the moment.

We will be pushing t least three websites this month. All looking coolio.

More. As I get it.

Oh My

Last night’s Xbox 360 night went well. The room at Stereo Stereo is amazing, we had the Xbox on Hi Def and playing on a audio visual system worth £100k. It was highly, highly impressive. I got my presentation across, we drank some beer and played some games.

The main game that got the ‘wow’ factor was Fight Night 3 were Marc got his mojo on.

Thanks to all that attended and to Stereo Stereo for the fantastic audio visual experience.

It’s not Geeky

Well it might be. Next week I’m doing a presentation for Biscuit/GRP on the Xbox 360 at the very cool Stereo Stereo.

Looking forward to showing of the capabilities of the 360 and it’ll be the first time that I’ll have seen the 360 on a hugh HDTV screen.

It’s going to be a very cool night.

Live is Good

Put your gamertag here too.

This is my Xbox Live card that tells all about the games, rep and achievements that I’ve got while playing my Xbox 360.

I’m loving this kind of commuity buildig on-lie, it’s more than just playing games, it’s cred, it provides good on-line relatios based on the player rep score, it’s very cool.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Live service expands over the next few years, I’ve got some ideas and I’m excited about the introduction of the webcam in the next few months and how that will affect the community.

Also thinking on how this inter-service offering will expand, for example while you’re online with Live, you’re not on the Internet as such but you can gain access to your stats on the Internet. It’s very clever.

Now if I could just beat Zuma….